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Father of the web worried its democracy is under threat.
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Read more.Quote:
Father of the web worried its democracy is under threat.
While I agree with him, this is what business always do - attempt to take over, control users/money and try and monopolise (and this can be non-deliberate). You just need to look at all other major technologies - cars, telephones, electricity etc - They all started with small companies that in general didn't work together and slowly the smaller companies get swallowed up until you just have three or four companies that control 99% of market. I'm afriad I can see the same thing happen with the internet. I mean think about it - how much of your internet time is spent on a Facebook, Google, Microsoft or Apple free website?
The only time I spend on Microsoft website is when I'm either using bing search (fairly infrequent) or when I've developing on their platform.
Again google, thanks to how good the search results are I spend less than 5-10% of my time on it. The rest are mostly indies.
Monopolies are a direct result of the capitalist system. Maximise profit = monopoly. Whether they realise that is the case or not is irrelevant, they are striving for it, along with everyone else, because of the profit dynamic which is ingrained into our society.
With regards to the internet I agree with Berners-Lee, creating "silos" will only fragment the internet but I don't share his view that it will have a negative impact on the internet. The internet will be fine, people will choose where they go and more than likely adapt their browsing habits according to their interpretation of the web.
What I am more concerned with is government meddling with the internet under the guise of security. That is a massive threat to the internet which is the last remaining place people are left to think for themselves. The government can create there own little silos and cordon themselves off but extending that will be the beginning of the end.
"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
Thomas Jefferson