Virtual Revolution

Virtual Revoution Notes

Tim Bernes Lee- Inventor of the WWW

“Let the people be free”- It was given away for free.

The digital divide.

• ·          Digital Haves 
• ·         Digital have nots

“Empowering tool”- Al Gore.

“Exciting and revolutionary”- Al Gore.

¼ is online-35 million users (UK)- £1 billion spent each week

40% porn(Men in UK)- 5million use dating sites.

6^th August 1991- 1^st website went online.

1965- email started.

Libertarianism-challenging the culture.

 Self expression- blogging.

Mits-created 1^st computer-Altair 8800.

From 1994- Businesss were allowed on the internet.

90% Market- Microsoft- pressurised company's to have computers with windows software preinstalled

Shaun Fanming - Owner of Napster - allowed others to share music online for free - global piracy - Metallica one of the bands enraged by Napster- Not good for producers.

Chad Hurley - CEO and co-owner of youtube - youtube allows creative freedom, allows everyone to be seen -> Pluralism

Ebay 21 million hits a month , Amazon 16 million hits a month, 1/3 people have a Facebook page

Jimmy Whales (Co founder of Wikipedia) ->editors can lock and administrators can delete -CENSORSHIP - due to pressure/struggle by police

Is the web unequal?!? - Does it mirror hierarchy in the real world

Web can be seen as a space of perpetual innovation - extraordinary opportunities – the web can destroy established business models. 

User generated content.  Democratisation. Creative Freedom. Piracy.