Tim Berners-Lee, the ‘Father of the Internet’, wrote an article in Scientific American, critisizing
- social networking sites walling off information posted by their users from the rest of the Web
- Wireless Internet providers slowing traffic to sites with which they have no deals
- government monitoring of citizens online habits, endangering important human rights
Illustration by John Hendrix
Long Live the Web:
A Call for Continued Open Standards
and Neutrality
The Web is critical not merely to the digital revolution but to our continued prosperity—and even our liberty. Like democracy itself, it needs defending.
By Tim Berners-Lee November 22, 2010
Summary
* The principle of universality allows the Web to work no matter what hardware, software, network connection or language you use and to handle information of all types and qualities. This principle guides Web technology design.
* Technical standards that are open and royalty-free allow people to create applications without anyone’s permission or having to pay. Patents, and Web services that do not use the common URIs for addresses, limit innovation.
* Threats to the Internet, such as companies or governments that interfere with or snoop on Internet traffic, compromise basic human network rights.
* Web applications, linked data and other future Web technologies will flourish only if we protect the medium’s basic principles.
Scientific American, November 22, 2010
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