Y490 Politics of the Y490 Politics of the InternetInternetNovember 15, 2011November 15, 2011

Some of our original Some of our original concerns:concerns:

Does the Internet make it possible for there to Does the Internet make it possible for there to be more diversity in the political views be more diversity in the political views expressed in the public sphere?expressed in the public sphere?

How do we compare the media on the Internet How do we compare the media on the Internet to the media that were previously available?to the media that were previously available?

Does the greater amount of user-generated Does the greater amount of user-generated content in blogs and social networks result in content in blogs and social networks result in stronger democracies?stronger democracies?

User-Generated Content and Applications

Blogs and Vlogs Web 2.0 applications

Facebook Other social networking sites

Twitter eBay Amazon reviews IMDB reviews and other content Craigslist Wikipedia Flickr

The Long Tail HypothesisPareto Distribution(aka Power Law)

Another Way to Look at the Long Tail

Questions

Will the people on the left side of the long curve be hurt by the people on the right side? If so, what is gained and lost?

Does bad behavior by the little guys ruin it for everybody?

How can people protect themselves against network mischief?

Zittrain Contrasts PCs with iPhones

PC iPhone

Type of Technology

Generative Appliancized/

Tethered

Type of Software

Open Proprietary

Type of Network

Anarchic Controlled

Definition of Generativity

“… a system’s capacity to produce unanticipated change through unfiltered contributions from broad and varied audiences…” (p. 70)

Features of a Generative System (pp. 71-73)

Leverage Adaptability Ease of mastery Accessibiity Transferabiity

Basic Propositions (Zittrain, p. 64)

The IT ecosystem functions best with generative technology at its core.

Generativity instigates a pattern both within and beyond the technological layers of the IT ecosystem.

Proponents of generative IT systems ignore the drawbacks attendant to generativity’s success at their peril.

Layer Model

Highest: Content Intermediate High:

applications Intermediate Low:

operating systems Lowest: physical

Advantages of Layers

Engineers can tinker with one layer without necessarily affecting the other layers.

The hourglass shape means that there is lots of room for innovation above and below the operating systems and protocols levels.

Problems with Generative Technologies and Anarchic Networks

Malware: worms, viruses, trojan horses Incompatibilities in hardware and software

which create difficulties for beginners (steep learning curves)

Use by criminals, political extremists, hate mongers, pornographers, child molesters, cyberstalkers

Vulnerability to cyber attacks of various kinds that go beyond malware (e.g. denial of service attacks, identity theft)

Identity TheftIdentity Theft The blanket term for any type of crime wherein the The blanket term for any type of crime wherein the

offender uses another individual’s legitimate personal offender uses another individual’s legitimate personal information to commit acts of fraud or deception, typically information to commit acts of fraud or deception, typically for illicit financial gainfor illicit financial gain

Where a person’s identification details are obtained Where a person’s identification details are obtained through various covert methods, from rifling through the through various covert methods, from rifling through the contents of household dustbins to “phishing.’ contents of household dustbins to “phishing.’

PhishingPhishing is a form of fraud where the criminal is a form of fraud where the criminal pretends to be a reputable organization that needs pretends to be a reputable organization that needs information about some business you may have information about some business you may have done with them done with them

Identity Theft and FraudIdentity Theft and Fraud Identity theft is not really a is not really a

specific kind of fraud, but an specific kind of fraud, but an act that leads a person to act that leads a person to be able to commit fraudbe able to commit fraud

Fraud generally is the Fraud generally is the attempt to convince for any attempt to convince for any reason that you are reason that you are someone other then someone other then yourself.yourself.

FTC video on identity theft

Examples of Hate Speech on the Internet

Nazis and Neo-Nazis Sale of Nazi objects

(involving EBay) French policies

(involving Yahoo based sales of Nazi stuff)

Hate groups Hate Watch

Dangers Inherent in Tethered Systems

Network service can reprogram appliances at will (through their periodic updating of appliance software)

Some appliances can record private information and make it available to those with access to the network (police for example)

Tethered networks can be used for censorship

Controversy over Amazon e-books

Examples of Censorship on Tethered Networks

Skype in China is used to censor words like Falun Gong and Dalai Lama

Google.cn makes searches for Falun Gong and Tibet fail

FBI can use OnStar for surveillance Use of cameras in mobile phones?

Flexispy software for cell phones

The News Corporation The News Corporation ScandalScandal

News of the World tabloid in UK hacks into cell News of the World tabloid in UK hacks into cell phones of Prince Harry and others to get phones of Prince Harry and others to get sensational storiessensational stories

Photo of Prince Harry wearing a Nazi uniform Photo of Prince Harry wearing a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress partyto a fancy dress party

2002 kidnap and murder of a British schoolgirl, 2002 kidnap and murder of a British schoolgirl, Milly DowlerMilly Dowler

Exposure of top level News Corporation Exposure of top level News Corporation approval of illegal phone hacking in 2011approval of illegal phone hacking in 2011

Should Cell Phones Networks be Should Cell Phones Networks be more like the PC-Based Internet?more like the PC-Based Internet?

Cell phone operators clearly are opposed Cell phone operators clearly are opposed to thisto this

Should “net neutrality” be extended to Should “net neutrality” be extended to cell phone networks?cell phone networks?

Should we personally favor PC-like Should we personally favor PC-like Google-Android platforms over more Google-Android platforms over more tethered platforms like Apple’s iTunes, tethered platforms like Apple’s iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iPad?iPod, iPhone, iPad?