Quote:
Originally Posted by Taylor514ce
Please read "Little Brother" by Cory Doctorow.
I think your scenario is completely unrealistic. People will not tolerate such a tightly controlled internet. Businesses will ignore the "grass roots alternative free internet"? Hardly. Since that's where the users will be, that's where the businesses will move.
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Read it. Although it was wonderfully paranoid and anti-government, not to mention occasionally hilarious (
Bite Bite Bite!), it glossed over the influence of businesses on the web, and on the public, which is critical to this subject.
And no, the scenario isn't unrealistic, because of one important factor: If the businesses see the "non-anonymous" internet as the one that will make them the most money, they will do whatever they have to to entice users to want to use it, and abandon the "anonymous" internet along the way... and if they offer the right content and perks, people will follow.
I think you assume too much when you say "people won't tolerate a tightly-controlled internet." People already tolerate a hell of a lot that is not in their best interests, every day, for the sake of enjoyment, convenience or saving money. The internet is no different, as people have already sacrificed their anonymity and ponied up personal information by the terabyte to buy products online, watch TV shows and access dodgy content by barely-legitimate sellers on lawless islands.
Historically, businesses are very, very good at convincing the public that they want things that they'd never even heard of the day before. Historically, the public is very, very good at ignoring little details (like anonymity, safety, sensibility, and even price) when it gets in the way of what they want. As I haven't yet seen any sign that basic human or business nature has changed, I expect history to continue pretty much as it has been.
Not necessarily an optimistic point of view... but definitely a realistic one.