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A review by nielsism
From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg: What You Really Need to Know About the Internet by John Naughton
3.0
Tad disappointed about the premises, could be my own fault. Was rather looking for a simple explanation of how the internet works - technically - and the problems and consequences involved. What it rather is, is some short insights into network architecture (but not too much, as I would liked more info on fibre, exchange points etc), but most of it on the cultural significance of our transition into an Internet-era.
Having said and coming to terms with that, some chapters were at some points read with a kind of intrigue (compared to some dull expositions about Internet as a new type of media between all the rest and examples of how powerful a Net-based society can be, which were really too long and obvious). Especially the ones on the Orwell-Huxley divide and cloud computing got me thinking quite a bit. A society that loves technology, loves all the new apps and stuff and completes merges with it, has some obvious advantages to be connected to the world and every piece of information around, but as the Net grows more monopolistic (as one of his central points could be), our cultural freedom or accessibility is diminished and supplied by some big corporations and/or governments (which aren't per definition malevolent). The privacy and security issues this could produce are too neglected or ignored nowadays, which kindof gives the impression that we don't really care, and that we want to give up some degree of privacy (and don't mind being monitored) if this means still being able to use our beloved technology.
Having said and coming to terms with that, some chapters were at some points read with a kind of intrigue (compared to some dull expositions about Internet as a new type of media between all the rest and examples of how powerful a Net-based society can be, which were really too long and obvious). Especially the ones on the Orwell-Huxley divide and cloud computing got me thinking quite a bit. A society that loves technology, loves all the new apps and stuff and completes merges with it, has some obvious advantages to be connected to the world and every piece of information around, but as the Net grows more monopolistic (as one of his central points could be), our cultural freedom or accessibility is diminished and supplied by some big corporations and/or governments (which aren't per definition malevolent). The privacy and security issues this could produce are too neglected or ignored nowadays, which kindof gives the impression that we don't really care, and that we want to give up some degree of privacy (and don't mind being monitored) if this means still being able to use our beloved technology.