{PDF} The Internet Edge: Social, Technical, and Legal Challenges for a Networked World Mark Stefik

The “Internet edge” is our collective struggle to change as the world becomes more connected. Turmoil at the Internet edge occurs around interacting social, legal and technological realms. Examples include issues of on-line privacy, censorship, digital copyright and untaxed business competition over the Net. Such issues reflect conflicts between values – local and global, individual and corporate, democratic and non-democratic. The book is an eagle’s eye view of the Internet edge. It is about the experiences of those who encountered similar issues as they built precursors to the Net such as videotext, teletext and the Source. It is about the trends in technology that will make the Net of the next few years a very differenct experience from the desk-top surfing of today. It is also about how old myths of magic, power and control can help us to understand our fascination with and fear of new technologies.