Realising the potential of the internet
Submitted by James Plummer on Sun, 2007-02-11 12:03.
Capturing innovation | bottom up | co creation | the establishment
George Osborne's speech http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=133558&speeches=1 is an insightful response by the Establishment to the threat posed to them by the ‘bottom up world’ of which the internet is a key component. It is certainly welcome that he acknowledges the power and potential of this tool, but it doesn’t seem to address the key issue at the heart of WT2 which is about how control also needs to be ‘bottom up’ and independent from the Establishment.
Although well known internet enabled brands like Google, YouTube and Myspace etc are based upon powerful ideas, they have rapidly become part of the Establishment itself (either as public companies or via ownership) and consequently need to support its values and structure. The true power of the internet, and its greatest potential, is to facilitate a fragmented market where ownership of ideas and the possibility of mass communication remains largely independent. This must be the duty of our elected political leaders. They must not be allowed to surrender control, within the public services market at least, to US based multinational operators controlled by stock markets.
George also talks mainly about information and its control. We might expect that of a politician, and discussion of this aspect is significant to the 'digerati'. However, a key potential of the internet is the platform's ability to make processes more efficient and responsive through a ‘bottom up’ approach where the user 'co creates' the technology solution that they need. This seems nowhere near as glamorous or newsworthy but is in fact the 'silent' change that will take place within every process affecting our life as citizens and must not be dominated by multinational suppliers. As consumers we have choice. As citizens we do not.
Although well known internet enabled brands like Google, YouTube and Myspace etc are based upon powerful ideas, they have rapidly become part of the Establishment itself (either as public companies or via ownership) and consequently need to support its values and structure. The true power of the internet, and its greatest potential, is to facilitate a fragmented market where ownership of ideas and the possibility of mass communication remains largely independent. This must be the duty of our elected political leaders. They must not be allowed to surrender control, within the public services market at least, to US based multinational operators controlled by stock markets.
George also talks mainly about information and its control. We might expect that of a politician, and discussion of this aspect is significant to the 'digerati'. However, a key potential of the internet is the platform's ability to make processes more efficient and responsive through a ‘bottom up’ approach where the user 'co creates' the technology solution that they need. This seems nowhere near as glamorous or newsworthy but is in fact the 'silent' change that will take place within every process affecting our life as citizens and must not be dominated by multinational suppliers. As consumers we have choice. As citizens we do not.
