Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Good evening everyone let's talk about the internet
Before we begin I want to ask you a question.
What is the first image that comes to mind when you hear 'the internet?'
- What comes to mind?
- Email - or else 'the at sign'
- I also hear - face book-
Technology - it's all about technology
The first image that comes to mind when referring to the general public
when talking about the internet are these:
wires - technology
After 10 years of living on the net
I still can't make them out
They don't make sense to me whatsoever
Take the brain for example
I don't look at how the brain is made
but rather what it is capable of doing - its potential
The same goes for the internet
I don't look at these cables which resemble a ball of yarn
but look to their potential
So many things that are said about the web are distorted
and the information they deprive us of is actually relevant
This evening I am going to touch on the very aspects of the internet
which are misrepresented to the public everywhere not just in Italy
The web is an organism
How is the image of the internet depicted?
The typical image is that of
connections links and computers
but something is missing in this depiction.
What's missing?
- The people.
The people are the fundamental element.
It's like buying a wonderfully packaged bottle of wine without the wine.
It's missing the very reason why that bottle was bought in the first place.
This is exactly the same thing with the image that is depicted of the internet world wide,
it is a depiction where WE are missing.
The Internet is not about wires
-It is about the people.
We create the web.
This is an important aspect because
people are now connected to one another;
we have created this well-constructed world
and have united cultures.
The social network is by far one of the most important aspects of the internet.
We are talking about a place where people have a fundamental role
in aspiring to reach their goals.
I want to present some interesting facts that you may find interesting regarding
the dimensions of the internet that are not stressed enough.
Let's begin with email.
How much email do you think is sent every second?
- 100? - 1 000?
- 5 000?
2 million emails every second over the internet
How many direct messages from Instant Messenger in real time?
How many messages?
Billions?
In actuality, one million messages are sent every second.
How about clicks?
How many clicks do you think are sent out every day?
An estimated 100 billion clicks per day.
The amount of digital information created and passed around the world
has reached 7 tera (7 Trillion) per second on the internet.
The final two interesting facts
are in the number of links which allow us to navigate from one site or page to another.
And the other is the number of transistors
the transistor being the piece of metal which makes the calculation, the data processing.
The number of links has reached 55 trillion
with a quintillion transistors - these are absolutely phenomenal and incomprehensible amounts.
Given these numbers, some scientists and scholars
have started looking at these facts from a different perspective.
The correlation of Links and Transistors are similar in numbers to our own Synapses and Neurons respectively,
concluding that we are in essence creating a living being.
The internet can be equated to the human brain
with the exception being that the human brain does not increase in computing power every 18 months.
So this means that we are creating a master brain.
This is an intriguing reality because in the end,
what we are referring to is a living organism.
Just like this small animal,
it is a young organism that resembles us more than we realize.
We are the ones who are giving it life, nurturing it and allowing it to grow.
It is a living being that breathes, acknowledges and inputs - it is alive.
This young organism can also be equated to our own DNA.
To a certain degree we can say that the internet is the DNA of our species.
What is DNA? It is something that archives who we were, who are today and what we could be.
Internet, to a certain degree can be seen as the DNA of a new species
the species to which we contribute.
We need to be aware that we are in a situation where we are involved with a living organism.
If we look at these flights - looking at them from a different perspective they take on a life form.
Such is this living organism that when we look to technology
we can see that it is something with a pulse, something real.
Ping Pong and the Web
In my opinion the closest thing to the internet is Ping-Pong.
Justifiably, you may be thinking why Ping-Pong?
I have always had a passion for Ping-Pong.
Although I have never been any good at the sport,
I thought I would demonstrate just how correlated it is to the web.
The Internet is an opportunity.
It is a practical thing.
Inspired by Tim Farris, Author of 'The Four-Hour Workweek'
where you learn for example, the alphabet in 3 hours,
I thought I would show you something new, something different in a short demonstration.
So for the past few months I have been studying the art of Ping-Pong
and thought if this experiment pans out
I will bring a skilled player to do the demonstration with me
who couldn't even hit the ball with a paddle.
So the experiment for this evening will begin here,
I will play against the experienced, yet not professional player
to demonstrate the power of the internet to you this evening.
(..One moment... Gianni has he arrived?)
(Hello...)
(but, I wasn't expecting a Chinese person, I was expecting...)
(excuse me one moment please...)
(no, ok.)
Apparently one of my friends has played a practical joke on me,
I was expecting a regular player,
but as you know the Chinese have an affinity for Ping-Pong and won at the last Olympic Games.
(Ok, so are you a skilled player?...)
(no please stay... please don't take us for rude people,...)
(Ok, do I have a paddle for myself?)
(Ok so I will give it a try, what do you think?)
(How do you hold it, like this? Ok.)
(One moment while I take off my jacket...)
(He probably wanted to make me look like a fool tonight...)
(I will be right back.)
(Ok let's try...)
(just being able to serve is already a big deal.)
(I have watched a lot of videos on youtube...)
(Should I serve or do you want to go first?)
(ok...)
(so this internet isn't so bad, right?)
I was obviously pulling your leg tonight, the internet, doesn't perform miracles yet.
I have been playing Ping-Pong for years,
but it was an entertaining way to introduce some key elements.
The first being language.
If you were to speak to a Ping-Pong Trainer
it would be as if you were speaking to an Internet Guru.
Both would speak to you about conversation, communication, space and time.
So if you think about it, they are in essence the same thing.
In reality Ping-Pong, like the internet, is about dialogue.
While I am playing I have a dialogue with my opponent.
I observe how she is positioned, and everything that she does.
So from this perspective we share a continuous dialogue.
I never play alone; I always pay attention to my opponent...
(How nice she even smiles at me while we play...)
(but if this were a competition she wouldn't be so nice... ok...)
The other aspect is
Time.
Time is completely different both on the Internet and in Ping-Pong.
I will give you a practical explanation.
Time as you can see here can be impeded
or expedited.
Therefore I regulate the speed.
As with the Internet, I choose the pace.
The next aspect is Space.
Space on the internet and in ping pong is the same thing.
I can be closer, or further away,
I can have a completely different space.
(Let's give a round of applause)
(she is one of the top 100 Ping-Pong players in the world.)
Approaching the web
What kind of approach can or should we have in this hectic life?
In my opinion one should adopt a courageous one.
Like this bird that defies the rules.
Optimistic or pessimistic?
I would say moderately optimistic... but moderately so.
Why moderately optimistic?
Because like our friend Albert said,
the web is becoming perpetually easier.
With every day that passes it becomes even more so.
You don't need to be an expert to use the internet.
Sometimes people are under the impression that in order to use the internet
one's skills must be as sharp as this young lady's ability here to pile glasses in record time.
On the contrary, it is actually very simple.
It takes common sense.
You can take a simplistic approach to using the net without analyzing anything.
You don't need to look too digital.
Like this sign from a store in Rome, attempting to present a digital image
when they probably only sell electric ovens.
We have a network that is here to stay.
Here we have a sign that says: Internet will not listen to reason.
Personally, I equate the Internet to a relationship.
We can generally agree that women are complex human beings right?
They say "no" when they mean "yes" and vice versa.
From an IT background I never know how to interpret women.
Men on the other hand, are simple.
We are simple beings.
Matching these two worlds is not easy
because even their needs are different.
However we still have to make the effort to make the relationship work.
Otherwise we would be isolated and alone in our nests.
Why take on an online relationship?
What are some useful things we can do?
We can do a lot of things, but most importantly we must be passionate.
We can put passion into the relationship.
Rowing, rowing in the same direction is never easy,
but it can be done.
It cannot be bought.
Romanticism and courtship are fundamental on the web.
So at the end it can be achieved.
Will there be disappointments? Yes there will be.
But you don't need to get wrapped up in this aspect.
Who here has been let down in relationships?
I am a black belt in love disappointments, so don't be shy.
Ok so there have been disappointments.
Whoever didn't raise their hand either lied or will have one very soon.
We have already recognized this evening that the internet is very much an organism.
It requires a correct approach
- professional but not necessarily by a professional.
Before getting into it you have to get your hands dirty,
using it and testing it out in order to come to your own conclusions.
It's not as difficult as they make it out to be.
Now there are just two elements missing to establish a baseline for the internet.
Base Rules of the Internet
A fundamental need of man is that of being connected.
Internet is a connection tool.
Everything that has been developed comes from this basic need.
Let's take these two balls as an example.
So here we have two balls - I am a bit obsessed with ping pong
but I assure you it is useful.
One of the fundamental problems that arose with the birth of the internet
was that scientists said:
How can we move a bit (information) from point A to point B
in the most efficient way,
in the most simplistic and time efficient and correct manner?
They started brainstorming and came up with a series of theories.
There were two fundamental theories.
The first theory was that of making the web free.
Totally free, meaning that one could connect to anyone with any type of connection
without a central point of passage.
The other theory was that of creating a hierarchy:
an authoritative control that decides everything that happens.
I now need one volunteer from the right side,
and one volunteer from the left.
A simple example.
The right side has to pass the ball all the way to the back aisle in any way possible
- be it from passing, throwing, or running with it.
Whichever way you want, the objective is for the ball to reach the back.
On this side however you have rules,
you must pass the ball from the right to the left and so on and so forth
until it reaches the back row.
I will be the impartial judge.
One...two...three...go!
Andrea's throw has already reached all the way to the stands.
On the left side it is taking much longer...
let's give a round of applause for the right side.
This technical structure has created epic changes.
Why?
Because on this side I don't have to ask permission,
there is no authoritative figure deciding whether I can publicize something or not.
If I want to do something,
I do it and that is the end of it.
I don't have an Internet panel of judges that indicate what I can and cannot do.
Therefore problems are resolved quickly.
The left side however would have experienced more bottlenecks in the event of a problem.
This has changed the rules because
the two principles that came out of this were that
A: everyone can connect
and B: We can all connect to each other.
This has proven to be an epic change
because it changes the balance of power. It changes the power we possess.
We are free to do anything we want without asking permission.
Power - allow me to demonstrate.
A New Geophysics
Our geophysical element, our way of life has changed.
It has changed because we have become digital citizens.
We live in Milan, but we also live in London and Pechino at the same time.
We spend time on MySpace or YouTube - we are everywhere yet in one place.
We have the gift of ubiquity
- omnipresence that thanks to the internet we are now able to have.
This changes the rules.
In this way we have a democracy that starts from the bottom up.
We aren't constricted.
Even political boundaries are shifted.
The limits of the past are no longer present.
Even politics has gone through epic changes.
In the beginning
we thought of using the internet
to poke fun at politicians
as in this world famous video of Bush and Blair singing in sync...
Or photomontages of Bush and Putin made out to look as if they were dating.
In the beginning the idea was to use the web
to go to battle (from the citizen's limited capabilities.)
Then we understood that the web could extend itself much further than this.
The political situation in the United States of America has radically changed.
We have Barack Obama who runs the chance at becoming the first Black President of the United States thanks to the internet.
This video has circulated around the world.
It is a video based on Obama's campaign slogan.
Let me interrupt here for a minute to give you two facts on Obama.
He has over 1 million supporters thanks to the internet.
Somewhere in the field of 220 million dollars raised online,
50,000 live (not virtual) events organized online.
A team of 50 people that create and upload videos
for maximum exposure.
So we are talking about something huge!
Neither Barack Obama nor McCain
would dispute the importance of the internet
as a discriminating factor in winning the election.
Without the Internet, Barack Obama wouldn't be where he is today.
This is the site of the House of Commons
If you go on the site,
you will see that the information is there,
but I dare you to understand what is being said.
The problem is the comprehensibility.
The problem is trying to comprehend political information in order to be actively involved in the first place.
The Internet from this point of view is fantastic
because it can help us decipher
what happens in politics in order for us to be involved.
Here is an important example.
Experts have created 'tag clouds'
in Obama's and McCain's speeches
that show which words, concepts and topics were used most frequently
It's interesting because from this point of view
the internet has proven to be very useful in taking the first step in information comprehensibility.
Technology is now used to keep us informed.
Another interesting site is 'theyworkforyou.com'. The next step follows.
The political information is important but they also want to control what you are doing.
This English site
keeps tabs on politicians, what they are doing,
for whom they are voting, how much they earn,
what actions they have undertaken etcetera.
All of this content can be found on this website.
At the next election it tells you everything you need to know
and then you decide who to vote for.
The third step is in finding something concrete.
Take meetup.com for example,
a site which is based on organizing meet ups with people who share the same interests.
This is the tool Beppe Grillo used to organize his events.
Regardless of your opinion of him,
the most important aspect here is that thanks to the internet he has rallied millions of people to his events.
It's not as if he used the telephone to organize his famous 'V-day'.
The Internet therefore is an instrument for information, monitoring and political action.
In Italy there is an incredible amount of room to grow from this point of view.
Unfortunately, many of our politicians believe that the internet is just virtual reality,
something intangible - without substance which is not taken under serious consideration.
The internet hasn't been virtual for quite some time now.
There once popular image of the 'nerdy hunchback' behind the computer screen no longer exists.
Technology is everywhere, take cell phones for example.
What are the three main things we leave the house with everyday?
- Keys, wallet and cell phone.
The cell phone is something that is with us at all times
which is also used as an internet tool.
Technology has moved from virtual to reality. It is something that we use on a practical level.
Let's do a small experiment to prove this point.
I will need one female volunteer.
Nice to meet you, what is your name? Giorgia
Let's give a round of applause to our volunteer.
Step on this pad and let's see how virtual this experiment is.
This is a hula hoop - move your hips.
Evidently, technology is not virtual, yet to a certain degree it is still seen as fundamentally recreational.
The Internet in Italy
In reality cyberspace doesn't exist.
Our world has changed and the internet has changed the universe in which we live.
This is prevalent worldwide yet in Italy we are still lagging behind
with an estimated 6 out of 10 people that don't use the internet.
I thought to myself, why are people not using the internet the way they should?
And I realized that the facts just aren't there.
More facts need to be introduced to prove that the internet is something beneficial
and important before we can catch up.
I found this video called 'shift happens'
which indicates that we are living in a time of exponential growth
It's a phase that is growing not gradually but explosively.
The number of online messages alone has outnumbered the amount of people living on this planet
We have a series of interesting facts.
In the United States 1 in 8 couples has married as a result of meeting online.
These are simple numbers that help us realize just how essential the internet has become.
Searches - let's say there are 3 billion searches every month,
you have to wonder, to whom were all of these questions addressed prior to the internet?
Take MySpace for example bought out for 580million dollars by Murdock.
If you look at the volume of visitors on certain pages on MySpace it would blow your mind.
Even a child would understand that these are incredibly high numbers.
In Italy we have this child, but he is very doubtful.
In Italy this distrust is everywhere among our population, still unconvinced of the power of the Internet.
It is still seen as a place for horsing around
as in this video of one lucky guy that that travelled the world and took videos of him dancing in each city.
People associate the web with entertainment, interesting and at times ridiculous yet positive.
On the other side of the spectrum there was the misconception that the internet was a place for hackers.
In the beginning there were these incredible articles on articles.
The hacker ethic is a positive one, based on interest
and the desire to share information and so on and so forth.
Where does this distrust in Italy come from?
For the most part, it comes from the media with misleading information that has been released in recent years.
Most of the information was incorrect.
Nearly all of the information which should have become known to us on the importance of the net was not delivered.
Why?
One motive is ignorance,
some of the journalists and those involved in the media are simply not familiar with this sector.
Another reason is conflict of interest.
The internet can replace the newspaper or television,
but the television and newspaper cannot replace the internet.
So there could have been some prejudice from this standpoint.
But this is pointless competition, the biggest media corporations in the world have embraced the internet,
this is normal and should be this way.
What is the most popular television show in Italy?
The answer is 'zapping'.
Most Italians spend the majority of their time flipping channels looking for a solution that doesn't exist.
The solution is the internet.
If you want to be active you can't turn to the television.
The way of living before the web was passive.
With the internet we have become active.
This is our opportunity.
'Sorry no Internet today'
Every time I speak in Italy and think of the internet
that doubtful child and this board come to mind.
The Commonplace Internet
'Dangerous' is the most commonly used adjective in the media.
' The Internet is dangerous.'
Perpetuating this idea of the danger of the net, having to be cautious of what you do or where you navigate.
In reality the internet is a replica of real life - our everyday life.
Prejudice always accompanies new technology.
The same was said for the railway.
In the 1800's they agreed that it was a great idea
but was dangerous because it put people in direct contact with strangers.
We are obviously all concerned about our children's safety,
I have two at ages 8 and 10.
There are thousands of problems with any new space created by man.
It has always been this way.
We still have many unresolved issues.
We have a series of deadly sins that have changed overtime
which is an example of the evolution of man.
We can't discriminate against the web because we hear so much negativity about it.
We can't limit creativity and imagination, our dreams
by having a limited approach to the negative aspects of life;
we have to have a balanced perspective.
The internet presents us with opportunities so let's resolve the glitches.
This is the situation in Italy.
These are the latest statists on how much the internet is used in Europe.
Italy is in the second last place.
This is not a sustainable situation for the economy or our opportunities.
It is often said that Italy is an 'old country', but in reality it has nothing to do with age.
I could be 80 or 5 years old,
the problem is the approach, culture and knowledge, not age.
It's a problem of how I convey this world and how I transmit the opportunities which exist.
It is then up to you to decide.
In my opinion we have to renounce this unsustainable way of life.
We have to do something. We have to do something now.
Codice Internet (The Internet Code)
I am doing everything in my power to convince you on the power of the internet.
At the beginning we talked about the problems with the web and its evolution; now we have to look at possibilities.
Besides being a nice sign, it is also a campaign we have launched
that we are introducing having to do with a much bigger project called 'Codice Internet.'
So we thought - let's do something about this situation in Italy
I will now show you a video related to Codice Internet.
Politics
Rights
Economy
Science and the Environment
Society
Information
Culture
In reality Codice Internet is about bringing the Internet to the people.
This project will include public events in town squares, theatres etcetera.
We will bring out experts, companies and institutions in every sector
and will find people to come forward with their testimonials.
The message doesn't always have to be intensive and bothersome.
The web is neither.
It's a part of our life; a useful part of our life.
We can't go back now, this is an inevitable passage.
There were more than 500 photos like these taken in Milan in the span of 20 days
to deliver the message that everyone can and should be involved.
Codice Internet will contribute in taking a step forward and bringing about the change that Italy needs.
The Internet and the Economy
Economy means business; the world of business.
The economy has radically changed over the years.
It has experienced a complex twist with the internet.
Why?
Because this was the only way it could have gone.
This is the truth. The internet couldn't but only cause a world shift.
In the beginning it was said that the internet was not to be relied on.
A little bit like this guy that puts a nametag on the girl he slept with that night
to remind him of who she was in the morning.
In the beginning the internet was thought of as something untrustworthy.
But the reality is that the new generations are already digitalized.
The numbers on the internet are strong and significant.
The numbers are strong
Microsoft makes 50 to 60 billion dollars a year,
while Google earns an estimated 20 billion.
We see exponential growth in every sector,
strong steady growth and technology is becoming increasingly easier.
Cisco Systems creates these monitors
where you can conduct conference calls from different parts of the world side
of the world easily and effortlessly appearing and feeling live.
It may be expensive technology but it exists.
Here we can see New York, Pechino and San Francisco In this conference call. We are everywhere yet in the same place
FREE
Before turning our attention to the opportunities let's talk about this word: Free
On the internet everything is free.
This has become a big problem.
Just because everything is free on the net it doesn't mean it lacks in economic opportunity.
This is Chris Anderson, in my opinion one of the brightest scholars in the IT field.
He has formulated his own theory on this idea of 'free'.
If I were to sell you a perfume, I am actually selling you 99% of the product and giving you 1% free by way of testers.
The opposite is true for the internet.
99% of what is offered on the net is free
and you pay the 1% that 1% covers all of my costs.
This is very interesting because
everything that comes in contact with the internet enters a new logic.
Let's look at music for example.
When we talk about music I need to see that what becomes digital
is easy to copy at close to zero cost to me.
So I need to find a niche in the marketplace where I can turn a profit.
I cannot gain capital in that which is abundant.
Prince is a perfect example,
why do you think he gives his music away for free via email?
Because he makes his money from his concerts.
He changed his way of making money.
Another example is low cost flight companies.
I give away the ticket and sell the extra services.
Why can't this type of business extend itself to other sectors?
How about this automobile company
They give you the car for free and you pay the top up fee,
just like cell phones, the phone is free and you pay for the top up.
When you think about it, a car is merely a chip with wheels.
Everything that can be digitalized can be marketed in this way.
When discussing earning potential we have several ways of making money.
There are millions of job websites.
Sites like e-lance put you in contact with the people you need to get your project moving.
You need a programmer to create new software,
you have the idea but you don't know how to do it
this site will put you in contact with the right people to get your project moving.
If you have a great voice - give voices.com your voice over services.
EBay is another important example,
having incredible numbers in Italy
with approximately 16,000 people earning a living off EBay.
This is very interesting because Internet makes you earn.
If you have a particular niche in flute beat boxing as this artist does, you can have great success on the internet.
So what is the important thing to look at here aside from this young man's talent?
How can someone like him earn a living?
Kevin Kelly says that in order to earn big bucks
you have to aim for a blockbuster hit. I have to have Britney Spears' fame.
Let's say I am an artist, writer, singer etc...
How many fans and how much money do I need in order to earn 100,000 a year?
The calculation is easy.
I have a curve and I have to find myself within this curve
with 1000 true fans meaning fans that buy my paraphernalia.
A real fan brings in 100 dollars per year.
At that point if you have 1000 real fans you have reached your goal.
How much time does it take to recruit these fans?
If you get a fan a day for a year
within three years you could reach your goal.
So this is an interesting theory
The economy is a changing sector very practical and rich in internet earnings
with people that make a living thanks to the internet
The society and the Internet
This is the most viewed video on YouTube.
This is another example, take a look then we will discuss it.
Aside from the fact that these 'backdormitoryboy's" faces are unusually unique,
pay attention to the poor guy in the background that is trying to do his work on the computer.
So why am I showing you these seemingly nonsensical videos?
Financial gain - After broadcasting this video they have had numerous job offers.
Let`s pause for a minute
In reality there is a lot of fluff online,
you see it's true.
But there are also very incredible things
that I can learn depending on where I direct my attention.
Another important consideration is the low investment risk.
The cost of bankruptcy is low.
Evolution and innovation all comes down to how much failure is going to cost.
If I have to invest a lot of money or mortgage my home
for one of my ventures I would think twice before starting up.
If for example to put a video online, or invest in an online business or project cost very little,
if I go bankrupt it would be at such a low cost that it is worth taking a step forward in achieving my dreams.
This means that a billion and a half people online go bankrupt all the time.
With each bankruptcy innovation rises exponentially.
Of course it all comes down to the visual.
It depends on what I watch and what I want to watch online.
And this brings us to the absurd.
There are strange people online.
We internet people are strange; we are not that normal
we have strange tastes and habits.
People wonder what it is that we do online.
Naturally even the absurd is a target for prejudice.
After a decade of these prejudicial attacks you have to say enough is enough - let us live!
Here we have a site of photos of people jumping on different hotel beds,
finding themselves in the strangest positions, point-blank there are strange people online.
The absurd is always part of who uses the technology first.
Just like the first person who bought the fax machine.
Poor guy had no one to send a fax to.
His absurdity was fundamental because he propelled others to buy fax machines
and contributed to the development of this technology.
Technology is power.
Let me demonstrate this video by Peter Gabriel called 'The Hub'
- an online platform allowing anyone to use camcorders, cell phones and cameras
to upload, share, and discuss human rights-related footage, as well as organize advocacy campaigns..
Here we are using technology to change things where we can subjectively have an impact.
Why do regimes block technology?
Why does China restrict access to the internet?
Because it is an instrument that can topple the balance which once existed
Isolation and the internet
Isolation is another popular misconception with the internet.
With Isolation we have another prejudice
my mother used to say "Marco what are you always doing online"
The idea of isolation is that it is the web that brings isolation
They do not see it as a tool for communication,
but rather as something closed off from the world.
A nightclub with blaring music,
leaving people unable to communicate and interact effectively is deemed social.
However communicating online speaking to whomever I want at my own pace is isolated?
Then this isolation can also be likened to another recent technology - books.
If you observe people on the subway or in the library
with their books in front of them - they too seem isolated.
It`s just a matter of bad timing not isolation.
You can`t look at the internet in that moment, or the person that is reading a book.
You have to look at her as a person that is studying something
and you can speak to her later because at that moment she can`t listen to you.
This means that we possess a powerful tool because this world here
allows us to fight and resolve some problems
that are, for example, associated with the internet.
This is isolation.
Internet is the remedy for bringing generations and cultures together.
The other day in Duomo Square we were discussing the internet
with other experts divulging information about the web to the general public.
At a certain point a woman in her 80s with enormous glasses raised her hand and said,
"thank you very much for the discourse but I already have two sites and a blog
so I would appreciate if you would give me more precise information. My grandson is coming over soon and I don't have time to spare."
Internet is the solution to isolation
Let's do another experiment.
We hear a lot about videogames, and even they are viewed in a negative light
when tragedies and murders take place.
In reality, there are also constructive aspects to videogames.
We have put a sensor behind this screen,
if we raise our hands this sensor will pick up our movements.
We have an old videogame here, when we move the bar moves.
We are phenomenal!
Give yourselves a round of applause.
We can even get by with videogames!
Let's continue with the opportunities online.
Culture and the internet
Intellects and scholars have always looked at the net with scepticism
because an extraordinary opportunity like the internet
above all the possibility to publish online has overridden permission.
The permission era has ended.
I don't need the go ahead from anyone to run my blog online.
I don't have to ask permission to put up articles pictures etc...
I do it and that's it.
This horrible white information page was the first published web page
by Tim Berners himself.
Since then there have been over 1 trillion web pages published online.
I can't even get my head around how many numbers there are in a trillion.
This radically changes our perspective.
This video was part of an event called Pangaea Day.
An interesting experiment, Videos were taken from all over the world to see the world from another perspective,
uniting different cultures.
Wikipedia is another cultural example.
Wikipedia is an online encyclopaedia made by users.
The idea was to work altogether to create an encyclopaedia.
It's like saying let's make a skyscraper
and me saying you give me an architect and some bricks, pass me the elevator...
In reality, Wikipedia has 10 million pages translated in over 200 languages.
Culture is sharing knowledge.
Let's take MIT for example - known for its brightest scholars.
MIT has put free courses online from their top scholars
- you can go online see, read and study their courses without paying a dime.
It all depends on you and your interests.
You can expand your knowledge with a whole world of information that was once inaccessible.
The web has overfilled empty cultural space.
This is very interesting because this wasn't possible before.
Culture once only belonged to the few now it is something we all share.
It is really a way to reach our goals.
It takes training so we need to find new support. It is something we have to get used to and this is not easy.
It's just a matter of training one need only train to adapt to a new scenario.
The search engines of today are a database of knowledge.
Our goals are found within this engine.
All of this knowledge is emitted - it is not static or lost.
Internet and ***
When we think of the internet we have a fixed idea that there is a lot of ***.
Is there a lot of ***? Yes,
but there are also sweet videos like this one
of a women with her children laughing in sync.
(Now imagine them crying all at once.)
The internet is sharing.
Sharing is not easy - at the beginning there is always distrust.
When I saw this video I thought it closely reflected the internet.
At the beginning it's something that you keep at a distance because the culture is dubious.
When you open yourself up to it however you realize that there is possibility.
This guy goes around town holding a sign which reads - free hugs to test the public's response.
At first nothing happens then the situation starts to change.
I hate talking about theoretical things because life is a made up of little things.
I want to give you another practical example.
One can find useful information online in many areas of life.
When I lived at home with my parents
I used to throw my clothes in the laundry room,
leave,
and find my clothes neatly folded in my dresser the next morning.
I thought this was magic until I moved out on my own and realized that the clothes didn't clean themselves.
I started to realize that growing older also meant learning to do new things.
One thing that intrigued me the most was folding clothes.
I am an IT Expert so I am maniac when it comes to folding my shirts.
I think of the most precise way to do it in the least amount of time.
If I save 7 seconds here I can put those 7 seconds towards work.
I need a single male up on stage.
Here we have a table and a t-shirt.
Marco you have to try to fold this shirt in the shortest time possible,
but you have to fold it well.
Now I will do the same thing.
I am not phenomenal at this but let's see if it works.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...
And there you have it.
When I learned this technique online
- I thought to myself- this has truly changed my life.
Culture can teach so many things
from the most effortless to the most complicated.
(I tried to do that experiment with long sleeves but it didn't work...)
Information and the Internet
Information is another sector that has changed forever on the net
because we do not only search for information but we also produce it.
We produce, save and move it around. We categorize it and classify.
The way we classify information changes the way we retrieve it.
I could find out anything imaginable.
I am not fond of art at all but this video intrigued me.
This video was put together as a sequence of images, photos and portraits of a woman.
It gives you the idea of possibility; the possibility to understand and explore.
It's something different.
A sensation that is beautiful and interesting.
Tools are another aspect that changes information.
Take Microsoft Photosynth for example.
This is free software that takes photos of different people
and reconstructs one unique image.
If I take a picture of this theatre, and everyone takes a picture based on his point of view,
this software reconstructs the image based on everyone's point of view.
This has an incredible impact on information
because it takes us away from the chain that we had before
in respect to traditional tools like the television.
The internet has resolved this problem.
Here we have another classic example.
Non-existent information.
This is a montage of videos of people that don't speak.
This video is called 'No News.'
With the internet we no longer require anchors to feed us information.
We become the media.
We have become the protagonists and really have the power to act.
We have the opportunity to be part of all of this information.
The authority depends on us.
If you are an expert in your field I will go read what you have to say/offer
Irrespective of being a journalist.
This has changed the way information is made.
It's clear that if I tell you that to withdrawal money from this ATM
you will have to solve an algorithm,
it would obviously be difficult for you.
If I make the internet out to be difficult,
it would clearly be a problem for a person that is unfamiliar with it
to confidently say that he can use the web.
Information Protagonists
The gentlemen in the background holding the cell phone is world famous blogger Robert Scoble.
He is recording an interview with Bono from his cell phone, from his perspective.
You might be thinking that he is just taking a video with his cell phone
but in actuality he is recording a live stream - sending the footage directly to his website.
It is his way of sharing information and using technology that changes the rules.
We all have a cell phone
- we tend to believe that high profile Americans like NASA, NCA,
and the most powerful agencies, have this technology.
But we all have it.
This is a regular cell phone which can be bought at any store
- with this cell phone I can record this event and put it directly online from my perspective.
When they say that technology and the internet are difficult
as soon as you get into it you realize that it is not so difficult after all,
some things are but not everything.
Most tools used for broadcasting information are user friendly.
The rules of technology have changed,
and we have become protagonists of information
we can document information from everywhere and have become the media.
Dan Gilmore wrote 'We the media.'
We are the new method of diffusing information.
Videos have great significance from this point of view.
This is the first video to be seen on YouTube.
Important fact: in 1948 the American Network ABC went on air
- just to give you an idea of how fast information spreads online
- In 60 years ABC has became the third leading network
producing 1 million and a half hours of material.
YouTube reached these numbers in 6 months.
One may say - the merit of the material produced must also be taken into account.
We have to look at the phenomenon of video broadcasting online
that is growing exponentially because of technology like the cell phone.
The cost of video cameras and computer software has come down dramatically.
Everything is much more accessible.
On YouTube alone there is an estimated 13 hours of footage uploaded online every minute at this time.
Blogs
A world of information at our fingertips,
information meaning communication
and it means finding out what the tools are.
Blogs are a simple tool to publish any type of information online.
When you say the word 'blog' you see reactions from people
that indicate a far off world, something out of our reach and far from our daily life.
Let's see how difficult it really is to create a blog.
This is a site where I can go and create a blog.
So we need a name - I LOVE INTERNET
(We are already ahead with the English language)
Now we need a web address.
We have to decorate our site - which color?
Orange, ok.
The site was made so I can start using it quickly; if all goes as planned our blog should be done.
We just need to publish our first article, video etc...
Let me give a suggestion for the title - HELLO WORLD
Now if we click this - publish site - we have created our site.
We can put anything on it.
Applause to you for creating your first blog.
Internet and the Future
Jorge Luis Borges said "we are the time".
It is a phrase that got me thinking,
if we think about the growth of technology, time doesn't exist.
I have brought this graph
which shows the growth of technology over the last 150 years.
How technology has developed and how much time it took
to grow and defuse among the public.
For every sector from electricity, the telephone, the computer,
television, radio, cell phones to the web are important facts,
because if we go inside this data
we will find information that doesn`t usually come out.
It took 46 years electricity, 35 years for the telephone, 31 years for the radio, and 26 for television,
16 for the computer, 13 years for the cell phone and only 7 years for the internet.
What can we deduct from this?
Time is always faster than before,
the evolutionary process accelerates exponentially not linearly,
it is not addition, it is a multiplication.
Every phase introduces new methods to create the next,
if I didn't have a cell phone today I would communicate at a much slower pace.
With new technology I grow.
And the growth is continuously faster.
There is no more time - we don't have the luxury of time anymore.
We can no longer wait for what we are talking about this evening.
If we look at the growth of the internet
from when it started until now
it is a growth that makes us reflect.
At first it rose slowly.
Then it started to grow.
This fact makes us realize that in 1995 it went up a bit.
Then technology started to merge,
computers and servers started to expand,
in fact this is a neutral graph
which summarizes the number of servers
and what has been the growth of the internet over the years.
These are facts that we can take with absolute certainty.
In 2000 the internet hit its peak
but then there was the world wide crash in the stock market and the internet.
The internet went down even now companies don't believe in the web
but this is wrong, the internet continued to grow
and continues to grow and it cannot be stopped.
We can't wait.
We either get onboard or we get left behind.
The internet is like the alphabet.
It is part of our lives.
The information begins on the web and reaches regardless from the inevitable future.
We have to truly understand that the internet reflects on our lives.
Our liberty depends on the internet.
The world has changed.
This is an incredible opportunity- we can actually change the world.
We are the internet.
Thanks to the web we can be much more.
Thank you!