John Perry Barlow, one of the visionaries of the Internet in the 1990s and turn of the century, died on February 7. He was 70 years old. He was well known as co-founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Freedom of the Press Foundation in the US. He was Fellow Emeritus at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society. And he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2013. Barlow was equally if not more well known for his earlier career as a lyricist for the … [Read more...] about Values to live by according to John Perry Barlow
Innovation
The appeal of the open Internet
When I reflect on my career over the past few decades, I think about three constants that have always been present no matter the type of work I have done or with whom I have done it. Those three constants comprise business, communication and technology. None of them is separate from the other, yet each of them is a tool of empowerment in its distinct way. Although I have a passion for technology, my larger passion is about communication. It’s about using technology as a means to a … [Read more...] about The appeal of the open Internet
For Immediate Release 118: Longer tweets, creepy tweets, and tweetstorms
Shel Holtz and I recorded the December edition of the monthly Hobson & Holtz Report podcast. It is the final FIR episode of 2017: FIR will return on January 8, 2018, in an all-new format. Listen to this episode for details! This month’s topics: A group of UK newspapers using robots to help write stories Research that found higher engagement for tweets that took advantage of the new 280 character count Storify, a great curation tool aimed at journalists, is shutting down … [Read more...] about For Immediate Release 118: Longer tweets, creepy tweets, and tweetstorms
New Report on Change Agents: the Unsung Heroes in Digital Transformation
According to Brian Solis, the real (often untold) stories about digital transformation are the human struggles "change agents" face as they try to modernize their organizations. There are always colleagues, managers and others who don't get it. Solis - futurist, best-selling business-book author and principal analyst at Prophet's Altimeter Group - has written a 29-page report that examines how the people behind digital transformation lead change from within their organizations. From the … [Read more...] about New Report on Change Agents: the Unsung Heroes in Digital Transformation
Artificial intelligence risks GM-style public backlash, experts warn
Researchers say social, ethical and political concerns in the UK about artificial intelligence (AI) are mounting and greater oversight is urgently needed, according to the Guardian. Otherwise, we could expect to see the kind of social disruption that greeted the advent of genetically-modified (GM) foods during the past decades. The Guardian's report notes that there are no testing standards or requirement for AI to explain their decisions. There is also no organisation equipped to monitor and … [Read more...] about Artificial intelligence risks GM-style public backlash, experts warn