The internet was not created with any sort of legislation or segregation in mind. Decentralization is an important component of a truly free and open web.
We seem to be going backward. Though our level of tech adoption has increased, our tech knowledge has not. Far too many people don’t understand the policies of Twitter, Facebook or even their email system. For a while, it didn’t really matter, as no one service had owned so many pageviews and data as Facebook does now. If Mark Zuckerberg meant to make Facebook as seem as a necessary part of the web experience as html, he succeeded. But utilities get regulated. That’s not a terrible idea.
When cars and then roads first appeared, there was no need for regulation. Drivers license weren’t created until 1903 and it would be until 1952 that every state required them. The reason was simple: the class required for the drivers license was to teach people the rules of the road. How to watch out for other drivers, how to drive safely and common road issues that may occur. Penalties for driving without a license are harsh because we want all drivers to know what they’re doing.
But so-called Information Superhighway doesn’t require any of that. We take our vehicles on these roads daily without prior training, any required safety skills and nary a system that effectively punishes those who can’t use the system correctly. As it is, those that know what they’re doing have to constantly slow down for those that do not, seldom staying long enough to make a significant difference. As more and more people use web technologies regularly, this will get worse and the inexperienced and untrained will flounder.
Most people don’t understand the concept of regular computer maintenance, yet they know where to get their oil changed. Most users think being anonymous doesn’t hurt anyone, while many abuse that ability to inflict hurt on others.
So make licensing a suggested part of using web applications. Make signing up a bit more involved than two check boxes. Yes, plenty of smaller sites won’t require these and that’s fine; licensing is meant to be a teaching opportunity and a deterrent of future uneducated decisions, not a heavily regulated process.
Would you teach a class for this?
