Web guru Jaron Lanier has written a new book, "You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto" in which he says he's re-thought what the internet should be. Writing in the Guardian newspaper, he said"
"Twenty-five years ago some friends and I had this thought that perhaps the internet would be a fount of wealth and opportunity, that is could be entirely open such that people could give away the fruits of their brains and hearts and the rewards they would get in return would be huge. Unfortunately, I've come to believe that was a mistake.
"We're faced with with a stark decision: we give people a way to live off their brains--to earn with dignity, to not have to constantly sing for their supper--or we have to accept that our problems is socialism, that we're trying to shut down personal reinvention and self-determinism and want to create a system where people will be universally supported by some institution. I personally support the former."
He hasn't given up hope, however. He says the solution about which he is most hopeful is "to return to the very first vision of the web: a universal micro-payment system. For practical purposes, that would mean that there's only one copy of a creative thing, and you pay a half penny every time you access it."
If you want to see an interview with him (it's about five minutes long), go here.
