The internet is a crabby millennial
Timothy Berners-Lee created the web 35 years ago. He's not happy with what it has become.
ChatGPT’s interpretation of Timothy Berners-Lee scolding the internet. It’s kinda brilliant.
If the internet has a dad, it’s Timothy Berners-Lee—and honestly, he’s a little pissed. And rightly so. The English computer scientist never intended to raise a grumpy, corporate-owned, conspiracy-loving millennial. He wanted that kid who floated easily between groups in high school and then went on to launch a non-profit after college. Instead, he got a Proud Boy.
The whole thing started out innocently. Back in the ‘80s, Berners-Lee was working at CERN, Europe’s big science think tank. He had already come up with the idea of hypertext, linking one bit of information to another, all the way back in 1980. And it seemed like a great idea. There was already a fledgling internet, computers connecting to each other to share information. But it was small, clunky, and primitive, and required you to know the specific address of the specific page you wanted to visit. Hypertext might fix that, allowing for links between pages.
It would take Berners-Lee until 1989 to put it all together, though. When he first conceived of the internet 35 years ago this month, he hoped for something that revolved around what he called the three C’s: collaboration, compassion, and creativity. He thought the World Wide Web would bring people together. And when, after months of trying, he finally was able to successfully connect to a remote server using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol, otherwise known as HTTP, in November of ‘89, he thought he had created something great. He came up with the URL system and HTML markup language just to make sure, thus inventing the web as we know it. For his troubles, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth and named one of Time’s 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century. Notice he was not named Father of the Year.
Not that Berners-Lee was a bad dad. He has worked for years on net neutrality, both with non-profits and with the British government. He also launched the World Wide Web Foundation, which advocates for open access to and good governance of the internet. He loves his baby. He just doesn’t like it.
In fact, in a recent open letter acknowledging the web’s 35th birthday, Berners-Lee stated plainly what he believes is wrong with the internet. He hits on the fact that the web is “dominated by the self-interest of several corporations that eroded the web’s values and led to breakdown and harm.” He also raises the alarm that “the rapid advancement of AI has exacerbated these concerns.”
He’s not wrong. The web is dominated by five major companies—six if we include TikTok just for fun. Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft all have significant sway over how we access the web and what we see once we’re there. That control has gotten each one of those companies sued for being a monopoly. Microsoft was the first, the Federal Trade Commission suing it back in 2000 over Windows dominance of the market. Microsoft lost that one. Facebook got its turn in 2020 for its “anticompetitive conduct.” After plenty of legal ups and downs, that case is still ongoing. The government went after both Google and Amazon in 2023, targeting Google’s Stalinist control of internet ads and Amazon’s use of its monopoly to bully competitors and raise prices. And as of last week, Apple has been sued for its iron-first control of the App Store.
Bernes-Lee also notes that this concentration of power goes against everything he envisioned for the web. Instead of a free and open exchange of information across a bevy of web pages, he points out how these companies have “segmented the web” and how they “keep users hooked on one platform to optimize profit through passive observation of content.” He also doesn’t like the fact that they’ve created a “personal data market that has exploited people’s time and data” that allows “for targeted advertising and ultimately control over the information people are fed.” Again, not wrong.
But Bernes-Lee is a solutions guy. He can still see a better internet, one that “places individuals’ intention rather than attention at the heart of business models.” He points to the Contract for the Web, which lays out rules for corporations, governments, and us on how to make a better internet. Our job: be creators, collaborators, and community builders rather than internet trolls.
He also suggests everyone get a data POD, a protocol and product ecosystem that allows you to control your data, including who has access to it. While it might not ensure that you and your data are never the product, it does allow you to be a bit more selective in who knows your movements both online and IRL.
Finally, he champions a decentralized web that builds on the idea of connections. He champions Blue Sky and Mastadon for requiring active engagement rather than drinking from the firehose. GitHub for being a library of knowledge, allowing coders to share and collaborate freely. And podcasts for helping us discover our own world one story at a time.
And yes, a lot of Bernes-Lee’s message falls in line with Ezra Klein’s idea of using the internet ethically, engaging in things you love and that helps build the internet up rather than tear it down. But as the internet’s still somewhat proud papa, Bernes-Lee isn’t afraid to call bullshit on what his invention has become. And we all can agree there is plenty of bullshit on the internet, from how it’s designed to harm as much as help people to how it devalues nearly all creativity rather than elevates it. Sadly, a stern lecture from Dad isn’t going to fix these and the web’s myriad other problems. It’s going to take one of the other key stakeholders of the Contract for the Web, namely governments, to do that. Which means we’ll be waiting for a better internet for a long time.
Exclusive Preview
Drake Mag is hosting a pin-up of the Summer ’24 issue from 6-7 p.m. in Meredith 124C. You’ll get a chance to help edit the issue, look over the designs, and help the team put the finishing touches on the new issue before it goes to print. Everyone is welcome, though priority goes to those who have a sharp eye and bring their own red pens. For more info, you can contact Drake Mag EIC Nate Eisenmann at nate.eisenmann@drake.edu.
Thoughts on Bots
Everyone knows that AI is going to have a hand in this fall’s election. That’s why the American Press Institute is working with the Associated Press—and let’s not forget, ChatGPT partner—on a free webinar on AI and misinformation threats to the 2024 election. The hour-long webinar is free and runs from 12-1 p.m. on Thurs., March 28. You have to register to attend.
The Rehash: Summer Internships
· American Public Media Group, home of Minnesota Public Radio and Marketplace, has multiple internships for the summer including social media and reporting. All of the gigs are based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Check out all the gigs here.
· Truth & Documentary is looking for a part-time (25 hours) documentary intern to work from June 10 to August 9 in its Chicago office. Pay is $16 an hour. Applications are due April 1. Get more info here.
· SourceBooks books publisher is looking for nine summer interns for its Naperville, Illinois, office, including in marketing, editorial, content delivery, and sales. Pay is $15 an hour for 24 hours a week. You must be on site. The 10-week gig runs from June 4 to August 9. Apply by April 14 here.
· HerCampus has been one of the leading voices for college women for years. A group of websites including HerCampus, Spoon University, and College Fashionista, the company hires remote interns to help create content, design graphics, and run social media for its various websites. They have rolling internship sessions, with the summer one starting May 8. Get more info here.
· The Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting is looking for a full-time year-long intern. You’ll work with the center’s journalists to cover global stories, post stories to its website, and help create multimedia content. The position can be remote and it pays $37,440 with benefits and starts June 1. Apply here.
· Strategic America wants a videographer and editor intern, as well as a direct mail intern. It’s a hybrid position based in the Des Moines office from May 13 to Aug. 9. You’d work full-time at $15 an hour.
· The Des Moines Symphony is hiring a full-year intern. You’ll start work this summer and go through the end of the spring semester. The position is 10 hours a week at $15 an hour. You’ll be involved in marketing, PR, and event planning. For more info click here.
· McMillian Publishing is looking for summer interns. The positions can be in New York or remote. Positions include working with editorial, publicity, sales, art, and DEI teams. Other options are also available. Pay is $16 an hour. Click here for more details.
· Public Citizen wants an Artificial Intelligence/Technology Communications Intern. It’s not what you think. You won’t be neck deep in prompt engineering. Instead, you’ll be publicizing the organization’s work on stopping AI deepfakes and its consumer protection efforts. It’s based in Washington, D.C. It runs May 31-Aug. 30. Pay is $15-$20 an hour. The deadline to apply is March 29.
· The American Heart Association is looking for a hybrid marketing and communications intern. Pay is a stellar $23 an hour for 25 hours a week. The internship runs May 20-Aug. 9. Applications are open through April 12. Click here to apply
· The Des Moines Radio Group wants a Special Broadcast and Promotions intern. It’s a year-long position with a salary of $5,000 for the year. You’ll work up to 35 hours a week depending on the time of year. Click here for more info.
· The ASME-award-winning Texas Highways magazine is looking for a summer intern for its Austin office. The position is full-time and pays $18 an hour. You need to apply by March 31. Make sure your cover letter is top-notch for this one. The folks at this pub all have serious writing chops. You can get more info here.
Pumpkin Spice Already?
Well, sorta. Fall registration is (gulp) right around the corner. The mad sprint to get into that class that you absolutely need to graduate but filled up three seconds ago begins on April 8. That means between here and the beginning of Relays pre-gaming you need to meet with Pilcher to get your life squared away—and pick some classes. Email him at timm.pilcher@drake.edu to get that appointment on the books.
Spill some tea with JMM?
Do you have some essential info or did you read a story as fabulous as this ESPN profile of Caitlin Clark? If so, send it on over to jeff.inman@drake.edu. JMM will treat it like this photo of the Urban Plains staff dressed up like him and tell everyone about it.
Finally, remember that someone is always filming.