The Internet Edge. Social, Technical, and Legal Challenges for a Networked World

Stefik, Mark

ISBN 10: 026219418X / ISBN 13: 9780262194181

Published by MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1999

About this Item

xviii + 320 pp. Rubber-stamped on front free endpaper.

Seller Inventory # 11409

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Internet Edge. Social, Technical, and Legal Challenges for a Networked World
• Publisher: MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.
• Publication Date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 026219418X
• ISBN 13: 9780262194181
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: Very Good
• Book Type: book
• Seller catalogs:
  • Sociology

About this title

Synopsis

"Mark Stefik puts Internet mania into perspective - we're all teetering on the edge of a revolution. I found this a most perceptive and thought-provoking read. You will, too." -- Vinton G. Cerf, Sr. Vice President for Internet Architecture and Technology, MCI WorldCom

Sometimes when we face change, we feel conflicting forces driving us forward and pulling us back. This place of tension and confusion can be called an "edge." The "Internet edge" is our collective struggle to change as the world becomes more connected. Turmoil at the Internet edge occurs around interacting social, legal, and technological realms. Examples include issues of on-line privacy, censorship, digital copyright, and untaxed business competition over the Net. Such issues reflect conflicts between values--local and global, individual and corporate, democratic and nondemocratic.

This book is an eagle's eye view of the Internet edge. It is about the experiences of those who encountered similar issues as they built precursors to the Net such as videotex, teletext, and the Source. It is about the trends in technology that will make the Net of the next few years a very different experience from the desktop surfing of today. Finally, it is about how old myths of magic, power, and control can help us to understand our fascination and fear of new technologies.

About the Author

Mark Stefik is a Principal Scientist and Manager of the Human Document Interactions Area at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center and adjunct member of the Secure Document Systems area. He is the author of Internet Dreams (MIT Press, 1996).