Great Questions – Living, Governing and The Internet

Eric Schmidt gave the MacTaggart Lecture at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival — full transcript here — some takeaways —

Of course, while I’m optimistic that computer science and the Internet are forces for good, I’m not naive.  As JFK put it, “I’m an idealist without illusions”.  There are many challenges we’re still grappling to address.  For instance: how do we make the world more open while still respecting privacy? How do we empower people without provoking anarchy? How do we ensure technology enriches rather than devalues relationships and culture?

These are important questions, but they aren’t new.  When the printing press was developed in the 15th century, some worried about information overload.  Critics of the telephone fretted about private conversations being overheard.  When radio was introduced, concerns were raised about it distracting children from reading.