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Could the Web Not be Invented Today?

Posted by Zonk on from the no dept.

An anonymous reader writes " Corante's Copyfight has a piece up about this new column in the Financial Times by James Boyle celebrating (a few days on the early side) the 15th anniversary of Berners-Lee's first draft of a web page . The hook is this question: What would happen if the Web were invented today? From the article: 'What would a web designed by the World Intellectual Property Organisation or the Disney Corporation have looked like? It would have looked more like pay-television, or Minitel, the French computer network. Beforehand, the logic of control always makes sense. Allow anyone to connect to the network? Anyone to decide what content to put up? That is a recipe for piracy and pornography. And of course it is. But it is also much, much more...The lawyers have learnt their lesson now...When the next disruptive communications technology - the next worldwide web - is thought up, the lawyers and the logic of control will be much more evident. That is not a happy thought.'"

7 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. First thing we must do... by Archeopteryx · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...we must kill ALL the lawyers.

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    1. Re:First thing we must do... by dourk · · Score: 4, Funny

      IANAL.

      Thank god.

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      Wake up.
  2. I just thought by krajo · · Score: 3, Funny

    of a great new way to share stuff on the net anonimously ! Wait a sec there's someone knocking on my front door. Be right back... "And in related news, inventor found lynched by a mob of record executives. Now sports."

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  3. Re:What!? by Simon+Garlick · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just wish the rest of the world would show some goddamn RESPECT for the fact that fifteen years ago Tim Berners-Lee, AN AMERICAN, invented the Web while working at CERN, you guessed it, IN AMERICA.

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  4. You have to take the bad with the good by dadioflex · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sure there's porn and piracy on the Web but there's probably a downside too.

  5. Oh! The irony! by Mr.Progressive · · Score: 4, Funny

    After killing all lawyers, you're going to need a hell of a legal team...

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    Okay, so a philosopher, a philologist, and a philatelist walk into a bar...
    1. Re:Oh! The irony! by TheRaven64 · · Score: 3, Funny
      Judge: You are charged with killing all of the lawyers. How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?

      Defendant: Aren't judges lawyers?

      Judge: *gulp*

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