The Internet: to what extent has it changed us?

My article for The Melbourne Globalist. “Radical Transparency: is privacy a thing of the past?”

Back in May, I wrote an article for The Melbourne Globalist that addressed the social and cultural implications of the Internet. Specifically, it dealt with whether privacy, as a social norm, was still relevant in today’s society.

Our lecture this week and its discussion of issues of accountability, responsibility, and liability in relation to comments on our blogs reminded me of my own discussion of the Net and regulation.

In my article, I used the sentiments of a well-known scholar and professor, Jeff Jarvis, as a springboard into my exploration of Internet regulation and the currency of privacy as a social norm.

I think one of the most poignant concepts I raised to when writing this article was the idea of a “right to connect”:

Further adding to the furor surrounding privacy are the numerous effortstoregulate the Internet. In his advocacy of publicness, Jarvis contends that we should follow the example set by Finland and sanction a “right to connect”, as a modern preamble to the right to speak, and the right to assemble and/or act. Impeding our ability to connect is the equivalent of restricting our freedom of speech, he argues, and warns that Governments are attempting to control the Internet under the guises of piracy, privacy, security, decency, and even civility.

It makes sense, no?

Consume, consider, and comment away.