http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2006/08/01/groklaw-discussion-on-the-generative-internet/ Information, Law, and the Law of Information Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:24:45 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2006/08/01/groklaw-discussion-on-the-generative-internet/comment-page-1/#comment-765 Info/Law » Badware, Bossiness, and Bundling Sun, 03 Sep 2006 03:05:02 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2006/08/01/groklaw-discussion-on-the-generative-#comment-765 [...] This is a large part of what Jonathan Zittrain warns of in his “Generative Internet” theory (see also here). The increasing “appliancization” of technology is a threat to the capacity for unpredicatable innovation that has made the internet so valuable and significant. It is also, as Palfrey’s experiences with AOL and many other examples demonstrate, frustrating and alienating for many computer users. Designers who equate “user-friendly” with “paternalistic and bossy” may find that users flee. And a parallel movement toward more user-centric design principles will continue to provide alternatives. As John cloncludes: Users have a lot to say, and some of it might help get to innovation, if the conversation is kept open. Put another way, instead of trying to make it more and more simple but also more and more closed, could AOL and others similarly situated instead make its application more “hackable”? [...] [...] This is a large part of what Jonathan Zittrain warns of in his “Generative Internet” theory (see also here). The increasing “appliancization” of technology is a threat to the capacity for unpredicatable innovation that has made the internet so valuable and significant. It is also, as Palfrey’s experiences with AOL and many other examples demonstrate, frustrating and alienating for many computer users. Designers who equate “user-friendly” with “paternalistic and bossy” may find that users flee. And a parallel movement toward more user-centric design principles will continue to provide alternatives. As John cloncludes: Users have a lot to say, and some of it might help get to innovation, if the conversation is kept open. Put another way, instead of trying to make it more and more simple but also more and more closed, could AOL and others similarly situated instead make its application more “hackable”? [...]

]]> http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2006/08/01/groklaw-discussion-on-the-generative-internet/comment-page-1/#comment-686 JZ Wed, 02 Aug 2006 02:52:28 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/infolaw/2006/08/01/groklaw-discussion-on-the-generative-#comment-686 Not changing my mind, exactly -- I think that greater opportunities for direct identification of online wrongdoers could help reduce pressure for larger solutions that make for more collateral damage. Of course, we'd want ways to have that information not automatically divulged to governments, and keeping it off limits to governments that haven't established the rule of law -- and they know who they are. ...JZ Not changing my mind, exactly — I think that greater opportunities for direct identification of online wrongdoers could help reduce pressure for larger solutions that make for more collateral damage. Of course, we’d want ways to have that information not automatically divulged to governments, and keeping it off limits to governments that haven’t established the rule of law — and they know who they are. …JZ

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