Berners-Lee Talks About The Future of Web

Berners-Lee Talks About The Future of Web

Tim Berners-Lee, addresses the committee of the US House of Representatives on the future of web.

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Berners-Lee Talks About The Future of Web

Inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, has testified on the future of the Web before the committee of the US House of Representatives (Internet division), saying although the evolution of the Web has been gratifying, it is by no means finished.

He explained that the Web, and everything which happens on it, rests on technological protocols, and social conventions. He said the technological protocols, like HTTP and HTML, determine how computers interact while social conventions, such as the incentive to make links to valuable resources, or the rules of engagement in a social networking web site, are about how people like to, and are allowed to, interact.

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Berners-Lee said, “As the Web passes through its first decade of widespread use, we still know surprisingly little about these complex technical and social mechanisms. We have only scratched the surface of what could be realized with deeper scientific investigation into its design, operation and impact on society. Robust technical design, innovative business decisions, and sound public policy judgment all require that we are aware of the complex interactions between technology and society. We call this awareness Web Science: the science and engineering of this massive system for the common good.

In order to galvanize web science research and education efforts, MIT and the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom have created the Web Science Research Initiative (WSRI). In concert with an international Scientific Advisory Council of distinguished computer scientists, social scientists, and legal scholars, WSRI will help create intellectual foundations, educational atmosphere, and resource base to allow researchers to take the Web seriously as an object of scientific enquiry and engineering innovation.”

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The Founding Directors of WSRI, alongside Tim Berners-Lee, include Professor Wendy Hall and Professor Nigel Shadbolt of the School of Electronics and Computer Science, Southampton, and Daniel J. Weitzner of MIT.

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