Friday’s Big Idea

Today's Big Idea: Humanizing Technology

We often take a utopian view of technologies that appear to break down barriers and allow for greater participation in our culture. It's great, after all, that a kid from Canada can put a video on YouTube and become the biggest name in pop music. But Justin Biebers are the exception.

Becoming an Internet celebrity, or cewebrity, might make you famous for 15 minutes, but in most cases it won't make you rich. As the development of the Internet is still in its early stages we have yet to see the development of a model that properly monetizes content creation.

Moreover, if anyone can be a cewebrity -- and promoting yourself online just becomes another job requirement -- Internet fame becomes something much less desirable.

Jack Myers: The Cult of the Celebutante is Over

by Daniel Honan

As more people derive their income from careers that rely on public exposure, the cachet and economic appeal of simply being a celebrity will decrease.

It's Time to Go on an Information Diet

by Jason Gots

Clay Johnson, author of The Information Diet, says you can’t rely on “the media” or the internet to control your information consumption. Here he suggests a few pieces of software that have helped him to regulate his own information diet.

Technology is Agnostic

by Jeff Jarvis

The journalist and author believes that the extent to which technology benefits humanity is up to us, its users.

Jaron Lanier: Let’s Unmask the Great and Powerful Oz of Technology

by Jason Gots

Jaron Lanier: if we don't learn to acknowledge that real people are actually creating the value online, we're never going to learn how to create the information economy that can really create employment and self-determination.

21st Century Living

Friday’s Big Idea

Today's Big Idea: Humanizing Technology