Thirty years ago, somewhere on the French-Swiss border, Tim Berners-Lee irrevocably changed the world as we knew it.
Whilst working as a fellow at Cern, he sent a proposal of how ‘human -readable documents’ could be linked together, a means of sharing large amounts of data about physics experiments. Initial feed back to this proposal from his superiors said ‘vague but exciting……’. Not an overwhelming endorsement of what one year later would become the World Wide Web.
Recently voted as ‘Person of the Year’ by the Financial Times, Sir Tim Berners -Lee, is increasingly vocal in regards to the implications and impact of the web in ways that no one could have foreseen, least of all Berners-Lee.
Recent interviews highlight his distress at how the world wide web has ‘turned into an engine of inequality and division’.
Each year on the anniversary of his invention, Berners-Lee sends an open letter highlighting his thoughts and concerns about the Web. This year’s letter commemorating the 30th anniversary Berners-Lee tone is at best cautious, with a reflective quality
‘Today 30 years on from my original proposal for an information management system, half the world is online. It’s a moment to celebrate how far we have come, but also an opportunity to reflect on how far we have yet to go’ (Tim Berners Lee, 2019)
Within this open letter he acknowledges his personal concerns and fears as to ‘Whether the Web is actually the force for good that he originally intended?’ Identifying three broad areas of ‘dysfunction’
· Deliberate, malicious intent, such as state-sponsored hacking and attacks, criminal behaviour, and on-line harassment.
· Unintended negative consequences of benevolent design, such as the outraged and polarised tone and quality of online discourse
And of particular pertinence to us within the Marketing and Public Relations Profession
· System design that creates perverse incentives where user value is sacrificed, such as ad-based revenue models that commercially reward clickbait and the viral spread of misinformation.
Having invented the World Wide Web, Berners-Lee now has a burning ambition, to reinvent it. Close observers of Berners-Lee say that he has been re-energised by his aim of ‘turning the web the right way up’.
As a digital immigrant I feel privileged to have been witness to the birth and growth of the World Wide Web. It has been revolutionary in its transformation of the way that we have lived our lives over the last 30 years.
Observing the differences between generations, specifically those between Generation X (digital immigrants) and Generation Y (digital natives). Generation Y (Millennials) are the first generation to have spent their whole lives in a digital environment. This has led to a huge fascination with this generation. Academics, policy makers, social commentators all identify the impact that this generation has had, particularly its use of social media and how this affects all areas of their lives.
As each generation develops and matures it is possible to identify ‘common perspectives’ from within that cohort. They share personality traits, work values, attitudes and motivations. Recognition of these traits can be observed continuously, in everyday life and are of particular value to us as PR professionals. Ensuring we send the right message, at the right place, at the right time, to the right people.
We have a responsibility to assist Sir Tim Berners-Lee in his second burning ambition of 'turning the web the right way up ……maximising the upside of the Web and minimising its downside’.