From TED, Stephen Wolfram on computing a theory of everything; and Kevin Kelly muses on what technology means in our lives — from its impact at the personal level to its place in the cosmos. Geek Power: Steven Levy revisits tech titans, hackers, idealists. From n+1, an article on the Internet as Social Movement: A brief history of webism. From Fibreculture, a special issue on Web 2.0: Before, during and after the event. The internet’s power to take down tyranny lies beyond Twitter; Jon Evans on the high-tech programs every despot should fear. Authoritarianism vs. the Internet: Daniel Calingaert on the race between freedom and repression. They told us the Internet would usher in a new era of freedom, political activism, and perpetual peace — they were wrong. The Internet’s Last Hope: How the Federal Communications Commission can save the world (wide web). An excerpt from Fatal System Error: The Hunt for the New Crime Lords Who Are Bringing Down the Internet by Joseph Menn. The world's most ingenious thief: With his encyclopedic knowledge of surveillance and electronics, Gerald Blanchard could hack any bank, swipe any jewel — there was no security system the career criminal couldn't beat. What is the Internet if not a clearinghouse for all manner of off-topic, anal-related comments? Backstage with the Wikipedians: The inner workings of the global encyclopedia are "better than a soap opera". When Twitter attacks celebrities: Jim Carrey, Aimee Mann and other famous tweeters finally learn what we all know — the Internet's a bitch, and pretty much as mean as all of us. I'm quitting the Internet — will I be liberated or left behind? On the Web, it seems I can live virtually forever — that won’t get old, will it? Clive Thompson reviews You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto by Jaron Lanier.
