Communications of the ACM
Berners-Lee: Social Networks Are a 'threat to the Web'
Social networks pose a threat to the Web because they capture and reuse users' information rather than share it with other sites, says Sir Tim Berners-Lee. He says large social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Friendster are silos of closed content that control user information. "The more this kind of architecture gains widespread use, the more the Web becomes fragmented—and the less we enjoy a single, universal information space," Berners-Lee says.
He notes that Apple has similarly centralized and walled-off iTunes, which requires people to access the site through a patented link and traps them in a single store.
Berners-Lee also believes that net neutrality regulations should cover both fixed Internet lines and mobile broadband. "It is . . . bizarre to imagine that my fundamental right to access the information source of my choice should apply when I am on my Wi-Fi-connected computer at home but not when I use my mobile phone," he says.
From PC Advisor
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