The Independent columnist Johann Hari has got to be in my list of the top three columnists who exasperate me, alongside the infuriating Seumas Milne and, of course, Polly Toynbee (the blog dedicated to fact-checking her pieces is now sadly dormant). Hari's written an interesting piece today though, about how the internet has revolutionised access to knowledge but is in danger of shortening our attention spans. In particular he worries about plans for a "tiered internet":
"The greatest thing about the web is that the entry costs are so low: we all plug and play on an equal basis. Under the new model, we would no longer compete in a somewhat open market of ideas; instead, arguments would be rigged even more grossly in favour of the rich."
I don't know much about the technicalities behind this but it's surely right that in principle there is a public interest in keeping internet access open and equitable, like libraries. I expect Hari is exaggerating the impact of these proposals - slower internet speed doesn't equate with restricted internet access - but in giving everyone access to the world's knowledge the internet is the greatest liberating force of all time, both politically and economically, and we must be vigilant of anything that could potentially change that.
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