Web heroes
Summary Description There's more than money to the Web, says Simon Vandore.
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Roullas Top10 Simon Vandore

Newswire
No


Editorial InformationArticle Location http://www.newswire.com.au/0006/ov09.htm
Article Topic Vandore
Story Order
Story Group 000611
Post Date 09/06/2000 09:48 AM Status Posted Entered by Simon Vandore on 07/06/2000 07:12 PM


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Content
Introduction
"What is maddening is the terrible notion that a person's value depends on how important and financially successful they are, and that is measured in terms of money. That suggests disrespect for the researchers across the globe developing ideas for the next leaps in science and technology."
Tim Berners-Lee, Weaving the Web (Orion, 1999)

Body
If you were the inventor of the World Wide Web, how rich would you be?
Tim Berners-Lee invented HTTP and HTML. He wrote the first Web browser and Web server. He made the first Web site. Yahoo, Amazon, Netscape and ninemsn really owe this guy!
But Tim Berners-Lee is not rich. He drives an old VW and doesn't charge for his intellectual property. He doesn't even work for a dot com. He is just interested in helping people share information.
In an environment where people seem prepared to sell their grandmother to make money online, it's ironic but refreshing that the Web's inventor is an honest, selfless person. It's so easy to lose sight of such people in the mass of noise and greed that feeds on his creation.
Another interesting bunch is the nonprofit Apache Software Foundation, producers of the world's most popular Web server (used by 62% of sites, according to a Netcraft survey conducted in March). "The goal of this project is to provide a secure, efficient and extensible server which provides HTTP services in sync with the current HTTP standards," the Apache site states. That's all. No ego tripping, no cashing in.
Since 1994 I've followed the exploits of Justin Hall, who has probably kept the world's longest online diary. I remember when he scored a plumb job at Wired magazine's online project, HotWired, then left when he discovered it was more about lining the owner's pockets than catering for an online community.
Justin grew his hair long and set off across America by bus, finding underprivileged communities and helping them start Web sites. People donated Web space and equipment, and those who previously had no voice were suddenly empowered. Justin only stopped when he got RSI.
Today he is part of Internet folklore and could easily find a job with a big Internet business, but Justin Hall just lives with his film-student girlfriend and reviews the odd computer game.
I really admire people who have kept up this spirit of community in the face of dot com mania. Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing someone from Octapod, a nonprofit group in Newcastle, NSW, providing self-publishing and communication tools for artists, students and the unemployed. A company in the US sent Octapod legal threats because it used a trademarked phrase in an online guide to screenprinting (see story). Something is way out of whack when the only reason we hear about these excellent volunteers is when they are threatened by a dot com.
The concept is that you shouldn't just take from the rest of the online community, you need to give a little back. Express yourself, and help others do the same. The Internet brought commercial opportunity, but it also set information free.
SOUNDING BOARD: Are you on the Net for love or money? Have your say!
Vandore is an occasional Newswire column. You can contact Simon Vandore at svandore@acptech.net.


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There's more than money to the Web, says Simon Vandore.

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