>why would this new internet end up any different?
I think the main advantage we have today is the hindsight of the past 25+ years.
>What would be different this time around if we started from scratch?
I think instead of one big Internet we'd build a bunch of smaller, trusted intranets, and provide controlled access via something like a web-of-trust system.
>You can't expect every person to be skilled enough (and with the time and desire) to be their own network administrator
It's up to your tribe/family/community to have its own networking person, and you can compensate any way that's agreeable to you.
Just like it's smart to have your own doctor and mechanic in the family, you should also have your own networking and computers person you can trust.
Many people complain about family coming to them for computer help and suggest that they should go to a "professional". I think this is an insensitve and unempathetic point of view. Where else would they go? Who else can be trusted to help them except you?
No, it's up to us to take care of all whom we care about, because no one else out there will do it for us. And if you shy away from this responsibility, your punishment will be watching family members get taken advantage of.
I essentially agree with you but there is a missing piece to this.
There are food reasons people get tired of supporting their tribe or family’s IT infrastructure:
1. What we are supporting is often badly designed for individuals and so we’re doing mindless make work to overcome problems cause by corporations. I.e. we are experiencing an externality that a corporation is profiting from.
2. It’s often not reciprocated. Many people have no problem letting someone spend hours fixing a messed up computer, but won’t think to do anything in return. This isn’t universal, I have family members who are very appreciative and will make me dinner, or otherwise value what I’m doing for them, but ‘tribe members’ often just take it for granted that it’s ok for them to just lean on people helplessly for support.
3. Similar to 2. A lot of people keep doing stuff that causes them problems and won’t follow advice that would prevent this. My experience is that it’s the same people who take the help for granted.
I agree that it’s our responsibility to help, but it’s not our responsibility to be enablers.
I think the main advantage we have today is the hindsight of the past 25+ years.
>What would be different this time around if we started from scratch?
I think instead of one big Internet we'd build a bunch of smaller, trusted intranets, and provide controlled access via something like a web-of-trust system.
>You can't expect every person to be skilled enough (and with the time and desire) to be their own network administrator
It's up to your tribe/family/community to have its own networking person, and you can compensate any way that's agreeable to you.
Just like it's smart to have your own doctor and mechanic in the family, you should also have your own networking and computers person you can trust.
Many people complain about family coming to them for computer help and suggest that they should go to a "professional". I think this is an insensitve and unempathetic point of view. Where else would they go? Who else can be trusted to help them except you?
No, it's up to us to take care of all whom we care about, because no one else out there will do it for us. And if you shy away from this responsibility, your punishment will be watching family members get taken advantage of.