The control revolution : how the Internet is putting individuals in charge and changing the world we know

Shows how the Internet has enabled individuals to take power from institutions, and examines the benefits and drawbacks of these changes In This Exploration Of The Meaning Of The Internet, Journalist And Legal Scholar Andrew Shapiro Weaves A Narrative Through Events That Are Occurring All Around Us. Dissidents Use The Net To Evade Censorship To Get Their Messages Out. Musicians Bypass Record Companies And Put Their Songs On The World Wide Web For Fans To Download Directly. Day Traders Roil The Stock Market, Buying Securities Online With The Click Of A Mouse And Then Selling Minutes Later When The Price Jumps. Shapiro Argues That There Is A Common Thread Underlying These Developments. It Is Not Just A Change In How We Compute Or Communicate. Rather, It Is A Potentially Radical Shift In Who Is In Control - Of Information, Experience, And Resources. Pt. 1. Revolution. We Have Revolution Now -- The Politics Of Code -- Gaining Control -- Liebling's Revenge: The Power Of Interactivity -- Masters Of Our Domains: Personalization Of Experience -- The Decline Of Middlemen: Day Trading And Electrified Voting -- Pt. 2. Resistance. An Anxious State: Controlling Speech, Secrets, Creativity -- Where Do You Want To Go Today?: Microsoft And The Illusion Of Control -- Pt. 3. Oversteer. Narrowing Our Horizons -- A Fraying Net -- Freedom From Speech -- The Drudge Factor -- Shopper's Heaven? -- Push-button Politics -- Privacy For Sale -- Pt. 4. Balance. Mapping Principles -- Shattering Illusions -- In Defense Of Middlemen -- In Defense Of Accidents -- Surf Globally, Network Locally -- The Tools Of Democracy -- Epilogue: From Revolution To Resolution. Andrew L. Shapiro. A Century Foundation Book. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 270-276) And Index. On August 19, 1991, I received a remarkable fax from a friend in Moscow.