Supernova 2008

Is it just me, or does glancing down the list of session titles for Supernova 2008 give you the sense that the interconnectivity and interconnectedness of the Web is weaving its way inexorably into the sociology and psychology of daily life (except where people cannot connect or cannot afford to).

The red asterisks denote sessions where I’ve previously opined on the subject and which I see as related to elements, dynamics or outcomes of an organizing principle I call  wirearchy.

I still believe strongly and clearly that there will come to be a basic understanding of the patterns of human life when humans get used to the flows of human communication … detritus, information, banalities, profound and enduring connections, the whole ball of wax … enabled by and enacted on the Web.  There will be an "archy" (yes, that’s a double entendre) grown out of living and working in an environment of wired interconnectedness.  That "archy" will come from the decisions that we make, as individuals and societies, about how we can use such a medium … to grow awareness and consciousness, to distract, delude, indulge and manipulate human attention, to commercialize interaction where value can be offered and obtained.  Along the way all those potential effects will be redefined substantially, I think. 

That’s why organizations like the EFF, the Creative Commons, the Sunlight Foundation, SavetheInternet.org and many others came into being and have such an important role.  That they exist is a clear signal as to the scope and potential and eventual impact of living in, on and of a an electronic web of image, text and audio communications.

Anyway, I’d love to go to Supernova 2008.

If anyone wants to hire me or sponsor me to go, I’m glad to talk about it.

.

Supernova 2008 – because technology is everybody’s business

Opening Plenary: The Theory and Practice of Networks  *

Networks are everywhere. Yet, how much do we really understand about how they operate? From the infrastructure networks of broadband providers to the social networks of connected individuals, every aspect of today’s Internet economy is built on network-based behavior. While technology companies have been using networks, researchers have been studying their fundamental properties. This session will link their discoveries with business and social manifestations of network-based activity.

Does Broadband Have a Future?

Will broadband networks be able to keep up with the growth and development of the Internet? Network operators seek more managed networks to cope with traffic growth and economic pressures, while others see discriminatory network management itself as the threat to innovation. Are there any possible developments in broadband or spectrum policy that might end this impasse? How will the US Presidential election affect broadband, and what can the US learn from the rest of the world?

Networked Business Models   *

Traditional business strategy emphasizes scarcity and central control. The Network Age is all about abundance and distributed activity at the edges. Truly networked business models take advantage of openness and collective action to redefine markets. This session will challenge basic assumptions about strategy, and explore the opportunities for massive new value creation in the Network Age.

The Internet is People: What We Know, and What it Means   *

So much of today’s Internet economy revolves around users: the content they create, the communities they form, and the transactions they choose. Yet, few businesses study how people actually interact with the Net and online collaborative tools. This session will use case studies and research to illuminate user behavior on today’s participatory Internet.

The Internet’s Constitutional Moments

Moderated by the renowned Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School.

The Meaning of Openness   *

All major Internet players claim their platforms are open… yet, they take that to mean different things. In a world where users, content and data flow across many physical and virtual locations, and where monolithic applications are being atomized into widgets, Web services and syndicated information, the openness of interfaces is of crucial importance. What are the real dividing lines between true openness and proprietary lock-in, and which approaches produce the greatest value for all participants (including users)?

All the World’s a Game: What the Web can Learn from Virtual Worlds   *

To glimpse the future of the Internet, look no further than the burgeoning universe of massively multiplayer online games. In these virtual worlds, tens of millions of people worldwide spend countless hours, generate billions of dollars of economic activity, and build extraordinarily sophisticated distributed systems. What can they teach us about how to build interactive Web applications, facilitate online transactions, and enable new forms of business collaboration?

Liquid Conversations and Distributed Content   *

What are the barriers – technology, standards, business models, intellectual property rules, and more – to having content distributed across the Web and radically personalized, not tied to individual Web sites? And, what are the new intermediaries that will arise as such liquid conversations develop?

Harnessing Collective Intelligence   *

How can recommendations and user feedback promote transactions and better information flow? And, how do social feedback loops change the nature of the user experience? Truly harnessing collective intelligence involves complex network effects and many considerations about top-down direction vs. bottom-up emergence. The potential is enormous, but so are the risks in ceding control to users.

Going Green: Toward a More Sustainable Technology Industry

Cyberspace may be virtual, but the infrastructure that supports it is physical. The inconvenient truth is that all those servers and networks and offices and households consume huge amounts of energy, and generate huge amounts of waste. Fortunately, the industry is waking up to the challenge. This session will examine how the tech sector can become a solution rather than a problem for environmental sustainability.

Who is Driving Marketing Innovation?

Different sectors of the marketing industry continue to debate the drivers of “the new marketing” in The Network Age, using terminology such as transparency, engagement, relationship economy, conversational marketing, new metrics, etc. But, the industry continues to stall in terms of making significant strides in adopting these concepts. The question still remains, “where is the innovation?” We give a voice to the practitioners to discuss their requirements and requests for innovation with key industry pundits.

Monetization for Today’s Internet… and Tomorrow’s   *

It’s a big Internet out there. There are significant opportunities to build businesses around vertical mar
kets, but only by understanding how to attract users and generate revenue. Those have always been key challenges for Internet-based services, but how do things change as the Net becomes more open, more participatory, and more complex? Will the largest portals and social networks absorb most of the value, or will more-focused players be able to thrive?

Privacy, Reputation, and Security in the Network Age  *

Are we entering an era where individuals gain new control over their public personas, and powerful means to leverage reputations? Or, will we be forced to abandon any hope of protecting our privacy and trusting what we encounter online? When is more information the solution… and when is it the problem?

Powered by Qumana