«I can get in, but I can’t get out. I don’t know what happens to my data»
This is a statement by Robert Cailliau, a Belgian computer scientist who, together with Sir Tim Berners-Lee, developed the World Wide Web now almost 20 years ago.
One of the most interesting speakers that took the stage at The Next Web conference held in Amsterdam this week was Robert Cailliau. After his talk, I had an interesting conversation with the man, which I captured on video.
I was admittedly a bit unprepared, but we talked about everything from his dislike of modern mobile phones, the way social networks suck you in and never let you out, the iPad’s browser and Javascript to Web browsers that don’t adhere to standards. For instance, around the 5:38 mark in the video he explains why he isn’t on Facebook: “I can get in, but I can’t get out. I don’t know what happens to my data.” He also has issues with Skype.
Needless to say, it’s something you want to watch.
Check out his completely standards-compliant website, too.
True story: when we were done with the interview, Cailliau insisted that I check out the digital clock he programmed some time last week because he was dissatisfied with the clock on the hotel room TV.
Let me just say that it was utterly surreal to hear the co-creator of the World Wide Web boast about how quickly he programmed that clock and how beautiful the code looked.
And that I love my job.
Source: Robin Wauters on Apr 30, 2010
My comment:
With out a broadband line I can not work. Manual search for information is history, and a week with out electricity will bring the World to and end.
Still, I am very critical in regards to technology. Having a blog, and spending a lot of time communicating with my readers, I decided to de list my self from Facebook. Not because I have anything against this social web site, but simply because I can be active on them all. An guess what:
It was impossible to delete my Facebook account…..
Just try it your self, and be amazed.
When you loose control of your personal data, you are running a lot of risks. One of them is that the data you have published can be misused to taint you, or control you….
Hitler would surely have used Facebook. If he could have got the GPS coordinates of all the Jews, there would not have been a need to run around and search for them.
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