“Few influential people involved with the Internet claim that it is a good in and of itself. It is a powerful tool for solving social problems, just as it is a tool for making money, finding lost relatives, receiving medical advice, or, come to that, trading instructions for making bombs.” PeopleProblemLostSocialPowerfulAdviceInternetInvolvedFindingsToolsClaimsMedicalWitMaking MoneyBombsInstructionReceivingTradingInfluentialSocial ProblemsInfluential People Author:Esther Dyson
“Internet becoming accessible everywhere, whether it was Wi-Fi at work, on your cell phone as you traveled. People had it at home with broadband. There was a big change.It used to be people used the Internet primarily at work, because that's where they had a good connection. Now they're using it at home. And the second big change is, they used it not just to get information, but to communicate with one another. And, so, it became not simply an information exchange, but a personal exchange, a communication mechanism.” PeopleHomeBigsUsedInformationCommunicationBecomingInternetConnectionsPhonesCommunicateUsed To BeCellsMechanismTraveledCell PhoneBig ChangesBroadband Author:Esther Dyson
“The inner sort of consumer identity got the best of people. And everybody just wants things for free. And that's created this strange kind of cheapness to everything, where everything becomes throwaway. And people, I think, have started to undervalue things, maybe because there's too much, maybe because it's too easy to make, but I think mostly just because, somehow, that's the pattern that got set. And I think that's regrettable.” PeopleThinkingWantKindEasyToo MuchIdentityStrangePatternsConsumersCheapness Author:Esther Dyson
“People still have a choice, but, if they find it all too confusing, or they just want someone else to make a choice for them, there's a default that works pretty well. That's this concept of libertarian paternalism. And it's handy.” PeopleIfsWantWellsStillsChoicesConceptsLibertarianConfusingDefaultHandyPaternalism Author:Esther Dyson
“People need to understand that the technology is for them. It's not to them. It's not over them. People still sometimes want to be led a little too much.” PeopleWantNeedsLittlesStillsSometimesTechnologyToo Much Author:Esther Dyson
“People have to understand that they can reject technology. They can turn off their cell phone. They can stop looking at their e-mail. It's there if they want it. It's not being forced on them.” PeopleIfsWantTurnsTechnologyPhonesCellsRejectsMailCell PhoneTurn Off Author:Esther Dyson
“The Internet is an incredible business tool. First of all, the Internet/the cell phone - the cell phone is just another way to get at it - I think is having a huge impact in Africa most particularly, where it enables people - suddenly, they know crop prices. They can communicate. It makes their lives more efficient.” PeopleThinkingKnowsWayFirstsHugeInternetToolsImpactIncrediblesPhonesCommunicateCellsEfficientAnother WayCropsCell Phone Author:Esther Dyson
“It's not that you have jobs on the Internet, but the Internet makes it possible for more people to build their own jobs. What it does is, it erodes the power of institutions. It used to be you needed an institution to have a job. But, if you look at the three of us on this show, I don't think any of us is really employed by an institution. We run our own lives.” PeopleIfsThinkingLooksDoeRunningJobsUsedInternetNeededInstitutionsUsed To BeBe YouEmployedErode Author:Esther Dyson
“The great thing is, Internet allows you to create your own job, not just look for jobs other people are going to give you. And that, combined with the American spirit, I think, is going to help us come out of the recession faster than other countries. And I think it's going to help Africa come out of, you know, a century of slump.” PeopleThinkingKnowsGivingLooksCountryHelpingJobsSpiritCenturyInternetGreat ThingsFasterOther CountriesRecessionsAmerican SpiritSlumps Author:Esther Dyson
“Encryption...is a powerful defensive weapon for free people. It offers a technical guarantee of privacy, regardless of who is running the government... It's hard to think of a more powerful, less dangerous tool for liberty.” PeopleThinkingHardGovernmentRunningPowerfulLibertyTechnologyDangerousInternetOffersWeaponsToolsGuaranteesPrivacyEncryption Author:Esther Dyson
“Change means that what was before wasn't perfect. People want things to be better.” PeopleWantMeanChangePerfectThings ChangePositive Change Author:Esther Dyson
“There's almost no way of doing importing honestly, because if you do you're at such a disadvantage competitively. So people spend huge amounts of effort getting around stupid laws and not paying taxes.” PeopleIfsWayLawEffortStupidHugeAmountTaxesHonestlyDisadvantagesPaying Taxes Author:Esther Dyson
“Oh, that all the things my father had told me about how disgusting Washington is are true. And again it's the system - there are lots of nice, well-meaning people there. But it's a sleazy place. And politics is all about doing favors.” PeopleWellsFatherNiceFavorsDisgustingSleazy Author:Esther Dyson
“In the sense that people who produce things and work get rewarded, statistically. You don't get rewarded precisely for your effort, but in Russia you got rewarded for being alive, but not very well rewarded.” PeopleWellsEffortAliveProduceRussia Author:Esther Dyson
