Harvard to Host Second Internet and Society Conference
By William J. Cromie
Gazette Staff
Continuing its efforts to corral the boundless, ungoverned region called
cyberspace, Harvard will host its Second International Conference on Internet
and Society on May 26-29.
A diverse cadre of leaders from business, government, law, industry,
and education have been invited to discuss how the Internet can better serve
all segments of society.
"We will explore the potential of cyberspace, as well as the issues
facing its future and the future of the societies it is transforming,"
says Charles Nesson, conference chair and director, Berkman Center for Internet
and Society at the Law School.
Among the questions to be discussed, Nesson includes: How can society
keep pace with the accelerating changes going on in cyberspace? How can
Internet constituencies collaborate? Where are the business opportunities?
How can nonprofit and entrepreneurial activities influence, or lead, the
shaping of cyberspace?
Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine will open the conference on Tuesday
afternoon, May 26. On Wednesday, plenary sessions, panels, and group discussions
will look at the world of cyberspace from the viewpoint of the Internet
toward society. Thursday, speakers and panels intend to look in the other
direction, from society's point of view toward the Internet. Friday will
be devoted to bringing both views together.
General interactive sessions combined with small group discussions and
Socratic panels will be interwoven throughout the conference and arranged
by track. Each of five tracks -- business, technology/public policy, education,
law, and community -- will cover a variety of themes.
On Wednesday, for example, "conversations" are scheduled with
Louis Gerstner, chair and CEO, IBM; Scott McNealy, chair, CEO and president,
Sun Microsystems; and Steve Ballmer, executive vice president, Microsoft.
Also on the agenda are concurrent morning and afternoon sessions on track
themes.
In addition, a Socratic panel will talk about "The Dynamics of News
Gathering and Reporting On and Off the Net." Finally, "common
room discussions" will be held wherein small groups will gather for
discussions in an informal setting.
Having Fun
Nesson wants people who attend the conference to look back and say, "Boy,
that was really fun."
To help that happen and to foster networking, a number of social events
are scheduled. Tuesday evening features a welcoming reception. Harvard's
three art museums will open Wednesday evening for receptions and tours.
On Thursday, Nesson and conference co-chair Charles Ogletree, professor
of law, will host a clambake and barbecue.
These social events, lunch each day, conference materials, and Harvard
memorabilia are included in the $1,295 fee. Special invitations are offered
to members of public interest organizations who lack the necessary financial
resources. Information about such scholarships can be obtained from cybercon@sph.harvard.edu.
Tickets for Harvard students and staff are available on a lottery basis
(see sidebar).
Nesson noted that "the goal of the conference, with unified sessions
and breakout sessions, is true interdisciplinary connection, along with
the themes we're examining."
Themes in the business track include: "Role of Venture Capitalists
in Creating 'Winners' in the Information Economy," "Building Strategic
Intranets for Competitive Advantage," and "Winners and Losers
in the Age of the Internet."
The technology/public policy track will cover: "Internet Telephony,
Regulatory Policy and Network Infrastructure," "Balancing Freedom
of Communication with Public Values," and "Electronic Commerce:
Security, Privacy, Payment and Authentication."
Community segments will include: "Barriers to the Internet: Race,
Class and Society," "Our Online Town," and "Civic Behavior
and Cyberspace: Online and Out of Control."
Law themes will be "When Copy and Paste Don't Work: Implications
of Trusted Systems," "Control over Framing, Linking, and Packaging:
Who Deserves What?," "Internet Filtration: Rights to Listen, to
Speak, to Tune Out," and "Internet Entrepreneur vs. Captain of
Industry: Can They Fight Fair?"
Education segments will cover: "WirED for the Future," "Is
Net Learning a Net Gain?," and "Next Door to Everyone."
"We're looking for a variety of experience," Nesson notes.
"Keynote addresses will include demos on the screen, and cyber-appearances
where the speaker is on the screen. Also, interviewers will ask speakers
questions to probe the issues more spontaneously and deeply."
Beside Gerstner, McNealy, and Ballmer, keynoters include Stephen Case,
chair and CEO, America Online; Ester Dyson, chair. EDventure Holdings; Lawrence
Ellison, chair and CEO, Oracle Corp.; and Kim Polese, president and CEO,
Marimba Corp.
Plenary Session will discuss "Glimpses of Tomorrow's Net,"
which will include demonstrations of innovations from the Net of the future,
and "Global Perspectives on the Internet as a Tool for Community and
Economic Development."
Besides having fun, Nesson says he'd like people to leave the conference
"with their brains just spinning, just absolutely hot-buzzed at the
potential out there. I'd like people to go out thinking that the way we
govern ourselves is inevitably going to be affected by the ability of [cyberspace]
to facilitate people forming opinions, and being polled. . . . The Internet
will be a huge political force -- people expressing themselves coherently
and in a way that those in political power will have to respond to.
"Finally, I'd like people to go out with the feeling that there's
money to be made. I'm not ashamed of the commercial value of [cyberspace].
The idea that you can state a mission, do a demo that shows it's possible,
then organize the contributions people are willing to make in order to make
it happen -- that's an idea I think will take off."
Those who wish to register and to obtain more information about the conference,
travel, hotels, and other related matters can contact the conference Website
at cybercon98.harvard.edu.
Copyright
1998 President and Fellows of Harvard College
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