Tim Berners-Lee, hailed as one of the most intelligent Britons of our time, is the mastermind who laid the foundation for the internet. He developed the first web page, browser, and server, and generously shared his creation, initially named the “mesh,” with the world for free. This innovation allows people globally to engage in activities such as reading news, booking vacations, shopping, sharing media, making calls, watching TV, and conducting business—all from the convenience of a smartphone. His expertise has brought him substantial wealth, enabling him to pursue various endeavors, although writing a compelling book eludes him. His latest work, “This Is for Everyone,” ironically seems to cater only to those with the patience to wade through 400 poorly structured, narrative-lacking pages. Despite enlisting the help of co-writer Stephen Witt and other knowledgeable aides, the book falls short of expectations.
Contents
A Life of Innovation and the Book’s Structure
Throughout his life, Berners-Lee has been at the forefront of groundbreaking innovation, and he chooses to recount his story in a chronological fashion. While this approach offers a detailed timeline of his achievements, it lacks thematic organization, which could have made the narrative more engaging and impactful. The book reads like a school essay recounting a holiday, with a repetitive sequence of events and accolades. Despite these shortcomings, Berners-Lee underscores a significant message: the internet’s potential for good has been compromised by social media giants like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and X’s Elon Musk, who have turned it into platforms that can be misleading, toxic, and addictive. Rather than making this the central theme, these insights appear sporadically amidst his personal anecdotes and achievements.
The Writing Style and Personal Life Reflections
The book’s writing style leaves much to be desired, often resorting to cliché descriptions. For instance, Berners-Lee describes Helsinki as a “charming city on the Baltic Sea with beautiful waterfront views and numerous islands to explore,” and notes the changes in India’s internet landscape since his first visit in 2011 with an obvious observation. Similarly, his account of Seoul includes generic statements about friendly people, delicious food, and a climate comparable to Europe, with a cultural twist. His personal life, including the end of his marriages, is touched upon minimally, leaving readers wanting more depth on these significant events. Although not expecting a detailed expose, readers deserve more than a cursory mention of such pivotal moments.
Optimism and the Reality of Big Tech
The book’s greatest shortcoming is its overly optimistic view of big tech. While Berners-Lee accurately highlights how social media companies exploit user data for profit, he remains surprisingly naive about their intentions. He suggests that the focus on profit unintentionally created an attention economy, a notion contradicted by platforms like TikTok, whose algorithms are deliberately designed to captivate users. The business model is straightforward: more attention equals more advertising revenue. When addressing solutions, Berners-Lee offers little beyond hopeful rhetoric. He advocates for holding those who manipulate algorithms accountable and suggests regulating addictive algorithms. However, given the complexities of tech regulation, such solutions seem insufficient.
Proposals and Future Directions
Berners-Lee suggests transitioning to more wholesome social media platforms like Mastodon and Polis, which, despite being positive forces, have not significantly disrupted the dominant misinformation channels. He views AI as a potential opportunity for better governance of tech companies, although global competition for lenient regulations to boost industry growth undermines this potential. One promising idea Berners-Lee proposes is Solid, a digital wallet for personal data control. This concept aims to give individuals authority over their data, allowing them to share it selectively. It is hoped that Berners-Lee will devote more energy to developing such innovations rather than writing books.
“This Is for Everyone” by Tim Berners-Lee is available from Macmillan for £25, spanning 400 pages.
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