Live Audience Questions:

sarah - 11-16-2002 19:58:57

how can a technological architecture that is centralized (i.e., all websites except HBS under the "harvard.edu" domain) coexist with the decentralized "intellectual architecture" of the institution?

charles nesson - 11-16-2002 19:58:54

Suppose there were to be, years from now, an International Internet Educational Broad- and Narrow-casting network, up a level in imagination from National Public Radio. Could you imagine Harvard being part of it? A big part of it?

Isaac - 11-16-2002 19:23:48

The panelists seem to assume that this technology architecture will always be provided by Harvard. Isn't it increasingly likely with the convergence of the "net" and wireless technologies / pdas / etc., that students and facutly will no longer need / want Harvard's services?

Isaac - 11-16-2002 19:33:15

Doesn't "cyberspace" give over-achievers an even better, safer "place to fail?" Isn't true anonymity the best way? Given such anonymity, does it matter how many people are watching?

Dotan Oliar - 11-16-2002 15:09:10

A year and a half ago, RIAA sent letter to 15 major colleges asking them to shut down access to Napster. Most backed down. Harvard did so partially. Do you see Harvard's role as taking RIAA to court (or leadin other legal battles)? Perhaps it is the only one who can afford such a thing? What is Harvard's role in the market (against commercial censorship, not state censorship)?

Blythe Holden - 11-16-2002 15:04:46

How can the technology architecture of Harvard facilitate communication and the educational experience among its various schools? More simply, does the system help us be more of a community?

Jason Jay - 11-16-2002 14:59:56

Should Harvard draw up a policy to preempt the Total Information Access initiative? This is an opportunity for direct action and protest if the Homeland Security Department does start to become totalitarian.

Terry Fisher - 11-16-2002 14:46:02

Pennsylvania is currently pioneering a new way of preventing the distribution of pornography on the Internet: requiring destination ISPs serving Pennsylvania residents to block access to sites that the state Attorney General identifies as pornographic. In a recent paper, Jonathan Zittrain argues that this may be the most promising way of controlling P2P traffic in copyrighted material and other forms of illegal or undesirable behavior on the Internet. Should Harvard, as a large "destination ISP," resist or encourage this strategy. What are its advantages and disadvantages for the members of the Harvard community?

Isaac - 11-16-2002 14:38:48

To what extent is Harvard really free to make its own decisions in designing its infrastructure? Isn't Harvard bounded by the liability it faces from many different camps in making its "decisions?" (Liability in the face of intellectual property right infringements, state and federal security regulations, privacy regulations, etc.)