= How do you see the future?
I hope to see the Internet become more of a tool for accessing news and media
that is not controlled by large corporate accounts.
= What do you think of the debate about copyright on the Web?
Copyright is a difficult issue. The owner of the intellectual property thinks
that she owns what she has created. I believe that the consumer purchases the
piece of plastic (in the case of a CD) or the bounded pages (in the case of
book). The business community has not found a new way to add value to
intellectual property. Consumers don't think very abstractly. When they download
songs for example they are simply listening to them, they are not possessing
them. The music and publishing industry need to find ways to give consumers
tactile vehicles for selling the intellectual property.
= How do you see the growth of a multilingual Web?
When software gets good enough for people to chat or talk on the Web in real
time in different languages, then we will see whole a new world appear before
us. Scientists, political activists, businesses and many more groups will be
able to communicate immediately without having to go through mediators or
translators.
= How much do you still work with paper? Will there still be a place for paper
in the future?
Paper still plays a vital role in my life. Reading is a matter of cultural pride
for me. My background is Irish (Tim is a US citizen). To paraphrase Thomas
Cahil, spirituality has always been closely connected with literacy in Ireland.
I would miss reading and reading from a screen is too burdensome to the eyes.
= What do you think about e-books?
I don't think that they have the right appeal for lovers of books. The Internet
is great for information. Books are not information. People that love books have
a relationship with their books. They reread them, write in them, confer with
them. Just as cyber sex will never replace the love of a woman, e-books will
never be a vehicle for beautiful prose.
= What do you suggest to give blind and partially-sighted people easier access
to the Web?
Software companies need to develop voice activated software with the blind in
mind when it comes to quality and the broad consumer market when it comes to
profitabilty. It will never be profitable and affordable for the blind to have
technology catered to them. However, there are countless examples of
technologies that are developed with the less abled in mind and that have wide
appeal with the masses.
= What is your definition of cyberspace?
Cyberspace to me is the distance that is bridged when individuals use technology
to connect, either by sharing information or chatting. To say that one exists in
cyberspace is really to say that he has eliminated distance as a barrier to
connecting with people and ideas.
= And your definition of the information society?
The information society to me is the tangible form of Jung's collective
consciousness. Most of the information resides in the subconsciousness but
browsing technology has made the information more retrievable which in turn
allows us greater self knowledge both as individuals and as human beings.
= What is your best experience with the Internet?
My best experience with the Internet is using e-mail to stay in touch with
friends.
= And your worst experience?
My worst experience was learning how to use it before technology surpassed my
ineptitude.