But we simply don't have 100 years to learn how to live in a world of infinite connectivity. We have to learn in ways that are direct, collaborative, continuous. The good news is that two of three necessary conditions for this kind of learning have been met. Condition one is cultural. We have the will.
Human beings have an innate desire to learn, to connect with others, and to share.
I already told you about the 38 million Napster users. I just showed you. File sharing, which fosters continuity and collaboration in learning, combines technical and cultural forces. Condition three is institutional - and that's where we do face obstacles. The first institutional barrier is the variety of attempts to privatise information - people who try to privatise algorithms, genetic data, or natural organisms.