The Harvard Conference on the Internet & Society

The Internet drives the hottest stocks on Wall Street, shapes technological innovation, and fills the pages of the world's presses. What does this mean for society, government, commerce, and other institutions? How will the way we live, work, profit, learn, govern, and communicate change?

In the Spring of 1996, hundreds of international leaders in technology, business, education, and government gathered at Harvard University to discuss the growing and future impact of the Internet: one of the most potent technological innovations of this century. This volume, which includes the writings and debate from this ground-breaking forum, provides an expert assessment of the impact of this rapidly changing technology for the next decade and into the new millennium.

CEOs and leaders of Microsoft, Apple Computer, Sun Microsystems, and Digital Equipment join dozens of leaders in providing first-hand accounts of current revolutionary changes in the computer industry, as well as their influence on the future: for workers, customer relations, and creation and ownership of products. These pieces serve as an excellent source for understanding today's hottest Internet technologies, as well as exploring the important issues regarding what is at stake for a society with greater and growing ties to cyberspace.

Topics include privacy and security, property rights, censorship, telecommunications regulation, and the global impact of emerging Internet technologies. Keynote speakers include Bill Gates (Microsoft), Scott McNealy (Sun), and Diana Lady Dougan (Center for Stategic and International Studies).