"The End of Big"

 I have read "The End of Big" by Nicco Mele.

 It is a book that warns about how individuals connecting to the Internet can bring about the demise of "big things" such as traditional systems and power structures. Though it is not a particularly novel point of view, it is a good text that gives a comprehensive overview of the changes induced by the Internet.

 Mass media, political parties, Hollywood, governments, armies, universities, and large corporations. The book mentions many examples of how these "big things" have been overthrown by individuals connected to each other through the Internet. Across all sectors, this is more likely to be an image of the present than a depiction of the future.

Vannevar Bush, Engelbart, Ted Nelson, Tim O'Reilly, John Perry Barlow, Eric Raymond, Sherry Turkle, Salman Khan… It is also a catalog that allows you to learn the genealogy left by these digital pioneers.

 The programming language of Logo, ARPANET, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, One Laptop Per Child, OpenCourseWare, Fab Labs… It was also a useful listing for me to check the effects of the work I was involved in when I was in places like MIT.

 The book also presents a paradox: On one hand, there are small-time artists who have become able to send information directly to the world, but on the other hand, "even bigger things" such as YouTube have seen the light of day and flourished. However, is that merely a simple power shift? It would be good for all you students out there to use this book as a text to consider and ask yourselves such questions.

 The book makes 3 proposals regarding structures to make use of the power of individuals, the selection of capable leaders, and the management of online platforms respectively. The final issue is the biggest topic when formulating government policies on IT, and concerns the management of platforms such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter. However, the method has yet to be described. Students, what do you think?