"I've been talking about human attention as a commodity of economic value," writes author Esther Dyson. "I believe that all the glitz and artificial stimulation offered by the electronic world will ultimately cause people to value human company and attention more." Meanwhile on the Internet, people are finding new ways to square off with perennial problems-freedom of choice, freedom of speech, honesty, and anonymity. Dyson is president and owner of EDventure Holdings and chairwoman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. In this survey of the digital age, she brings 20 years of cutting edge experience to bear on her assessments of the computer in the workplace, the Net as "a playground of entropy," Internet governance, and privacy and content control on the Internet.
"The Net will celebrate human nature and human diversity if we do it right," Dyson notes. She challenges readers to participate in communities on the Net and not just be "lurkers." Although anonymity is valued by those who spend a lot of time in cyberspace, Dyson points out that it can also foster bad behavior and lack of accountability for serious wrongdoing. Release 2.0 accomplishes its goals of enabling us to think seriously about our roles as citizens, rule-makers, and community members on the Net.