Chris Dixon Read Write Own

Annotation

The internet of today is a far cry from its early promise of a decentralized, democratic network of innovation, connection and freedom. In the past decade, it has fallen almost entirely under the control of a very small group of companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook. In Read Write Own, tech visionary Chris Dixon argues that the dream of a creative, entrepreneurial internet doesn't have to die and can, in fact, be saved with blockchain networks. He separates this movement, which aims to provide a solid foundation for everything from social networks to artificial intelligence to virtual worlds, from cryptocurrency speculation - a distinction he calls 'the computer vs the casino'. Drawing on a 25-year career in the software industry, Dixon lucidly shows how the history of the internet has been defined by three distinct eras that have brought us to the critical moment we're in today.