As the web turns 30, is it an 'out-of-control monster'?

Can it be fixed? Who should fix it?

[cnvi]

[news.yahoo.com ]

""The web has been hijacked by crooks and trolls who have used it to manipulate people all over the world," Berners-Lee warned in a New York Times op-ed in December, citing threats ranging from the dark web, to cyber crime, fake news and personal data theft.

I concur.. Hindsight is always 20/20. No one should be able to spoof an IP address or hide to commit malicious acts.

Do we rely on government, or the almighty G with their 40 billion a quarter in revenue to fix the problem?

Discuss.

[tangor]

@cnvi ... might be tough to discuss and that will probably embrace politics ... and that's not a popular topic at WW.

As for G, it is so big that only the other "g" (government) can take it on. Include fb and the rest of the "tech giants" as well.

[cnvi]

@tangor.. no political motivation here. I am just bringing up the topic because its a very big problem that is only going to get much worse without a fix. For example, some terror groups are in the news today pushing for attacks on the web. And with the web's tie-ins to critical infrastructure (power/water), it's a serious difficult situation.

[engine]

For the record, here are the other threads on this topic.

[webmasterworld.com...]

[webmasterworld.com...]

It's true that crooks have taken advantage of the Net's easy pickings.

[Marshall]

The web is an extension of the real world. Anyone who thought threats in the real would would not translate to the web is either a fool or naive. I will add, however, it is easier to hide your identity on the web than in the real world. That is truly the only difference.

[graeme_p]

And with the web's tie-ins to critical infrastructure (power/water),

That should not happen. Critical infrastructure should run on private networks. The only thing utilities should connect to the internet are things like billings systems.

Some of the other topics may touch on politics, but we do not need to discuss the politics. For example: " online ghettos, filter bubbles and feedback loops where people rarely encounter opinions different from their own." apply to all shades of opinion. We would have to steer clear of examples though....

[tangor]

@tangor.. no political motivation here. I am just bringing up the topic because its a very big problem that is only going to get much worse without a fix.

Ha ha!

Who is going to fix it?

Dang difficult to even think gov will get involved (USA) as an extremely large number of ex-g are in bureaucracies, agencies, and in the gov itself.

Other than government, what other entities can take on the web, the tech giants and all the uglies?

The EU with GDPR and the new copyright stuff is a start, but almost too little too late, and only in their backyard.

None of the above it meant negative, just a reality that only POLITICS and the will of the people who put those in POWER can address the ills ... and once started NO ONE WILL LIKE THE RESULTS.

Humans are humans. The Web is not that "special", it is just another way of doing business and communication. Those who ignore history from 1000 AD to present are doomed to repeat it.

Meanwhile, as webmasters, do all you can to protect your business, your site, and your customers/users from the bad actors and hope like heck the "I'm from the Government and I am Here To Help You" folks don't screw the pooch in the process. (History reveals they will, but what can I say).

How would you solve the crisis on the web ... without politics?

What I mean, is what kind of hammer is in your toolbox to deal with this nail?

[tangor]

Fingers flying not proofing as I type ... that is supposed to be

1000 BC (not AD).