In-House Counsel

Human Flesh Search Engine

Many years ago I saw, on a whiteboard, a sentence which never left me. The sentence, written by a programmer friend, said: ?Never automate sharp objects?. Although, I do not totally agree with my friend, but there is a lot of wisdom buried in this phrase.

The Internet is a sharp tool. The advent of the browser and worldwide web made vast amounts of information within the reach of any literate person who has access to a networked computer. Since then, listening and creating music and video, telephony and videoconferencing, search engines and social networking have made Internet easier and easier to use. We have continuously been sharpening our tool. Browsers and world wide web have become so automated that today?s children at a very young age become adept at handling it. In fact we speak of them as ?Internet natives? as opposed to the ?Internet migrants? of the previous generation. This automation of the Internet carries the dangers that my friend was referring to.

Recently I have run in China into a phenomenon that I have never observed before. It is called the human flesh search engine.

Full post as published by Cisco High Tech Policy Blog on March 03, 2009 (boomark / email).