WWW creator says he’ll auction the World Wide Web source code as a NFT, starting at $1000
The creator of the World Wide Web Sir Tim Berners-Lee announced he’ll auction the original World Wide Web source code as an NFT.
Sotheby will be hosting the action titled “This Changed Everything” between June 23 and 30 in a standalone online auction.
“Three decades ago, I created something which has been a powerful tool for humanity,” said Sir Tim.
What will the NFT purchase include?
The NFT will include the time-stamped files containing the source code written by Sir Tim.
The WWW auction package will also include an animated visualisation of the code, a personal letter from the creator and a digital “poster” of the full code. Sir Tim will also digitally sign all parts of the NFT.
The full code amounts to nearly 10,000 lines of HTML, HTTP and URI in total, The code also includes the original HTML instructions for early web users.
“I sincerely hope its use knowledge and potential will remain open and available to us all to continue to innovate, create and initiate the next technological transformation, that we cannot yet imagine,” said Sir Tim.
“They are the ideal way to package the origins behind the web.”
Sir Tim Berners-Lee
What are NFTs?
NFT stands for “non-fungible token”. Each NFT is entirely unique, and cannot be replaced. Most NFTs form part of the Ethereum blockchain.
Sir Tim says NFTs are the web’s “latest playful creation” and the most “appropriate means of digital ownership that exists.”
“Why an NFT? Well, it’s a natural thing to do as when you’re a computer scientist and when you write code and have been for many years. It feels right to digitally sign my autograph on a completely digital artefact,” he added.
History of the World Wide Web
The “WorldWideWeb” application was the first hypermedia browser. It allowed users to create and navigate links between files across a network of computers.
Three decades later, that single server and website has turned into over 1.7 billion websites being accessed by 4.6 billion people around the world.
A mission to “re-decentralise” the web
Today, Sir Tim is working on a project called Solid, which aims to bring the web ‘closer to his original vision’ when things were completely open and without centralisation.
Sir Tim says the movement to “redecentralise” the web is gaining traction.
He hopes that the movement will empower users with ownership of their own data.
Natasha is an Associate Producer at ticker NEWS with a Bachelor of arts from Monash University. She has previously worked at Sky News Australia and Monash University as an Online Content Producer.
The United States’ longstanding advocacy for an open internet faces a critical juncture as Congress considers legislation targeting TikTok.
The proposed measures, including a forced sale or outright ban of TikTok, have sparked concerns among digital rights advocates and global observers about the implications for internet freedom and international norms.
For decades, the U.S. has championed the concept of an unregulated internet, advocating for the free flow of digital data across borders.
However, the move against TikTok, a platform with 170 million U.S. users, has raised questions about the consistency of America’s stance on internet governance.
Critics fear that actions against TikTok could set a precedent for other countries to justify their own internet censorship measures.
Russian blogger Aleksandr Gorbunov warned that Russia could use the U.S. decision to justify further restrictions on platforms like YouTube.
Similarly, Indian lawyer Mishi Choudhary expressed concerns that a U.S. ban on TikTok would embolden the Indian government to impose additional crackdowns on internet freedoms.
Moreover, the proposed legislation could complicate U.S. efforts to advocate for an internet governed by international organizations rather than individual countries.
China, in particular, has promoted a vision of internet sovereignty, advocating for greater national control over online content.
A TikTok ban could undermine America’s credibility in urging other countries to embrace a more open internet governed by global standards.
Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock Inc., has outlined his vision for the impact of the firm’s investment in artificial intelligence.
During the company’s recent earnings call, Fink emphasized the connection between productivity gains driven by AI and the potential for rising wages among BlackRock’s workforce.
He explained the firm’s ambition to leverage AI technology to enhance efficiency, enabling employees to accomplish more with fewer resources.
Fink’s remarks underscore BlackRock’s strategic approach to harnessing AI as a tool for optimizing operations and driving organizational growth.
By leveraging AI-driven productivity enhancements, the company aims to empower its employees to deliver greater value, thereby paving the way for wage increases across the organisation.
The CEO’s statement reflects a broader trend in the intersection of technology and labor dynamics, where advancements in AI and automation have the potential to reshape workforce dynamics and compensation structures.
Fink’s optimism about the transformative impact of AI investment on employee wages highlights BlackRock’s commitment to embracing technological innovation as a catalyst for sustainable business growth and employee prosperity.
The music industry faces a formidable challenger in the form of AI technology application Udio.
With the emergence of a groundbreaking new app, concerns are mounting over its potential to revolutionise music creation and consumption.
The app, powered by advanced algorithms and machine learning, promises to streamline the music production process, allowing users to generate high-quality tracks with minimal effort.
Tom Finnigan from Talkingbrands.ai joins to discuss Udio, along with the goods and bads of AI integration in the music industry.