In his 2010 book The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires Wu fleshes out his net neutrality arguments, taking them to their logical conclusion - that a "separation principle" between content and transport is needed to preserve the freedom and diversity of the open Internet. A prevailing theme is the "cycle" of open information systems becoming consolidated and closed over time. The book is split into 4 parts: Part 1 maps the genesis of cultural and communication empires; Part 2 focuses on their consolidation; Part 3 examines the ways in which the monopolies have been broken; Part 4 describes the growth of a new generation of information giants: Part 5 asks whether, in the case of the Internet, the cycle will repeat itself, and speculates on measures - and their desirability - to avoid that.
(Wikipedia) |