Steven Johnson: The Web as a city

The speaker reflects on the events of 9/11 and its impact on urban density, drawing parallels between city resilience and emergent behavior on the web. He discusses the evolution of web interactivity from simple linking to complex collective decision-making, highlighting tools like Google and Technorati. The talk explores how emergent systems and power laws shape the blogosphere, emphasizing the potential for planned emergence to democratize voices online.

What event coincided with the release of the speaker's book 'Emergence'?

• The Y2K bug

• The launch of the first iPhone

• The 9/11 attacks

• The fall of the Berlin Wall

What did the speaker initially think about urban density after witnessing the 9/11 attacks?

• It was a minor issue

• It was irrelevant

• It was a potential danger

• It was a source of creativity

What aspect of cities does the speaker highlight as a source of their strength?

• Their centralized governance

• Their decentralized function

• Their architectural beauty

• Their historical significance

According to the speaker, who contributes to the personality of a neighborhood?

• Everybody and nobody

• The city mayor

• The local government

• A single influential person

What was the old model of interactivity on the Web described by the speaker?

• A one-to-one relationship

• A many-to-many relationship

• A centralized network

• A decentralized network

What does the speaker describe as a 'global brain'?

• The city infrastructure

• The Web

• The educational system

• The human brain

What is the main issue with the distribution of links in the blogosphere?

• It is too random

• It follows a power law

• It is controlled by a few companies

• It is evenly distributed

What is the purpose of the tool developed by Dave Sifry at Technorati?

• To prioritize established blogs

• To centralize blog content

• To give priority to newcomers

• To eliminate unpopular blogs

What does the speaker suggest is unique about emergent systems on the Web?

• They are static and unchanging

• They can change based on observed patterns

• They are controlled by a central authority

• They are predictable

What does the speaker hope for regarding the conversation about power laws?

• That it is forgotten

• That it continues

• That it ends soon

• That it is ignored