Symmetry:

Symmetry, not set top:

The settop box is a bad idea!

The information superhighway, with 500 channels going into the home is a bad idea!

The information supernetwork, with equal amounts of information coming and going is a good idea. Parents will want to watch their own children participating in school sporting events, if they have the chance. And they want to watch a version of the game that emphasizes their child's point of view, perhaps with images from a camera he or she is wearing. Even with 500 channels there will not be this level of specialization. The number of channels should equal or exceed the number of internet users, with one or more channels tailored to the interests of each user, and one or more channels originating from each user.

Symmetry, not surveillance:

Some have claimed that surveillance cameras make the world into a small town where you loose your anonymity in exchange for more safety. However, the flaw in this analogy is that of symmetry, fairness and equality. Symmetry offers the small town benefits, but instead of having Big Brother look down on us, we look out for each other. I don't want Big Brother ``protecting me'' for big-city evils, but, rather, I want neighbours, friends, and relatives looking out for me, and me for them. NetCam could give us the small town, with Government watch replaced by neighbourhood watch. And, one way of dealing with video-privacy issues is by shooting back.

The internet is a lot like the small towns of the early American settlers.