Rob

Rob : Hello wellcome to 6 minute English
I’m Rob
Neil : I’m Neil
Rob : now neil can you remember the first
time you ever used the World Wide Web or as we
often call it the internet and what you used it
for??
Neil : Oh that’s a good question. I do
remember. And nothing really changers does it?
Because up picture of cats!
Rob : Cats! Very useful, anyway do you think
the internet has generally been positive or
negative for the world?
Neil : Waw, that’s a big question. A huge
question. I don’t know if ican answer that.
Rob : well one person who perhaps cananswer
it, is man who invented it british computer
scientist. Tim Berners-Lee. We’ll find out what he
thinks has become of has “child” shortly but
before that, a question for you all. When did
Berners-Lee first suggest the idea for what
whould become the World Wide Web? Was it?
a)1985 b) 1989 c) 1991
Neil : Tricky but i think it’s earlier than people
think so i’m going to go for 1985.
Rob : Well that was a long time ago but we’ll
reveal the answer a little latter in the programme.
I think it’s true to say that the internet has been
one of, if not the most important technological
developments perhaps of all time. Would you
agree Neil?
Neil : Well it’s hard to imagine living wihout it.
Not impossible. But not nearly as convenient
Rob : This days we take the internet forb
granted. We share out lives on social media and
not just with friends and family. And that isn’t
always a positive thing according to the father of
the internet. Tim Berners-Lee. In a recent BBC
Tech Tent programme he talked about his
conserns with the internet and particularly the
companies that control its information.
Companies which he calls ‘internet giants’. What
does he say he thought these companies had to
do?
Tim Berners-Lee: Initially i felt the main thing an
internet giant had to do was just to be neutral,
just be platform and humanity, once connected by
technology, will do wonderfull things. And clearly
it doesn’t work like that. If you connect humanity
via Wikipedia then they do produce in general,
wonderful things. If you connect people by social
networkwhere they have annymity, then it can
bring out the very nastiest of people
Rob : So what did he say he thought these
internet giants had to do?
Neil : he said he throught initially, that they
just had be neutral. Initially means ‘at first’, ‘in the
beginning’ and it also suggest that later he
changed his mind. Anyway, he said that he
throught they just had to be neutral. Neutral here
mean that they didn’t need to do any thing, they
didn’t need to control the internet or
information. He throught it would be a tool to
connect people and ideas and information and
would be wonderful.
Rob : But it’s not all good, is it?
Neil : No, he does say that giving people
access to sources of information is generally a
good thing but that when it comes to social
networks, social media, people have anonymity.
Rob : Anonimity?
Neil : Yes, it means that on the internet people
can hide their true identity or personality. Some
people write things that they would never say to
someones in person because they think there will
be no consequenses, Berners-Lee says anonymity
can bring out the nastiest side of people. People
saying horrible and tarriible things to each other.
Rob : Berners-Lee does have some suggestions
for how this could be changed, how this could be
changed. And it’s idea of likes and shares, which
he calls Kudos. What’s his suggestions?
Tim Berners-Lee: the different social network and
platform are in different situation and in some
cases they habe acknowledged there is an issue. I
think they realise that the issue could perhaps, be
hugely ameliorated by tweaking the way the
thing works by changing the way retweets are
propagated or changing the way people get
kudos - give them more kudos for being
constructive for examples.
Rob : So how does he think companies could
address the problem?
Neil : Well, he says that some of the social
network have agreed that there is a problem and
they know what could improve it.
Rob : he didn’t use word improvethough did
he?
Neil : No he actually used the rather
formalverb ameliorate, which means to improve
or make something better.
Rob : So how does he suggest the problem
could be ameliorated?
Neil : By tweaking the way in which
peoplegive or receive kudos. Tweaking means
‘making a small change to the way something
works’. Much of waht happens on the internet is
driven byour desire to get likes and share – this is
the kudos that Berners-Lee talks about. He feels
that tweaking this could lead to a better
experrience. For example, getting more kudos for
contructive or positive actions
Rob : Mmm, interesting – but i wonder who
would decide, if something is contructive.
Neil : Well that’s another big question for
another day. I guess.
Rob : For now though, let’s have the answer to
our small question, in what year did Berners-Lee
present the idea for what would become the
World Wide Web? The options were a) 1985,
b)1989 or c) 1991. It was in fact 1989. Now before
we go let’s have a quick recapof today’s
vocabulary.
Neil : Initially – means ‘at first – in the
beginning’. Then we had neutral.
Rob : In this case it meant ‘not controlling’ or
‘not taking any action to control’.
Neil : then there was the noun anonymity
which is the state of having a hidden identity or
personality.
Rob : Next, to ameliorate a situation is to
make it better.
Neil : To tweak something is to make a small
change to the way something works.
Rob : And then we had kudos. Kudos is praise
and appreciation for something you’ve done.
Neil : well kudos to you Rob for today’s
programme. Thank you very much.
Rob : Well thank you Neil and Thank you
everyone for llistening. That’s all we have time for
today.

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Rob : Hello wellcome to 6 minute English

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