An email from Google
This post was originally published on my previous domain, jessekohl.com, on April 10, 2012. It was recovered from the Wayback Machine. This may or may not have been edited slightly by AI.
I received an email from Vint Cerf yesterday. A lot of other people got the message too. The news is out there. I’m not going to say much about it, except that this is one of the reasons I’m glad to receive messages like this from Google.
Here it is:
Jesse, earlier this year you did something amazing.
You spoke out and showed that, when we stand together, we can prevent bad policies from hurting the Internet. You proved we can stop something, but now it’s time for us to start something.
The Internet is the foundation of millions of conversations among billions of people all over the world — and that includes you. Those conversations have allowed us to connect with friends, collaborate on a global scale, and produce some amazing innovations.
It’s time to start a new chapter in our Internet conversation — one in which we come up with positive and proactive plans to drive constructive Internet legislation in countries around the globe. Instead of reacting only to legislation that is harmful to the Internet’s utility, we should be promoting policies that improve the Internet’s usefulness while making it a safer and more secure environment for everyone.
To begin with, let’s discuss how much the Internet has empowered us. Complete this sentence:
“The Internet is the power to _________.”
If you feel moved to do so, you can and should write more, but don’t feel any pressure. This is only the beginning of an important dialogue.
To begin our conversation, let’s focus on all the different things the Internet has given us the power to do. Some of these things may seem trivial, but when you step back and look at the real potential and real power of each Internet-based exchange, each email sent, vacation booked, photo shared, and dream realized, they add up to something really incredible.
Our combined discussions about the importance of the Internet will remind legislators around the world that the web isn’t like all the other things governments regulate. It’s not a system of roads, or a factory, or a farm, or a company. It’s an organic collection of diverse communities whose shared conversations are making the world a better place.
That’s the tradition I hope you’ll continue today. Tell us what the web has given you the power to do and then share that with your friends so they take part in the conversation, too:
https://www.google.com/takeaction/start-something
Thanks for everything you’ve done. I’m really looking forward to seeing what you start.
Vint Cerf
Chief Internet Evangelist
For all the emails I get from social and search related companies, I have to say that – for the most part – I’d rather read something like that than anything from Facebook or Twitter, any day.
Thanks Vint.