Technology and the Public Interest
Books, essays, and commentary from John Palfrey
Essays
Notes from AI Action Summit in Delhi, India, February 2026
Reflections on AI, governance, and the public interest from the AI Action Summit in Delhi.
Read essayConcord Free Public Library 150th Anniversary Celebration
Remarks on libraries, civic institutions, and the enduring importance of public knowledge.
Read essayInvesting in the Arts—in Chicago and Beyond
Thoughts on philanthropy, culture, and why investing in the arts matters for public life.
Read essayCommentary from John Palfrey
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Myth-Busting: Kids and Information Technology
We’re planning our session on Digital Natives for the Berkman@10 conference later this week. The idea is to hold a “myth-busting” session. A first pass of myths are up on the conference wiki. The idea is to discuss some of the common misconceptions about kids and technology that we explore in our forthcoming book, Born…
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Duke and Open Access
It’s been noted that Duke Law School has a long history of leadership in this area, beginning with an online repository for its faculty’s scholarship (dating from 2005) and its journals made accessible online (starting back in 1997!), both of which well predate HLS’s vote on an opt-out Open Access policy last week. Prof. Richard…
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HLS Goes Open Access, Unanimously
I’m just delighted that the Harvard Law School faculty has voted unanimously to adopt an open access policy. This policy is consistent with the policy adopted by the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences earlier this year. Here is what we approved: “The Faculty of the Harvard Law School is committed to disseminating the fruits…
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Changing Jobs, Search for New Executive Director
This summer, I’ll be moving to a new job at HLS, as vice dean for library and information resources. I’m very excited about this new challenge. I will still remain involved in the Berkman Center, as one of the faculty directors and in some research projects, but I’ll no longer be the executive director as…
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Apple Gets it Right After StopBadware et al. Send Warning
StopBadware and the rest of the Net community trying to keep the environment clean of bad code scored a good win this week in the public interest. The StopBadware team and others were all over a software update from Apple that operated as badware, offering new software installations disguised as product updates. StopBadware blogged about…
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Congratulations, PRX!
Our good friends at Public Radio Exchange, led by their executive director and Berkman fellow Jake Shapiro, have been awarded a huge honor from the MacArthur Foundation. PRX is one of a handful of 2008 “Creative and Effective Institutions.” I can think of no more deserving institution than PRX. Bravo!
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Live-blogging Class on Blogging
One of the great treats of co-teaching with David Weinberger is getting to be a student on the days that he leads discussion. Today, we’re taking up blogging, something he knows a thing or two about. You can also follow along with the class notes on The Web Difference class blog. A few of the…
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Lessig on Change Congress at HLS
Tonight, Lawrence Lessig will return to the Berkman Center and Harvard Law School in a major address on his new initiative, Change Congress. Lessig was the first Berkman Professor, ten years ago, when the center was just getting off the ground. We are honored to welcome him back, as part of the Berkman@10 Series, celebrating…
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Digital Youth, Innovation, and the Unexpected
The MacArthur Foundation’s Series on New Media and Learning, published by the MIT Press, includes a book called Digital Youth, Innovation, and the Unexpected (2008); open access version here. I opened this book first when I was writing a chapter on Innovators, for Born Digital, a book I’m co-writing with Urs Gasser. I had reason…
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Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth
I’ve been making my way with care (and great pleasure) through the fine series of books that the MacArthur Foundation and MIT Press have put together on Digital Media and Learning. There are six in total, each worth reading. (I previously blogged about the volume on Youth, Identity, and Digital Media.) I’m trying to finish…
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FCC Hearing at the Berkman Center
Yesterday was one of the best days I can remember at the Berkman Center. The FCC’s full commission was in town, along with lots of others interested in the Comcast-BitTorrent dispute. It keyed in on what some call “network neutrality” and others called the discussion of what “reasonable network management” means. Tim Wu and Yochai…