In his keynote address at, Barry Diller, Chairman of IAC Corp, talked quite a bit about the notion of invention and how much of it is going on. Few of us would likely argue. Especially at a venue like SxSW where much of what’s being talked about is future forward.
Diller also painted a picture of a world where “everything is open to everyone, even in societies who try to close it.” Two different points worth exploring in that one thought.
First let’s tackle the idea of everything being open to everyone. Witness Rupert Murdoch’s The Daily created solely for download on the iPad. Granted Apple was first to market with it’s popular tablet, but the category is exploding with products from companies like Motorola and Samsung and RIM. I agree with Diller that limiting content to one form factor is pointless. That may not be the only thing that kills The Daily but I’d bet it’s a significant contributing factor.
While all the talk about invention and innovation is certainly exhilarating, the notion of a world where everyone has access to information and knowledge was truly the most exciting thought that Diller put forward. But I fear that this may still be a ways off. For as long as there are societies where government can restrict access to the Internet this “land of open” is just an innovation waiting to happen.