Jonathan Zittrain: The Web as random acts of kindness

譯者: Marie Wu 審譯者: Wenjer Leuschel

My name is Jonathan Zittrain,

我是強納生·席全，

and in my recent work I've been a bit of a pessimist.

我最近的工作讓我有點悲觀，

So I thought this morning I would try to be the optimist,

所以我今早決定要讓自己樂觀一點，

and give reason to hope

我想談談網路的現狀，

for the future of the Internet

好讓我們對網路的未來

by drawing upon its present.

能抱持一點希望。

Now, it may seem like there is less hope today than there was before.

現在的人好像沒以前那麼充滿希望，

People are less kind. There is less trust around.

不那麼友善、不那麼互信。

I don't know. As a simple example,

這我可不確定。舉個簡單的例子

we could run a test here.

測驗一下。

How many people have ever hitchhiked?

搭過便車的人，請舉手？

I know. How many people have hitchhiked

我就知道。那麼，有多少人

within the past 10 years?

過去十年內搭過便車的？

Right. So what has changed?

沒錯。到底有了什麼改變呢？

It's not better public transportation.

這可不是因為大眾運輸有了改善...

So that's one reason to think that we might be

你們看，這就是讓我們相信

declensionists, going in the wrong direction.

世風日下、人心不古的原因之一。

But I want to give you three examples

但是我要告訴各位三個例子，

to try to say that the trend line

我要證明，整個趨勢其實還是

is in fact in the other direction,

往另一個方向發展的，

and it's the Internet helping it along.

而且網際網路一路上推波助瀾。

So example number one: the Internet itself.

第一個例子：網路本身。

These are three of the founders of the Internet.

這三位是網際網路的創始人，

They were actually high school classmates together

他們原先是高中同學，

at the same high school in suburban Los Angles in the 1960s.

1960年代就讀於洛杉磯市郊的同一所高中。

You might have had a French club or a Debate club.

高中時你可能會參加法文社或辯論社，

They had a "Let's build a global network" club,

他們參加的則是

and it worked out very well.

「共同打造全球網路」社，結果還真不錯。

They are pictured here for their 25th anniversary

這張是新聞週刊回顧網際網路報導

Newsweek retrospective on the Internet.

為他們拍的慶祝25年週年照片。

And as you can tell,

可以看出來，

they are basically goof balls.

他們基本上是一群呆瓜。

They had one great limitation

試圖構作全球網路時，他們得克服

and one great freedom

一個很大的障礙，

as they tried to conceive of a global network.

但他們也有很大的創作自由。

The limitation was that they didn't have any money.

障礙是他們沒有什麼錢，

No particular amount of capital to invest,

實在沒有資本可以投入，

of the sort that for a physical network

沒有建造實體網路時

you might need for trucks and people

所需的卡車、工人

and a hub to move packages around overnight.

或轉運中心，隔夜就可以把貨物送到。

They had none of that.

那些他們都沒有。

But they had an amazing freedom,

可是他們有驚人的自由，

which was they didn't have to make any money from it.

也就是他們不必從這頂上賺什麼錢。

The Internet has no business plan, never did.

網際網路沒有營運計畫，從來沒有，

No CEO,

沒有CEO，

no firm responsible, singly, for building it.

也沒有單獨的一家公司負責打造網際網路。

Instead, it's folks getting together

不過是一些人聚在一起，

to do something for fun,

為了好玩而做這件事而已，

rather than because they were told to,

既沒有人要他們做這件事，

or because they were expecting to make a mint off of it.

也不是他們當時想靠這個發財。

That ethos led to a network architecture,

那樣的特質導致一種網路架構，

a structure that was unlike

這種架構前所未有，

other digital networks then or since.

其後的其它數位網路也無法比擬。

So unusual, in fact,

真的很特別，

that it was said that it's not clear the Internet could work.

那時大家也搞不懂網際網路是否行得通。

As late as 1992, IBM was known to say

直到1992年，IBM還宣稱

you couldn't possibly build a corporate network

利用網際網路協定根本不可能

using Internet Protocol.

打造出公司網路。

And even some Internet engineers today say

甚至今天還有些

the whole thing is a pilot project and the jury is still out.

網路工程師說這只是個試行計畫，還沒有定論。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

That's why the mascot of Internet engineering,

因此有人說，若要幫網際網路選定吉祥物的話，

if it had one, is said to be the bumblebee.

絕對非大黃蜂莫屬。

Because the fur-to-wingspan ratio of the bumblebee

因為大黃蜂翅膀小，身體又太大得不成比例，

is far too large for it to be able to fly.

根本飛不起來才對。

And yet, mysteriously, somehow the bee flies.

但很奇怪的是，這些蜜蜂還是飛了起來。

I'm pleased to say that, thanks to massive government funding,

我很高興在此宣布，感謝政府的大力資助，

about three years ago we finally figured out

我們三年前終於瞭解

how bees fly.

蜜蜂到底是怎麼飛起來的。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

It's very complicated, but it turns out they

道理很複雜，但說穿了

flap their wings very quickly.

就是翅膀拍得很快。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So what is this bizarre architecture configuration

究竟是什麼怪異的架構，

that makes the network sing and be so unusual?

讓網路合唱得如此美妙與特別呢？

Well, to move data around

嗯，要從一個地方

from one place to another -- again, it's not like a package courier.

傳送資料到另一個地方，這並不像包裹快遞，

It's more like a mosh pit.

反倒比較像魔秀舞池。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Imagine, you being part of a network

假設你是某網路的成員，

where, you're maybe at a sporting event,

你們在某個運動比賽場合，

and you're sitting in rows like this,

像這樣坐成一排，

and somebody asks for a beer,

有人點了啤酒，

and it gets handed at the aisle.

那要從走道傳進去給他，

And your neighborly duty

你坐在鄰近就有義務

is to pass the beer along,

把啤酒傳過去，

at risk to your own trousers,

冒著弄髒自己褲子的風險

to get it to the destination.

也要把啤酒傳到。

No one pays you to do this.

沒有人付錢要你這麼做，

It's just part of your neighborly duty.

你坐在鄰近就有這個義務。

And, in a way, that's exactly how packets move around the Internet,

某個程度上來說，這正是網路傳遞封包的方式，

sometimes in as many as 25 or 30 hops,

有時得經過25到30個節點，

with the intervening entities

附上協調性的信息，

that are passing the data around

幫忙把資料傳遞下去，

having no particular contractual or legal obligation

與原始送件人或收件人之間，

to the original sender

並沒有特定的合約

or to the receiver.

或法律上的義務。

Now, of course, in a mosh pit it's hard to specify a destination.

當然，在魔秀舞池裡很難料定目的地，

You need a lot of trust,

需要很大的信任，

but it's not like, "I'm trying to get to Pensacola, please."

不能簡單說：「請送我到潘薩科拉，謝謝。」

So the Internet needs addressing and directions.

網際網路上需要地址和方向，

It turns out there is no one overall map of the Internet.

可是網路世界並沒有涵蓋整個領域的地圖，

Instead, again, it is as if we are all sitting together in a theater,

反倒比較像大家都坐在戲院裡，

but we can only see amidst the fog

只因為煙霧迷漫，我們只能看到

the people immediately around us.

緊鄰我們的幾個人，

So what do we do to figure out who is where?

那要怎麼知道誰在哪裡呢？

We turn to the person on the right,

我們轉向右邊的人，

and we tell that person what we see on our left,

告訴他我們在左邊看到的是什麼，

and vice versa.

他也反過來依樣畫葫蘆，

And they can lather, rinse, repeat. And before you know it,

大家告訴大家之後，

you have a general sense of where everything is.

大家就大略知道戲院裡的狀況了。

This is how Internet addressing and routing actually work.

這就是網路找尋路徑的方法。

This is a system that relies on kindness and trust,

這個系統依賴的是大家的友善和信任，

which also makes it very delicate and vulnerable.

但也因此，網路是很嬌嫩脆弱的。

In rare but striking instances,

在某些少見的特殊情況下，

a single lie told by just one entity

只要有那麼個成員在這個蜂巢裡

in this honeycomb

撒了個小謊，

can lead to real trouble.

就可能造成大麻煩。

So, for example, last year,

舉例來說，去年(2008)，

the government of Pakistan

巴基斯坦政府

asked its Internet service providers there

要求當地的網路服務業者，不要讓

to prevent citizens of Pakistan from seeing YouTube.

巴基斯坦人民看到YouTube，因為政府當局

There was a video there that the government did not like

不樂見那裡的某支影片，

and they wanted to make sure it was blocked.

所以想確保封鎖它。

This is a common occurrence. Governments everywhere

這種事很常見，

are often trying to block

到處總有政府試圖

and filter and censor content on the Internet.

封鎖、過濾、檢查網路內容。

Well this one ISP in Pakistan

好啦，這家巴基斯坦ISP

chose to effectuate the block for its subscribers

選用了一個相當不尋常的方式

in a rather unusual way.

來達到封鎖用戶的目的，

It advertised --

它宣稱--

the way that you might be asked, if you were part of the Internet,

你若是網路的成員，有時別人會要你回報

to declare what you see near you -- it advertised

你看到鄰近有些什麼--它宣稱

that near it, in fact, it had suddenly awakened to find

在它附近有...--不對--它突然發現

that it was YouTube.

自己就是YouTube，

"That's right," it said, "I am YouTube."

它說：「沒錯，我就是YouTube。」

Which meant that packets of data

從那一刻起，用戶們傳送

from subscribers going to YouTube

給YouTube的封包，

stopped at the ISP, since they thought they were already there,

全都被那家ISP給擋了下來，

and the ISP threw them away unopened

那家ISP不拆包就丟包了，

because the point was to block it.

因為目的只是封鎖而已。

But it didn't stop there.

但這件事並非到此為止，

You see, that announcement

只要一點選YouTube，

went one click out,

那個公告就會傳出去，

which got reverberated, one click out.

每次點選都會把消息擴散出去。

And it turns out that as you look

要是我們從事後

at the postmortem of this event,

來看這件事，

you have at one moment

前一分鐘

perfectly working YouTube.

YouTube還好好的，

Then, at moment number two,

下一分鐘，

you have the fake announcement go out.

那份假的公告傳了出去，

And within two minutes,

兩分鐘之後，

it reverberates around

到處都在傳播這個假公告，

and YouTube is blocked everywhere in the world.

全世界的人都無法使用YouTube了。

If you were sitting in Oxford, England, trying to get to YouTube,

假如你在英國牛津，想連上YouTube，

your packets were going to Pakistan

你的封包

and they weren't coming back.

就會被導向巴基斯坦，一去不復返。

Now just think about that.

現在請想想，

One of the most popular websites in the world,

這是最受歡迎的網站之一，

run by the most powerful company in the world,

也是最有權勢的公司所經營的，

and there was nothing that YouTube or Google

但Google或YouTube卻無任何特權

were particularly privileged to do about it.

可以處理這種情況。

And yet, somehow, within about two hours,

但不知怎的，不到二個小時，

the problem was fixed.

問題解決了。

How did this happen?

到底怎麼回事？

Well, for a big clue, we turn to NANOG.

嗯，NANOG可以提供一點線索，

The North American Network Operators Group,

NANOG就是北美網路營運商會。

a group of people who,

有一群人在外頭

on a beautiful day outside,

天氣不錯的日子裡，

enter into a windowless room,

關在沒有窗戶的房間裡，

at their terminals

用他們的電腦

reading email and messages

讀取像這種標準字體大小寫的

in fixed proportion font, like this,

郵件和訊息，

and they talk about networks.

他們談的是網路。

And some of them are mid-level employees at Internet service providers

他們有些人是世界

around the world.

各地ISP的中階員工，

And here is the message where one of them says,

其中有人寫下這則訊息：

"Looks like we've got a live one. We have a hijacking of YouTube!

「看來有麻煩，有人挾持了YouTube！

This is not a drill. It's not just the cluelessness

這不是演習，也不是YouTube工程師的愚蠢，

of YouTube engineers. I promise.

我保證不是。

Something is up in Pakistan."

問題出在巴基斯坦！」

And they came together to help find the problem and fix it.

然後他們集合起來找問題，把它修復。

So it's kind of like if your house catches on fire.

這就像是你家失火了，

The bad news is there is no fire brigade.

糟糕的是附近沒有救火隊，

The good news is random people apparate from nowhere,

但幸好有幾個不認識的人不期然出現，

put out the fire and leave without expecting payment or praise.

幫你滅了火，然後分文不取就離開了。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

I was trying to think of the right model to describe

我在想，要用什麼模式來形容

this form of random acts of kindness

這些電腦怪客

by geeky strangers.

隨機的善行義舉呢？

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

You know, it's just like the hail goes out

就好像有人一招手，

and people are ready to help.

就有人前來幫忙一樣。

And it turns out this model is everywhere, once you start looking for it.

我發現只要開始找尋，到處都有這種善行義舉。

Example number two: Wikipedia.

我們來看第二個例子：維基百科。

If a man named Jimbo came up to you in 2001

如果2001年有個名叫金寶的人來找你

and said, "I've got a great idea! We start with seven articles

說：「我有個好主意！我們設定七個主題，

that anybody can edit anything, at any time,

人人都可以隨時上來編寫，

and we'll get a great encyclopedia! Eh?"

這不就可編寫出很棒的百科全書了嗎？」

Right. Dumbest idea ever.

沒錯，這是有史以來最笨的主意。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

In fact, Wikipedia is an idea so profoundly stupid

其實，維基百科這個主意簡直笨到極點，

that even Jimbo never had it.

就連金寶也不這麼想。

Jimbo's idea was for Nupedia.

金寶的主意是「新百科全書」，

It was going to be totally traditional. He would pay people money

完全傳統方式、付錢請人寫。

because he was feeling like a good guy,

他覺得自己是個好人，

and the money would go to the people

付錢請人寫，

and they would write the articles.

就會寫出文章。

The wiki was introduced

維基的概念來自於

so others could make suggestions on edits --

讓別人提出編寫建議，

as almost an afterthought, a back room.

好比補充作業或加蓋密室，

And then it turns out the back room grew

但後來密室卻越蓋越大，

to encompass the entire project.

涵蓋了整個工程。

And today, Wikipedia is so ubiquitous

今天，維基百科已經普及到

that you can now find it on Chinese restaurant menus.

連中國餐廳的菜單上也找得到它。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

I am not making this up.

這可不是我捏造的！

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

I have a theory I can explain later.

關於這點我有個理論，稍後再作解釋。

Suffice it to say for now that I prefer my Wikipedia

現在我只說我的最愛是

stir-fried with pimentos.

青椒炒維基就夠了。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

But now, Wikipedia doesn't just spontaneously work.

不過，維基並非自發性的作品而已。

How does it really work? It turns out

究竟怎麼運作的呢？

there is a back room that is kind of windowless,

打個隱喻說，我發現

metaphorically speaking.

維基有個沒窗戶的密室，

And there are a bunch of people who, on a sunny day,

有那麼一群人

would rather be inside

即使外頭陽光普照也寧可待在房間裡

and monitoring this, the administrator's notice board,

盯著管理員的公布欄看，

itself a wiki page that anyone can edit.

那是人人都可以編輯的維基頁面，

And you just bring your problems to the page.

可以把問題放到那個頁面上。

It's reminiscent of the description of history

這讓人想起一句老話：

as "one damn thing after another," right?

「壞事接踵而來」對不對？

Number one: "Tendentious editing by user Andyvphil."

第一件：「安地夫菲爾的編輯有傾向性」。

Apologies, Andyvphil, if you're here today.

安地夫菲爾，如果你在現場的話，對不起啦，

I'm not taking sides.

我沒有偏袒誰的意思。

"Anon attacking me for reverting."

還有「只因我撤回修改，阿儂就攻擊我」。

Here is my favorite: "A long story."

這是我最喜歡的：「說來話長」。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

It turns out there are more people checking this page for problems

結果，越來越多人在那個頁面上找問題，

and wanting to solve them

想辦法解決問題，

than there are problems arising on the page.

那個頁面上就越來越少問題。

And that's what keeps Wikipedia afloat.

那就是讓維基百科飄浮不沉的原因。

At all times, Wikipedia is approximately

任何時刻，維基百科都面臨著

45 minutes away from utter destruction. Right?

45分鐘後就會解體的危機，不是嗎？

There are spambots crawling it, trying to turn every article

惡意程式隨時伺機出手，

into an ad for a Rolex watch.

要把每一篇文章變成勞力士廣告。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

It's this thin geeky line

但就靠這群電腦狂熱份子單薄的力量，

that keeps it going.

使得維基能夠運作下去。

Not because it's a job,

這既不是一份工作，

not because it's a career,

也不是一個職業生涯，

but because it's a calling.

而是一種使命的召喚。

It's something they feel impelled to do

這是他們覺得非做不可的事，

because they care about it.

因為他們在乎。

They even gather together in such groups

他們甚至組成幾個小團體，

as the Counter-Vandalism Unit --

其中一個叫「反破壞小組」，

"Civility, Maturity, Responsibility" --

口號是：「文明、成熟、負責任」，

to just clean up the pages.

這個小組專門清理頁面。

It does make you wonder if there were, for instance,

這不禁讓人納悶，要是有一天週末

a massive, extremely popular Star Trek convention one weekend,

舉行極受歡迎的星際大戰迷的大型集會，

who would be minding the store?

那還有誰來顧店？

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So what we see --

我們所看到的...

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

what we see in this phenomenon

我們在這個現象中看到的，

is something that the crazed, late traffic engineer

正如同醉心於交通的工程師漢斯·蒙德曼

Hans Monderman discovered in the Netherlands,

最近在荷蘭以及

and here in South Kensington, that sometimes

南肯辛頓所發現的一樣，

if you remove some of the external rules and signs and everything else,

他說，有時如果拿掉某些外加的交通規則和標誌等等，

you can actually end up

結果就會是

with a safer environment in which people can function,

人人都有了更安全的環境，

and one in which they are more human with each other.

因為大家會以更人性的方式對待彼此。

They're realizing that they

大家會體認到必須

have to take responsibility for what they do.

為自己所做所為負責。

And Wikipedia has embraced this.

維基抱持的就是這種理念。

Some of you may remember Star Wars Kid,

你們有些人可能還記得這位星際大戰小子，

the poor teenager who filmed himself with a golf ball retriever,

那位青少年把高爾夫取球桿當成光劍，

acting as if it were a light saber.

給自己拍了一段影片。

The film, without his permission or even knowledge at first,

這影片未經他允許，他甚至一開始也不知情，

found its way onto the Internet.

就流傳到網路上，

Hugely viral video. Extremely popular.

很快散佈出去，廣受大家喜愛，

Totally mortifying to him.

但卻讓這個小男孩羞得要死。

Now, it being encyclopedic and all,

維基既然稱作百科，

Wikipedia had to do an article about Star Wars Kid.

那就得製作有關星際大戰小子的頁面。

Every article on Wikipedia has a corresponding discussion page,

維基的每一篇都有其討論頁，

and on the discussion page

星際大戰小子的討論頁裡，

they had extensive argument among the Wikipedians

大家熱烈討論的是

as to whether to have his real name

要不要把他的真實姓名

featured in the article.

披露在文章裡。

You could see arguments on both sides.

正反二面的意見都有，

Here is just a snapshot of some of them.

這裡看到的只是一部分。

They eventually decided --

最後他們決定，

not unanimously by any means --

雖非全體一致通過，

not to include his real name,

但是決定不披露。

despite the fact that nearly all media reports did.

儘管幾乎所有的媒體報導都披露了，

They just didn't think it was the right thing to do.

他們還是覺得不該披露。

It was an act of kindness.

這是一種善行義舉。

And to this day, the page for Star Wars Kid

直到今天，星際大戰小子

has a warning right at the top

頁面頂端仍留有一段警語，

that says you are not to put his real name on the page.

告訴大家不得在頁面上披露其真實姓名，

If you do, it will be removed immediately,

違者立即刪除。

removed by people who may have disagreed with the original decision,

刪除令的執行者原本或許並不贊同這個決定，

but respect the outcome

但他尊重大家的決議，

and work to make it stay

所以遵照決議執行，

because they believe in something bigger than their own opinion.

因為他們認為還有比個人意見更重要的東西。

As a lawyer, I've got to say these guys are inventing the law

身為律師，我得說這群人是在制定

and stare decisis and stuff like that as they go along.

自己的法律、慣例等等這類東西。

Now, this isn't just limited to Wikipedia.

這種現象也並不只出現在維基百科裡，

We see it on blogs all over the place.

到處的網誌也如此，

I mean, this is a 2005 Business Week cover.

請看，這是2005年商業週刊的封面，

Wow. Blogs are going to change your business.

哇！網誌會改變你的企業！

I know they look silly. And sure they look silly.

我知道這看起來很蠢，也還真的很蠢，

They start off on all sorts of goofy projects.

他們報導各種很蠢的網誌，

This is my favorite goofy blog:

這是我最愛的蠢網誌：

Catsthatlooklikehitler.com.

catsthatlooklikehitler.com(長得像希特勒的貓)。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

You send in a picture of your cat

如果你的貓長得像希特勒，

if it looks like Hitler.

可以把照片寄去。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Yeah, I know. Number four, it's like, can you imagine

是啦，我懂，第四張嘛！

coming home to that cat everyday?

你能想像天天回家看到那隻貓嗎？

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

But then, you can see the same kind of whimsy

但是，你也會看到這種搞怪點子

applied to people.

適用在人的身上。

So this is a blog devoted to unfortunate portraiture.

這個網誌專門蒐集拍壞了的人像，

This one says, "Bucolic meadow with split-rail fence.

這張的標題是：「有圍籬的鄉村草地...

Is that an animal carcass behind her?"

她後面有一具動物屍體嗎？」

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

You're like, "You know? I think that's an animal carcass

你們好像在說：「我覺得

behind her."

她後面的確實是動物屍體。」

And it's one after the other.

接下來這張照片，

But then you hit this one. Image removed at request of owner.

當你要點進去時，照片應當事人要求已刪除。

That's it. Image removed at request of owner.

沒錯，照片應當事人要求已刪除。

It turns out that somebody lampooned here

這似乎有人寫信

wrote to the snarky guy that does the site,

向愛搞怪的版主打槍，

not with a legal threat, not with an offer of payment,

既不威脅採取法律行動，也不說給錢了事，

but just said, "Hey, would you mind?"

只簡單說：「喂，拜託啦。」

The person said, "No, that's fine."

版主回說：「哦，沒事兒。」

I believe we can build architectures online

我相信我們可以在網路上建立某種架構，

to make such human requests

讓我們更容易提出

that much easier to do,

這種人性化的要求，

to make it possible for all of us to see

讓我們每個人都能瞭解，

that the data we encounter online

我們在網路上所看到的資料，

is just stuff on which to click and paste and copy and forward

我們每天所點選、複製、貼上、轉寄的資料，

that actually represents human emotion

其實背後都有每個人的情緒、

and endeavor and impact,

努力和衝擊，

and to be able to have an ethical moment

而在我們決定要如何對待這些資料時，

where we decide how we want to treat it.

每個人都能以道德的角度來想這件事。

I even think it can go into the real world.

我甚至覺得真實世界裡也可以採用這一套，

We can end up, as we get in a world with more censors --

這個世界有愈來愈多的監視器，

everywhere there is something filming you, maybe putting it online --

你隨時都可能被拍到，也許有人會把你的照片po上網，

to be able to have a little clip you could wear

這時你可以穿上標語：

that says, "You know, I'd rather not."

「這樣不好吧。」

And then have technology

而透過科技，我們可以

that the person taking the photo will know later,

讓拍下你的人知道，

this person requested to be contacted

拜託一點，

before this goes anywhere big,

請在散佈照片之前，

if you don't mind.

要和當事人聯絡。

And that person taking the photo can make a decision

拍攝照片的人可以決定，

about how and whether to respect it.

要怎麼處理或要不要尊重。

In the real world, we see filtering of this sort

在真實世界裡，我們會看到像巴基斯坦

taking place in Pakistan.

這種過濾影片的事情發生，

And we now have means that we can build, like this system,

而我們也有能力建造一個像這樣的系統，

so that people can report the filtering as they encounter it.

告知大家有這樣一個過濾系統的存在，

And it's no longer just a "I don't know. I couldn't get there. I guess I'll move on,"

那時就不會只是想：「不知道耶，就是連不上，回頭再試好了。」

but suddenly a collective consciousness

而是大家突然都警覺到，

about what is blocked and censored

網路上有些什麼東西被封鎖了、

where online.

被河蟹了。

In fact, talk about technology imitating life

若要說科技模倣我們的生活，

imitating tech, or maybe it's the other way around.

或模倣其他的科技，倒不如反過來想：

An NYU researcher here took little cardboard robots

有一位紐約大學研究生做了一些紙板小機器人，

with smiley faces on them,

上面畫了笑臉，

and a motor that just drove them forward

機器人有馬達可讓他們前進，

and a flag sticking out the back

後面的旗子上則標註了

with a desired destination.

機器人想去哪裡，

It said, "Can you help me get there?"

寫著：「可以幫忙我到那裡去嗎？」

Released it on the streets of Manhattan.

然後把機器人放在曼哈頓的街上。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

They'll fund anything these days.

這年頭什麼研究都有人贊助。

Here is the chart of over 43 people

這張圖標示了有43位路人

helping to steer the robot that could not steer

幫忙找不到路的機器人，

and get it on its way, from one corner

讓它找到路，

from one corner of Washington Square Park

從華盛頓廣場公園的一個角落

to another.

走到另一個角落。

That leads to example number three: hitchhiking.

這很像我們要談的第三個例子：搭便車。

I'm not so sure hitchhiking is dead.

我不認為現在已經沒有人在搭便車了。

Why? There is the Craigslist rideshare board.

為什麼？因為有克雷格共乘佈告欄啊...(Craigslist網站)

If it were called the Craigslist hitchhiking board,

如果改成克雷格搭便車佈告欄，

tumbleweeds would be blowing through it.

真情實相不就明白了？

But it's the rideshare board, and it's basically the same thing.

共乘這件事不就和搭便車一樣嗎？

Now why are people using it?

為什麼大家要用這個網站？

I don't know. Maybe they think that, uh, killers don't plan ahead?

我不知道，也許大家想：殺人兇手總不會事先計畫吧？

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

No. I think the actual answer is

不，我覺得真正的原因是，

that once you reframe it,

一旦有人重新架構這件事，

once you get out of one set of stale expectations

一旦人們對以往有過好時光

from a failed project that had its day,

而今卻玷上了污名的事，不再抱持

but now, for whatever reason, is tarnished,

其中有詐的疑慮時，

you can actually rekindle the kind of human kindness and sharing

人們就可能重新點燃人性的善良，

that something like this on Craigslist represents.

並且願意分享像克雷格網站上那樣的事情。

And then you can highlight it

你也可以把這種概念

into something like,

延伸到另一件事上，

yes, CouchSurfing.org.

就是CouchSurfing.org(借宿沙發的網站)，

CouchSurfing: one guy's idea

借別人家的沙發睡。

to, at last, put together people who are going somewhere far away

某個人突發奇想，把想去遠方旅行，

and would like to sleep on a stranger's couch for free,

而希望免費睡在陌生人的沙發上的人集合起來，

with people who live far away,

再搭配另一群住在遠方的人，

and would like someone they don't know to sleep on their couch for free.

而他們也願意讓陌生人在他們的沙發上免費住宿。

It's a brilliant idea.

這真是了不起的好點子！

It's a bee that, yes, flies.

就是那隻會飛的黃蜂！

Amazing how many successful couch surfings there have been.

你想不到有多少人已經成功地借宿別人的沙發！

And if you're wondering, no, there have been no known fatalities

你可能想，到底有多少兇殺案是因為借宿沙發而發生的。

associated with CouchSurfing.

沒有！

Although, to be sure, the reputation system, at the moment,

雖然這個網站上的評價系統目前要求

works that you leave your report after the couch surfing experience,

借宿人在離開後要再上網呈報評價，

so there may be some selection bias there.

所以難免會有些失真...

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So, my urging, my thought,

所以我的想法是，我要呼籲，

is that the Internet isn't just a pile of information.

網際網路不只是一堆資料而已，

It's not a noun. It's a verb.

不只是個名詞，而是個動詞。

And when you go on it,

當你要上網時，

if you listen and see carefully and closely enough,

如果你仔細傾聽，靠得夠近觀察，

what you will discover

你會發現

is that that information

那些資料

is saying something to you.

在對你說話，

What it's saying to you is what we heard yesterday,

他們說的是我們昨天就聽到的一句話，

Demosthenes was saying to us.

也就是古希臘演說家德摩西尼說的一句話：

It's saying, "Let's march." Thank you very much.

「大家共同前進吧！」謝謝各位！

(Applause)

(掌聲)