Edward Snowden “appeared” at SXSW through seven different proxy servers from his secure quarters in Russia.
For all of the anticipation surrounding Edward Snowden’s virtual appearance at SXSW Interactive the central theme of the session was simple: Those gathered for SXSWi can create a way forward for an open, private and secure Internet. No further revelations of NSA activity, no calls for political pressure to exonerate Snowden, no character attacks against standing public officials (although one or two names were dropped in response to a question from the audience). I am tempted to think that even the good Senator from Kansas who wrote an open letter to SXSW organizers asking that the Snowden session be scrapped might approve. Snowden and the ACLU’s Christopher Soghoian called for the development of more robust encryption tools and simpler user interfaces that will allow average users to protect their private information. Encryption works, Snowen said, and provides the best way to make mass surveillance so expensive that it will force the NSA, other government agencies and hackers to return to more traditional, targeted methods. More targeted approaches take greater levels of coordination, more time, are ultimately more accurate and have higher levels of accountability. Forcing the move back to this approach for surveillance, along with more public oversight, should ensure privacy and preserve a more open Internet.
Preserving the open Internet extends the possibilities that have characterized its rise as a powerful economic and political force around the world. Chelsea Clinton pointed the Interactive crowd to the social good that can be achieved through data analytics and applied technologies that leverage the connected world – however they may be connected. Clinton cited a great example of relief work in Kenya that leverages basic SMS messaging to create market accountability in Nairobi. Using what we would consider old technology in an innovative way created meaningful development and models one creative implementation of using connectivity for social good.
Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS, shared the key decisions his company has made to sustain its business model of each purchase helping a particular person by connecting with partners both electronically and personally around the globe. In the process, he discussed how much of his marketing is driven by the brand advocacy of his customers through social. Demonstrating that power, Mycoskie launched their new coffee and cafes initiatives from the SXSW stage. Needless to say, the many excited brand advocates in the room spread the word quickly using their social networks.
Chase Jarvis of CreativeLIVE also shared his journey and passion to inspire creativity through arts education in a climate where public arts education is declining. Out of concern that the skills for creativity were not being passed on to future generations or being fostered among current generations, Jarvis built CreativeLIVE, an online platform offering free courses in the creative arts out of his ardent belief, which was the title of his session, that creativity is the new literacy. Facts will not foster the future as much as the ability to creatively address solutions to the worlds biggest problems.
Finally, Yu-kai Chou with the Enterprise Gamification Consultancy demonstrated a brighter future for the Internet through what he calls “human centered design.” His “ocatlysis” approach to connecting with key human drives in designing online experiences has helped his clients move online information to experiences that deeply engage users. Whether it is a game environment or a more “serious” site like LinkedIn, ensuring that the environment engages the 8 core things that drive humans create engagement and ensure a human centered experience within any online environment.
These and other sessions highlighted key pathways toward the continued development of the Internet through continued innovation that will protect privacy and security, enrichment through doing social good using online media, continuing education leveraging the Internet and designing with the end user’s motives and drives in mind.