A Letter from Scott McNealy
In the last twenty five years, we have been living through the "Information Age," so named because of the impact information technologies have had on our lives. It's a valid label, as the commerce of information today represents a huge percentage of all economic activity in the world. Millions upon millions of people produce information, refine it, store it, and distribute it; billions consume it in the same way we consume air, food, and water. Some of us even suffer withdrawal symptoms if denied access to it.
Unfortunately, though, there's one thing wrong with this world view: The Information Age is so last millennium.
Get past it!
Welcome instead to the "Participation Age." Advances in technology have made it possible for more and more people to connect with each other to participate and to share work flows, to compete for jobs, to purchase goods and services, to learn and create.
Information Age thinking says, "Control the creation and distribution of information and you dominate markets." Participation Age is the antithesis of that. It's all about access. That access allows for value to be created through networked human beings who share, interact and solve problems. Because of participation, meaningful content, connections, and relationships are created like never before.
In the Participation Age, there are no arbitrary distinctions between passengers and crew, actors and audience. Be one, be both, be everything in between.
Welcome to the revolution.
--Scott
|
Event
The Participation Age
Monday, June 6, 10:30 AM EST
The next wave of human engagement could bring about global social
and economic change. Sun Microsystems invites you to join an
interactive discussion on The Participation Age on the Web or
over the phone. Add your voice.
MONDAY, JUNE 6th, The United Nations
10:30 a.m. EST - Panel Discussion
11:30 a.m. EST - Q&A Session (Call-in number: 1-888-271-9036)
 On-Demand Audiocast
 Event Transcript
Panelists
- JOHN GAGE, chief researcher at Sun Microsystems and member of the United Nations Information and Communications Technology Taskforce
- DR. DJIBRIL DIALLO, chair of the United Nations series of youth leadership summits
- JUSTIN SHAFFER, VP and Chief Architest for Major League Baseball Advanced Media L.P.
- ANDREW ZOLLI, technologist and futurist-in-residence at National Public Radio and National Geographic
- CHRIS ANDERSON, Founder of TED
Moderator
|
|
|
|
|
 Share your views. Collaborate with others globally. Learn about the
Participation Age. sun.com/share
|
|
|
 Back to top
|
|
