For the Web to succeed, we need to understand its societal challenges including increased crime, the impact of social platforms and socio-economic discrimination, and we must work towards fairness, social inclusion, and open governance.
 Professor Dame Wendy Hall, Managing Director, Web Science Trust |
 Professor Jim Hendler, Chair, Web Science Trust |
 Professor Steffen Staab, Chair, WSTNet |
Web Science is even more important now than it was when the field was launched ten years ago, say Professors Dame Wendy Hall, Jim Hendler, and Steffen Staab in our Web Science Manifesto, published earlier this week at WebScience@10.
While recognising the huge influence the Web has had on our lives since its foundations were defined by Tim Berners-Lee 27 years ago, the Hall, Hendler, and Staab focus their attention on how Web Science tackles the unforeseen social outcomes of this era-defining technical innovation. They discuss the digital divide that separates those who have and those who do not have access to the Web – the challenges we must understand to find a viable balance between data ownership and privacy protection, and between over-whelming surveillance and the prevention of terrorism.
To find out more read our Web Manifesto (pdf download).