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The Age of Obama: Virtual Worlds, Open Government, and Policy

Video now posted. With a new administration in Washington, what changes can we anticipate in policy and governance, and how will that impact virtual worlds? Will the shift towards stronger cybersecurity create road blocks to technology use or are they necessary steps? What regulatory changes can we expect from the FCC? How will this impact broadband use, the ‘open Internet’, and will we see bandwidth throttling addressed in policy?

Kevin Werbach, who played a key role in the Obama transition team for the FCC, and is now an advisor to the administration, will discuss how the perspective and evolving policy positions of the Obama administration and the make-up of the new Congress will impact how technology is regulated. He will provide insight into how a new emphasis on broadband and technology may play out, and what impact that will have on virtual worlds. In particular, he will discuss the Balkanization of Internet use as it relates to broadband and other issues, and how this impacts the use of virtual worlds.

In the Spotlight: Mitch Wagner, Apple, and the Future of the Interface
Mitch Wagner, noted blogger, social media expert, and journalist at InformationWeek, joins us in his first appearance as our Social Media & Technology Correspondent. Mitch joins the Metanomics correspondent team amidst anticipated product launches by Apple at their Developers Conference, and Mitch will discuss how computing interfaces are changing the face of the Internet, social media, and by extension virtual worlds. Mitch will provide insight into how Second Life in particular has evolved, and what these newer technologies might mean for today’s virtual worlds. This will provide a ‘sneak peek’ of his forthcoming episode of Copper Robot, which will take an in-depth look at the subject.

Update: A transcript of this episode is available here.

Guest Biographies

Kevin Werbach

Kevin Werbach is a leading expert on the business, legal, and social implications of Internet and communications technologies.

Werbach is an Assistant Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is the also founder of the Supernova Group, a technology analysis and consulting firm. He advises companies, writes about emerging trends in communications and information technology, and organizes Supernova, a leading executive technology conference. He co-led the review of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the Obama Administration’s Presidential Transition Team, and currently serves as an expert advisor to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the US Department of Commerce.

Werbach is the former editor of Release 1.0, a renowned industry publication that provided leading-edge analysis of key technology trends for senior executives. Working with technology industry guru Esther Dyson, he co-organized the annual PC Forum conference for several years. Previously, he served as Counsel for New Technology Policy at the FCC. Called “one of the few policy wonks who really got it” by Wired, he helped develop the United States Government’s e-commerce policy, shaped the FCC’s approach to Internet issues, and authored Digital Tornado, the first comprehensive analysis of the implications of the Internet on telecommunications.

A sought-after speaker and commentator, Werbach appears frequently in print and broadcast media including CNN, PBS, CNBC, NPR, ABC News, USA Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Wired, IEEE Spectrum, Harvard Law Review, Cornell Law Review, Berkeley Technology Law Journal, Harvard Journal of Law and Technology, Texas Law Review, Slate, and Business 2.0, among other publications, and he has been invited to testify before the United States Senate and the Federal Communications Commission. He is a fellow of the Global Institute for Communications in Japan, a director of the TPRC conference on telecommunications and information policy, and an advisor to Socialtext and Public Knowledge.
Werbach is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, where he served as Publishing Editor of the law review, and a summa cum laude graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. He lives with his family in the Philadelphia area.

Mitch Wagner

Mitch Wagner is host of Copper Robot, a live interview program in Second Life, available on the Web, and as a downloadable podcast. Copper Robot brings you conversations on technology, politics, science fiction, Second Life, and more. It’s alternate Sundays at 6 pm Second Life time.

Mitch is a veteran technology journalist and executive editor of InformationWeek.com (although Copper Robot isn’t affiliated with InformationWeek or its parent companies). He is a leader of He is a leader of InformationWeek’s social networking and community strategy. He writes about Apple, social media and Web 2.0. In addition to writing, Mitch podcasts, creates Internet videos, and is one of a team overseeing newsletters for InformationWeek. He was previously a reporter and editor for InternetWeek, Computerworld, Open Systems Today, and the New Jersey Herald.