Dear Bloggers...

Allow me to focus, for the moment, away from Cuba-related issues and bring attention to the Internet. Since this is a blog that depends on news from the internet, and communication with others through the blogosphere, I think it is reasonable to revisit the important issues that apply to this new and vast frontier of electronic freedom.

Here to help us re-examine our responsibilities as actors inside the Internet is Daniel J. Solove, associate professor of law and recent author of The Future of Reputation and The Digital Person: Technology and Privacy in the Information Age.

The blogosphere gives us bloggers a great amount of freedom and thus great amounts of responsibility, where the consequences of our actions be very positive or very damaging. Solove reviews cases that bring much needed understanding and perspective into our roles within the Internet. Solove advises:

"The Internet's freedom could actually conflict with itself. On the one hand you have free speech... On the other hand privacy could be implicated. Peoples' reputation can be harmed, and that could limit peoples' freedom. That can limit peoples' autonomy. It can make people less free and shackle them to their past."

A moral dilemma arises over freedom and privacy, and it's important that users of the Internet become aware and informed about these ethical concerns.

Daniel J. Solove was recently interviewed by C-Span, and I highly recommend its viewing.