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   Internet Pioneer John Perry Barlow Dead at 70

   Josh Centers

   The [1]Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has announced that one of
   its co-founders, John Perry Barlow, died in his sleep on the morning of
   7 February 2018 at the age of 70 after a long series of illnesses. In
   its statement, EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn said:

     It is no exaggeration to say that major parts of the Internet we all
     know and love today exist and thrive because of Barlow's vision and
     leadership. He always saw the Internet as a fundamental place of
     freedom, where voices long silenced can find an audience and people
     can connect with others regardless of physical distance.

   Among his many works, Barlow is perhaps best known for '[2]A
   Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace,' which declared the
   Internet as 'a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice
   accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station of
   birth'¦where anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs, no matter
   how singular, without fear of being coerced into silence or
   conformity.'

   Barlow was something of a Renaissance man. In addition to his work with
   the EFF, he was also a cattle rancher and [3]lyricist for the Grateful
   Dead, who helped write songs like 'Black-Throated Wind,' 'Cassidy,'
   'Heaven Help the Fool,' 'Looks Like Rain,' and 'Mexicali Blues,' among
   many others.

   TidBITS first covered the formation of the EFF all the way back in
   '[4]Electronic Frontiersmen' (9 July 1990). Its initial funding came
   from its other co-founder, Mitchell D. Kapor, and Apple co-founder
   Steve Wozniak.

   Is the Internet still a frontier, or is it more of a megalopolis,
   complete with ritzy neighborhoods and sketchy parts of town? Is
   Barlow's utopian dream of cyberspace still alive (consider the Arab
   Spring and online communities for oppressed minorities) or has it been
   long dead (thanks to trolls, doxxers, and fake news)? Share your
   thoughts in the comments.

References

   1. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/02/john-perry-barlow-internet-pioneer-1947-2018
   2. https://www.eff.org/cyberspace-independence
   3. http://variety.com/2018/music/obituaries-people-news/john-barlow-dead-dies-grateful-dead-lyricist-1202691170/
   4. https://tidbits.com/article/3823

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