In this short overview, Professor Manuel Castells discusses the main themes of his lecture in the OII's series of lectures aimed at undergraduates. This lecture examined and explored the origins of the Internet in the culture of freedom, sharing and libertarian ideals. These early influences have profoundly influenced the network that we use today, and this lecture argued that widespread sharing, open source, mass self-communication and individual autonomy can all be traced back to these cultural roots.
