Last timeargued that the combination of the Internet and a universally used number (universal identifier) system could result in a "everyone being Inspector Javert type," which could ultimately give birth to a "heartless society." In addition to that, this time I will also use "Les Miserables" to explain the threat of the combination of another characteristic of the Internet, "fragmentary information," and "universal identifiers."
(This article first appeared in gihyo.jp's 2011 New Year's project.. )
The threat of fragmented information
Now, let us introduce another main character. Marius, who will become the husband of Jean Valjean's "daughter" Cosette. After Marius and Cosette get married, Jean Valjean reveals that he is not actually Cosette's father, but only her parent, and that he is a former convict. As a result, Jean Valjean is abandoned by Marius. Marius also becomes suspicious of the source of Cosette's dowry, and begins to investigate. Of course, he only has fragmentary information. However, piecing it all together, he arrives at a certain "truth." It is as follows:
- The fortune belonged to Mr. Madeleine, who had previously committed minor crimes but had rehabilitated, become a very successful businessman, built hospitals and schools, visited the sick, and adopted and raised orphans, becoming the patron saint of the local area and even rising to become mayor.
- Jean Valjean, however, knew the secret of M. Madeleine's past misdeeds, and having him arrested and arrested, he took advantage of his arrest to withdraw more than half a million francs from M. Madeleine's bank account. I know this for certain, for I have heard it directly from a banker.
- Furthermore, Jean Valjean, out of personal grudge, also kills Inspector Javert with a pistol, a fact he knows for sure because he himself hears the shot.
Of course, the facts are different. Since Madeleine is Jean Valjean, Jean Valjean did not steal Madeleine's fortune, and Inspector Javert was nearly killed, but his life was saved by Jean Valjean's quick thinking. However, the fragmentary "facts" that Marius gathered only produced results that were completely different from the truth.
Again, astute readers will have already noticed. Another characteristic of the Internet is that when you research it, you will find fragmentary "facts." Truth is the sum of all facts, and when you extract parts of it, it often becomes far from the truth. The Internet is always fraught with this danger.
In "Les Misérables," these "mistakes" are revealed by Thénardier, who comes to accuse Jean Valjean of murdering a young, wealthy-looking man. Furthermore, the "murdered young man" is Marius himself, and Jean Valjean is found risking his life to rescue him. This is completely proven by the fact that the coat Marius had kept matches the piece of cloth Thénardier brought as evidence of the murder. At this point, Jean Valjean is finally able to recover all of his honor. Marius takes Cosette in his carriage and rushes to Jean Valjean's side. However, Jean Valjean is cruelly at his death, devastated at no longer being able to see Cosette...
Extreme darkness, extreme dawn[1]
The implication of this is clear at this point: the story is a story, and by chance a messenger of truth appears, bringing about the dawn, in the form of a disguised devil named Thénardier. But in reality, we cannot hope for such a convenient outcome.
If that is the case, in order to avoid creating a heartless society, we must have the means to reveal all the facts and restore reputations when necessary. This is something that the current Internet lacks.
These methods of restoring reputation and mechanisms to reduce the damage caused by name matching cannot be achieved through technological means alone, nor can they be achieved through institutional means alone, or through social means alone, such as through education. They can only be achieved by technology, institutions, and education working hand in hand in a balanced manner. Only by doing so can we obtain an environment in which everyone can use the service conveniently and with peace of mind.
In 2011, we are likely to see great progress in the "National ID System" in Japan and in the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NS-TIC) in the United States. I sincerely hope that these systems will advance technology, systems, and education measures in a well-balanced manner and bring us a new dawn.
[1] The title of the final chapter of Les Miserables is "Extreme Darkness, Extreme Dawn." In Les Miserables, the story ends with the dawn. We too must ensure that we do not leave society in "darkness."