We need more realistic debate on whether and how the Internet is a tool for supporting democratic debate and decision, a "mere" safety valve, a tool of manipulation and oppression or, like most other technologies from the club and wheel onwards, morally and politically neutral.
A particular area of concern should be the role of the dominant search engines and social networks. Are they (and the pay-per-click advertising industry that funds them) more, or less, trustworthy than the governments who seek to regulate, censor and monitor them: whether directly or via regulatory quangoes of uncertain accountabilty?
This evening I expect to discover whether this is one of the topics that the Class of 2010 would like to discuss during the programme of events that a consortiium of EURIM members is organising. We have 27 prospective parliamentary candidates, from the three main parties, booked in for that today - on the LSE report on the UK's Digital Road to Recovery.