Letters

We continue to sift through your reactions to having been named Person of the Year, reactions that range from the giddily delighted to the grandly disappointed. Many of you who are strict advocates of the “great man” view of the world let us know just who should have taken your place on the cover

I was delighted by time‘s choice for Person of the Year [Dec. 25, 2006–Jan. 1, 2007]. It was well-deserved recognition for the Internet users who are coming together to shape the future in virtually every sphere of our lives. But it is also an opportunity to reflect on how the Internet is a product of the work of collaborating communities, which means there is no central control and no restriction on the creativity and genius that bring new applications online each day. Open standards and collaboration, rather than top-down or centralized governance, have ensured that the Internet’s development remains in the hands of those who know most what they need.
Lynn St. Amour
President and ceo, Internet Society
Geneva

Your selection reflects the reality that, more than ever, people are not merely observers but participants in a world that we are creating. It’s a good time to recall Albert Einstein’s words: “The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
David Alex
Chicago

time is right. it is the age of “me.” Cell-phone users hold personal conversations loud enough for the world to hear. Drivers swerve down the freeway, coffee in one hand, cell phone in the other, honking and worrying about no one but themselves. Totally uninteresting people make videos describing their lives, as if someone should care. Has all this noise made things better? Maybe the next Persons of the Year should be “They,” so people might actually consider the existence of other human beings.
Bob Widmer
Pleasanton, California, U.S.

If Not You, Then Who?
The person of the year [Dec. 25, 2006–Jan. 1, 2007] should have been Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. His speech to the U.N. General Assembly aside, he has single-handedly changed the political makeup of Latin America for the benefit of all citizens, not just the rich.
Roy Dickinson
Fort Pierce, Florida, U.S.

U.S. troops in Iraq were the people of the year, not a select group of computer users sitting on their backsides. We may be watching videos online, but they are putting their lives on the line.
Camille E. Cazedessus
Chimney Rock, Colorado, U.S.

Your person of the year stories completely missed the real power of the Internet. You should have honored the altruistic Craig Newmark for his amazing network of online urban communities, Craigslist.org. Just ask any recent college grad who is looking for a job, an apartment, a date, an affordable car or a buyer for an old laptop. Craigslist isn’t fluff but the real stuff of daily life.
Henry M. Caroselli
Manhattan Beach, California, U.S.

Lasting Legend
I was shocked that you put international soccer star Zinédine Zidane on your list of people who earned their 15 minutes of fame [Dec. 25, 2006–Jan. 1, 2007]. Zidane is in a completely different category. He may have had his 15 minutes of fame in the U.S., but in the rest of the world, he is revered, loved and considered one of the greatest soccer players of his generation. You also incorrectly assumed that this caused headaches for the French, which is anything but true. The people of France still think him a hero.
Dian Xiao
Harleysville, Pennsylvania, U.S.

In Memoriam
In calling Steve Irwin the “Crocodile Preserver” [Dec. 25, 2006–Jan. 1, 2007], Jay Leno may have understated the accomplishments of the Australian. He was an advocate for the right that all unpopular animals have to life and shelter. Irwin was a passionate conservationist and believed in promoting environmentalism by sharing his excitement about nature. He founded his own organization for species conservation, his zoo is breeding endangered animals, and he even bought large areas in the U.S. and Australia for the creation of parks. Millions of people all over the world were fascinated by his enjoyment of animal life. Despite his fame, Irwin always described himself as an “ordinary bloke.” But how ordinary could he have been when Australian Prime Minister John Howard said of him, “Australia has lost a wonderful and colorful son”?
Raiko Lochny
Berlin

War Reporting
In “The real war” [Dec. 25, 2006–Jan. 1, 2007], author Bob Woodward said, “It is almost a war without a home front … There is almost a sense that we’re not at war. I can’t explain that phenomenon, but I find it deeply troubling.” What’s so difficult? As Woodward correctly pointed out, almost no one at home is being asked to sacrifice. If this truly were a national effort, everyone would be asked to sacrifice, and that would mean a draft, so the burden would be shared equally. But the Administration is afraid to even breathe the word draft for one simple reason: the war in Iraq is so unpopular, no one would go. People would vote with their feet, and that would make Bush and other lawmakers face up to the disaster that this has become. As it is, they can afford to avoid the hard choices and continue to fight a misbegotten war with other people’s children.
Jim Calio
Marina del Rey, California, U.S.

The roundtable of authors’ views on the war in Iraq contradicted the notion that “you” or “we” were most important in 2006. The discussion was about the war, but the issues raised were about our society. Was there a journalistic failure as the country approached the invasion in 2003? I was certainly fed up with all the pro-war propaganda in the news. But more worrying, it was simply not possible to argue against the war at the time. One was either “with us or against us.” Intelligent discussion was pre-empted. So the issue is not about journalism and the courage to express different opinions but about self-censorship and the crushing of unpopular opinions. It may not be exclusively a Russian disease.
Philippe Chaniet
Narita, Japan

Faucet Follies
The faucet designed by Jean Nouvel [Dec. 25, 2006–Jan. 1, 2007] is the perfect illustration of our society gone berserk. When half of the world population is without potable water, a famous architect spends his time putting on the market, for €1,600, a faucet that one can “caress” instead of turning its knobs. The African women carrying buckets of unclean water on their heads for long distances would certainly appreciate the possibility of turning knobs even if, in the eyes of Nouvel, it is archaic. May I suggest that 50% of the price of that contraption be given to a program to bring clean water to needy people?
Antoine de Torrenté
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland