Software should be socially conscious

Stephen Pariso left Silicon Valley, studied Communication Studies

By Jason Gondziola

Now that he’s finished his BA, Stephen Pariso can get back to doing what he loves most: creating technology.

The talented New Jersey-born student came to Concordia from Silicon Valley, where he was a part of the legendary Netscape team that helped develop the World Wide Web.

Pariso chose Concordia’s Department of Communication Studies because he wanted to develop a “critical distance” from which to study cultural issues related to media, technology and business.

“The deregulation of US mass media industries has created a situation in which there are literally thousands of information channels and venues, but a shrinking number of powerful hands that control the content,” he explained.

“I intend to create technologies to eliminate such hegemony and activate the diversity necessary for progress.”

One such project is the Geographic North American Alert Targeting system, which aggregates warnings about chemical spills, missing children and flooding and publishes the information to a centralized system that can then post the information to computers and cellular phones.

While he was at Concordia, Pariso set up free webspace for his fellow students where they could post blogs and websites. The space includes a Mediapedia (like Wikipedia, but specializing in media), to which everyone is invited to contribute.

Pariso is going to do an MBA, and then reurn to working with his former Netscape teammates to create the next generation of web browsers.

“It may not be anything like what you would expect,” he warned. “It does not resemble the current web browser in any way.”

However, his Concordia education will inform this new venture. “I can guarantee you, we will be thinking responsibly about the economic impact of our efforts.”

Pariso enjoyed his Concordia experience so much that he is going to keep in close touch with his alma mater.

“I am now president of the Concordia University Alumni Association Communications Studies Chapter.

“We are using technology to foster a network for Concordia’s Communication Studies alumni, Communication Studies students and Communication Studies faculty for camaradarie, advice, collaboration and advancement.”

You can get in touch with Stephen and the new alumni chapter by going to http://comsnet.net.