John Perry Barlow (1947–2018) was an American poet, essayist, lyricist, and cyberlibertarian activist, known for his work in digital rights and internet freedom. He co-founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) 1990, advocating online civil liberties.
Born in Cora, Wyoming, Barlow grew up on his family’s cattle ranch. He attended Wesleyan University, earning a degree in comparative religion (1969.) A longtime friend of Bob Weir, guitarist for the Grateful Dead, Barlow wrote lyrics for Cassidy (1972) and Mexicali Blues (1973.)
A leading voice in internet activism, he published A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace (1996,) arguing for a free digital world. His essays, including The Economy of Ideas (1994,) examined intellectual property and digital culture. He was also a fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.
Beyond technology, Barlow engaged in political discourse, working on environmental issues and serving as a campaign coordinator for Dick Cheney. His writings appeared in Wired and The New York Times.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by John Perry Barlow
Our universities are so determined to impose tolerance that they’ll expel you for saying what you think and never notice the irony
—John Perry Barlow
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