as Ito sees it, the formal channels of academia today
inhibit progress. "In the old days, being relevant was writing
academic papers. Today, if people can't find you on the internet,
if they're not talking about you in Rwanda, you're irrelevant.
That's the worst thing in the world for any researcher. The people
inventing things might be in Kenya, and they go to the internet and
search. Funders do the same thing. The old, traditional
academic channel is not a good channel for attracting attention,
funding, people, or preventing other people from competing
with you.