Tim Berners-Lee to be Knighted

Besides some emphasis, I have nothing to add to the W3C press release:

Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web and director of the World Wide Web Consortium, will be made a Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. This was announced earlier today by Buckingham Palace as part of the 2004 New Year’s Honours list.

The rank of Knight Commander is the second most senior rank of the Order of the British Empire, one of the Orders of Chivalry awarded. Berners-Lee, 48, a British citizen who lives in the United States, is being knighted in recognition of his ‘services to the global development of the Internet’ through the invention of the World Wide Web.

‘This is an honor which applies to the whole Web development community, and to the inventors and developers of the Internet, whose work made the Web possible,’ stated Berners-Lee. ‘I accept this as an endorsement of the spirit of the Web; of building it in a decentralized way; of making best efforts to keep it open and fair; and of ensuring its fundamental technologies are available to all for broad use and innovation, and without having to pay licensing fees.’

‘By recognizing the Web in such a significant way, it also makes clear the responsibility its creators and users share,’ he continued. ‘Information technology changes the world, and as a result, its practitioners cannot be disconnected from its technical and societal impacts. Rather, we share a responsibility to make this work for the common good, and to take into account the diverse populations it serves.’