I think the PC analogy is solid. I think the observation that we need a way to permissionly interact with data is spot-on, and I agree that that could bring a second wave of value creation and innovation.

Think of having a Facebook-like social graph, not controlled by Facebook. Or a merchant aggregation system like Amazon's without Amazon. A system not driven by maximizing exposure monetization (via ads, paid placement, etc.) but by something like a Nash equilibrium that maximizes value creation for participants.

This is what I work on, and I think it can be done.