▁of ▁the ▁topology ▁of ▁social ▁networks ▁and ▁techn ological ▁networks , ▁how ▁our ▁networks ▁shape ▁culture ▁and ▁vice ▁vers a . ▁ ▁He ▁has ▁written ▁and ▁been ▁interview ed ▁about ▁the ▁Internet ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁His ▁columns ▁and ▁writ ings ▁have ▁appeared ▁in ▁Business ▁ 2 . 0 , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁the ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal , ▁the ▁Harvard ▁Business ▁Review ▁and ▁W ired . ▁Sh ir ky ▁div ides ▁his ▁time ▁between ▁consult ing , ▁teaching , ▁and ▁writing ▁on ▁the ▁social ▁and ▁economic ▁effects ▁of ▁Internet ▁techn ologies . ▁His ▁consult ing ▁practice ▁is ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁decent ral ized ▁techn ologies ▁such ▁as ▁peer - to - pe er , ▁web ▁services , ▁and ▁wireless ▁networks ▁that ▁provide ▁alternatives ▁to ▁the ▁w ired ▁client – server ▁infrastr ucture ▁that ▁character izes ▁the ▁World ▁W ide ▁Web . ▁He ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Wikimedia ▁Foundation ' s ▁advis ory ▁board . ▁In ▁The ▁Long ▁T ail , ▁Chris ▁Anderson ▁calls ▁Sh ir ky ▁" a ▁prominent ▁think er ▁on ▁the ▁social ▁and ▁economic ▁effects ▁of ▁Internet ▁techn ologies ." ▁ ▁Education ▁and ▁career ▁ ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Y ale ▁University ▁with ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree ▁in ▁fine ▁art ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁he ▁founded ▁the ▁Hard ▁Place ▁Theater , ▁a ▁theatre ▁company ▁that ▁produced ▁non - f iction ▁the ater ▁using ▁only