Even though it seems like a long time ago, it was just last week that hundreds of internet tech geeks converged in NY for the annual Internet Week NY (#IWNY) conference. From late night parties, networking events and a ton of content, it was a time for us in the industry to take a moment to reflect on trends, what’s working, and how we can come together to build a better industry.

A top attended session included a fireside chat with the outspoken Joan Rivers, which could have been called #NoFilter for the outrageous comments she made (although it was good for a chuckle). With sessions from OMMA on mobile, video, social and data to the Conversational Marketing (#CMSummit) hosted by John Battelle, the focus seemed to stay on track as usual – about content, screens, devices, engagement and, of course, monetization.

From the “Webby Sessions with Human of New York founder Brandon Stanton,” the topic seemed to shift to the ability of the internet to connect people together for good. During the talk, he referenced the pain that “mean spirited” individuals can inflict, especially when they are cloaked in anonymity on the internet. However, he noted that the internet community can be amazingly supportive, and quick to rally around positive causes. In most forums, Internet “trolls” are quickly outed, because the community generally prefers a stable environment, where people are comfortable sharing. There will always be those who are malicious, but in general people prefer to operate in a comfortable, welcoming and transparent system.

This resonated with our team at DoubleVerify, as while it may seem at times that it’s the “wild wild west” out there, with fraudsters attempting to steal impressions from advertisers, we still believe there a lot of good advertising to be had online. There will always be people working to defraud, it’s important to know that most people want a better, safer and more transparent internet.

Tom Rogers from Media6Degrees actually called out to the industry a call for change – with a message to the audience that it’s “time to take a stand – go cold turkey and stop fraud.” And in the spirit of Internet Week, he asked attendees to tweet their support with the hashtag #ChangeItUp.

We agree. How will you change it up?