There is untapped talent out there, but I'm not sure the web can unlock all of it. You don't have a chance to develop your talents when you're going hungry each night. Nor is it easy to be talented under an authoritarian dictatorship. These are problems a website or smartphone app can't fix (though maybe they can help a little). I don't even buy that the web can raise people out of poverty. Seems like it produces more inequality if anything, though that remains to be seen.

What the web can do is educate people (though it's also capable of misinforming them). And it can make life a little more efficient (Shopping online reduces travel time. Google maps reduces time driving around asking for directions). These are modest improvements, and they could unlock some talent. Just not much.

Exactly. To clarify, by talent and innovation I didn't just mean the websites that the rest of the world can build. I meant it wrt the empowerment that free MOOC's can provide when it comes to basic education (especially in remote areas where schools are not always existent/affordable) and the possible innovations it could lead to in different sectors outside the realm of software development.

Getting an education isn't just a matter of cost. You need free time to take the classes, a quiet place to study, a family that supports you, and often, a teacher that motivates you to be your best. That's why I don't think MOOCs will change anything. They're great for people who are already educated, and have the resources to teach themselves. The rural poor in developing nations have bigger things to worry about.