G21 - MEMOIRS OF THE INFORMATION AGE: "Global Discussion

MAIN EVENT. A Good Place to Get Started --- a.k.a "Table of Contents"

DON'T READ ME FIRST! | THE PREVIOUS EVENT | THE NEXT EVENT | THE WRITERS/GUIDELINES |

Home -> Main Event -> MEMOIRS OF THE INFORMATION AGE

Global Discussion - Part 2

by Rod Amis

To read this article in Deutsch, Francaise, Italiano, Portuguese, Espanol, copy and paste the complete URL("http://www.g21.net/mem11.html") and enter it in the box after you click through.

My fellow Web journalist, Ian Ansdell, whose most recent feature appeared at Scotland's The Herald, writes to MOIA with this concern:
"Re. the MOIA debate on globalisation, I think it's worth agonising a bit over the PRC's [Peoples Republic of China's] economic expansion. When China becomes a big player - very soon - it will want to e-trade big-time with the 'West', and vice-versa.
"Will that lead to unfettered web access for the Chinese people? Or will the governments and multi-nationals try to find a way of mutating the web to make it acceptable to the Chinese government. There's a precedent in Rupert Murdoch dropping the BBC's world television service from his satellite TV package in order to access the vast Chinese market.
When 800-lb pandas get together with 800-lb gorillas, things could get messy..."
Indeed, Ian.
I offer your concern to the technologists on our MOIA Discussion List, and the readers of The World's Magazine for further consideration this week.
In the past, thanks to Bokary Guindon of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, we have looked at the willingness of the Chinese government and Indonesian political dissidents [MOIA Digest #1] to openly recruit and sponsor teams of hackers/crackers to bring down the sites of those they opposed. This is politically-sponsored international 'Net terrorism --- and it is part of what we can expect to see more NOT LESS of as the Web becomes more easily accessible around the world.
Should we be concerned with the implications of both these scenarios? YES.
If we Early Adaptors mean to help shape the future of this medium we embrace, then we have a social and political responsibility to look to the future of this medium and try to influence how it is shaped by corporations and governments. (More on this below.)
IN THE ERA OF VIRTUAL WARS I CAN BRING DOWN WEB SITES I DON'T LIKE.

A space holder.
What is the nature of "security" and "defence" on the Internet?

HELP WANTED: Gullible teenagers interested in getting paid to silence The Uncool. Please respond to the Embassy of the Sovereign Nation of Protocernsorship.

The 800-pound gorillas have already won. Even crackers like banana juice.

A space holder.

ABOUT US

dubya-dubya-dubya HipperThanThou dot com

404 Not Found on This Server.
But let's take these two very important issues one at a time before branching off into related areas.
TALKING POINTS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE WEB:

What happens when the 800-lb. gorillas choose to cater to the 800-lb. panda?
Ian Ansdell's reference to Murdoch's elimination of BBC World Service feeds to China is a good one. As the Mainstream Media becomes even more controlled by a few mammoth concerns, even seemingly vanilla voices which present information objectional to totalitarian regimes --- or to "democratic" governments which only desire Happy Face interpretations of the political landscape in the interests of "stability" --- can be effectively silenced.
What if, for example, the British government decided that criticism of its slap-on-risk treatment of the firm it used to privatize its public rail system was not in governmental or public interests? A non-sovereign public would have no ability to demand investigation or appeal.
While this silencing is not a new experience for genuinely critical alternative voices, the effect it must have on sanctioned and authorized voices ----totally dependent on advertising revenues as they are --- will be to make them EVEN MORE BLAND and even more willingly to substitute commercial (read advertorial) propaganda for genuine news of civic or social importance.

How should technologists and Web workers respond to the spectre of politically-sponsored Internet terrorism?
Quite obviously, we must be willingly to act as our own legislators before the regulation of this medium is usurped by either the stateless commercial powers which predominate in the off-line world or the increasingly weak nation-states.
While so-called self-regulation entities (note they are all supported by governmental bodies and funded by mammoth commercial interests like IBM and Time-Warner) like the GBDe [See MEMOIR #7 below] and ICANN [see MEMOIR # 6 below] claim that they are supportive of "open and inclusive" dialogue about Internet administration, they continue to operate from the halls of power, telling us about the emerging shape and face of the Internet via carefully worded press releases ex post facto.

Is there an alternative approach that would allow those of us involved in the day-to-day workings of this medium to keep it from going the way of its predescessors and make it a truly "open" and participatory environment? Can the vision of international communities fostered by people like "the Father of the Web," Tim Berners-Lee, be practically realized?

I know that most readers familiar with my Jeremiads expect me to say, "No."
Get ready to let your jaws drop. I think THERE IS, YES.
Among the handful of Web enterprises out there that I believe are working toward increasing our influence and participation in the future of the medium is the Project on Corporations, Law, and Democracy (POCLAD). This group of dissidents and activists has things to say, and a wealth of information to offer, which will help us understand the issues which the next century presents to our medium and ourselves. Their thoughtful research gives us a starting point for rejecting the ideologies which have made us abrogate our responsibilities.
If we can see beyond the labels like "Leftist," "Conservative," and "Libertarian" which have crippled rather than helped us --- and are irrelevant in this Pomo world --- we can begin to form "Communities of Interest" again, as opposed to "Communities of Identity."
That's a valuable first step toward practical solutions.
Much of the power acquired by the transnational corporations which have come to dominate our lives, globally, has derived from the fact that they defined themselves as organisms focused on self-interest.
One means of forming a countervaling force which can realize POCLAD's vision of a "sovereign public" is by coalescing around an equally focusedcommunity of interest. In this analysis, I would suggest that such a community of interest might be focused upon the future of this medium by which we gain our livelihoods, which impacts the activities of our social, ethical and political lives, and by which we have made contact with each other.
The challenge of self-regulation is also the challenge of group participation. No lurking. No cynicism. No apathy.
We can harvest the dream by being risk-acceptant and involved.

TAKE THE RISK OF INVOLVEMENT.

A space holder.

The World's Magazine: g21.net

Event #188: Harvesting Dreams

This Pull-down Menu will hyperjump you to all our great features. Try it!

JOIN THE G21 MAILING LIST. Get updates on new features. Take part in our Readership polls, shape the future of The World's Magazine. It's easy! E-mail The World's Magazine with the "Subject" line: SUBSCRIBE.

LAST WEEK's EDITION

For Deep Background visit the G21-Barnes & Noble Shop

Holiday Ideas Needed? Try the new G21/E-NEWS GIFT CENTER

OR get great books at the G21 BARNES & NOBLE SEARCH ENGINE

The Main Event

HOME

Discover the MOIA Discussion List

THERE IS A FUTURE.
WE ARE WRITING IT.

I AM A GLOBAL CITIZEN. SO ARE YOU.

MEMOIR ONE: The Pinnacle, by FELICITY USSHER

MEMOIR TWO: Age of Exploitation, by ROD AMIS

MEMOIR THREE: Is Microsoft Bothering You, too? by RON DIENER

MEMOIR FOUR: The Name of The Rose by ROD AMIS

MEMOIR FIVE: War on The Web by ADAM J. SMITH

MEMOIR SIX: G21 Interviews ICANN's ESTHER DYSON

MEMOIR SEVEN: The Chamber of E-Commerce by ROD AMIS

MEMOIR EIGHT: G21 Interviews GEORGE OLSEN of THE WEB STANDARDS PROJECT

MEMOIR NINE: Reprint - On Globalization by ROD AMIS

MEMOIR TEN: A Global Discussion by ROD AMIS

THE NEXT MEMOIR

+++ Home +++ MAIN EVENT +++ RECOMMENDED +++

My fellow Web journalist, Ian Ansdell, whose most recent feature appeared at Scotland's The Herald, writes to MOIA with this concern: "Re. the MOIA debate on globalisation, I think it's worth agonising a bit over the PRC's [Peoples Republic of China's] economic expansion. When China becomes a big player - very soon - it will want to e-trade big-time with the 'West', and vice-versa. "Will that lead to unfettered web access for the Chinese people? Or will the governments and multi-nationals try to find a way of mutating the web to make it acceptable to the Chinese government. There's a precedent in Rupert Murdoch dropping the BBC's world television service from his satellite TV package in order to access the vast Chinese market. When 800-lb pandas get together with 800-lb gorillas, things could get messy..." Indeed, Ian. I offer your concern to the technologists on our MOIA Discussion List, and the readers of The World's Magazine for further consideration this week. In the past, thanks to Bokary Guindon of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, we have looked at the willingness of the Chinese government and Indonesian political dissidents [MOIA Digest #1] to openly recruit and sponsor teams of hackers/crackers to bring down the sites of those they opposed. This is politically-sponsored international 'Net terrorism --- and it is part of what we can expect to see more NOT LESS of as the Web becomes more easily accessible around the world. Should we be concerned with the implications of both these scenarios? YES. If we Early Adaptors mean to help shape the future of this medium we embrace, then we have a social and political responsibility to look to the future of this medium and try to influence how it is shaped by corporations and governments. (More on this below.)	IN THE ERA OF VIRTUAL WARS I CAN BRING DOWN WEB SITES I DON'T LIKE. What is the nature of "security" and "defence" on the Internet? HELP WANTED: Gullible teenagers interested in getting paid to silence The Uncool. Please respond to the Embassy of the Sovereign Nation of Protocernsorship.
The 800-pound gorillas have already won. Even crackers like banana juice. ABOUT US dubya-dubya-dubya HipperThanThou dot com 404 Not Found on This Server.	But let's take these two very important issues one at a time before branching off into related areas. TALKING POINTS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE WEB: What happens when the 800-lb. gorillas choose to cater to the 800-lb. panda? Ian Ansdell's reference to Murdoch's elimination of BBC World Service feeds to China is a good one. As the Mainstream Media becomes even more controlled by a few mammoth concerns, even seemingly vanilla voices which present information objectional to totalitarian regimes --- or to "democratic" governments which only desire Happy Face interpretations of the political landscape in the interests of "stability" --- can be effectively silenced. What if, for example, the British government decided that criticism of its slap-on-risk treatment of the firm it used to privatize its public rail system was not in governmental or public interests? A non-sovereign public would have no ability to demand investigation or appeal. While this silencing is not a new experience for genuinely critical alternative voices, the effect it must have on sanctioned and authorized voices ----totally dependent on advertising revenues as they are --- will be to make them EVEN MORE BLAND and even more willingly to substitute commercial (read advertorial) propaganda for genuine news of civic or social importance. How should technologists and Web workers respond to the spectre of politically-sponsored Internet terrorism? Quite obviously, we must be willingly to act as our own legislators before the regulation of this medium is usurped by either the stateless commercial powers which predominate in the off-line world or the increasingly weak nation-states. While so-called self-regulation entities (note they are all supported by governmental bodies and funded by mammoth commercial interests like IBM and Time-Warner) like the GBDe [See MEMOIR #7 below] and ICANN [see MEMOIR # 6 below] claim that they are supportive of "open and inclusive" dialogue about Internet administration, they continue to operate from the halls of power, telling us about the emerging shape and face of the Internet via carefully worded press releases ex post facto. Is there an alternative approach that would allow those of us involved in the day-to-day workings of this medium to keep it from going the way of its predescessors and make it a truly "open" and participatory environment? Can the vision of international communities fostered by people like "the Father of the Web," Tim Berners-Lee, be practically realized?
I know that most readers familiar with my Jeremiads expect me to say, "No." Get ready to let your jaws drop. I think THERE IS, YES. Among the handful of Web enterprises out there that I believe are working toward increasing our influence and participation in the future of the medium is the Project on Corporations, Law, and Democracy (POCLAD). This group of dissidents and activists has things to say, and a wealth of information to offer, which will help us understand the issues which the next century presents to our medium and ourselves. Their thoughtful research gives us a starting point for rejecting the ideologies which have made us abrogate our responsibilities. If we can see beyond the labels like "Leftist," "Conservative," and "Libertarian" which have crippled rather than helped us --- and are irrelevant in this Pomo world --- we can begin to form "Communities of Interest" again, as opposed to "Communities of Identity." That's a valuable first step toward practical solutions. Much of the power acquired by the transnational corporations which have come to dominate our lives, globally, has derived from the fact that they defined themselves as organisms focused on self-interest. One means of forming a countervaling force which can realize POCLAD's vision of a "sovereign public" is by coalescing around an equally focusedcommunity of interest. In this analysis, I would suggest that such a community of interest might be focused upon the future of this medium by which we gain our livelihoods, which impacts the activities of our social, ethical and political lives, and by which we have made contact with each other. The challenge of self-regulation is also the challenge of group participation. No lurking. No cynicism. No apathy. We can harvest the dream by being risk-acceptant and involved.	TAKE THE RISK OF INVOLVEMENT. The World's Magazine: g21.net Event #188: Harvesting Dreams This Pull-down Menu will hyperjump you to all our great features. Try it! JOIN THE G21 MAILING LIST. Get updates on new features. Take part in our Readership polls, shape the future of The World's Magazine. It's easy! E-mail The World's Magazine with the "Subject" line: SUBSCRIBE. LAST WEEK's EDITION For Deep Background visit the G21-Barnes & Noble Shop Holiday Ideas Needed? Try the new G21/E-NEWS GIFT CENTER OR get great books at the G21 BARNES & NOBLE SEARCH ENGINE The Main Event HOME Discover the MOIA Discussion List THERE IS A FUTURE. WE ARE WRITING IT. I AM A GLOBAL CITIZEN. SO ARE YOU.