It is manifestly not some "old 'democracy' problem" (why is democracy in scarequotes anyway? What does that mean?). There are very deep and real issues and consequences attached to how our conceptions of private and public space have changed over time. We live in an age where technology has made it possible for everyone to be in their private space at all times, regardless of what sort of public space they actually are in. This has implications! To dismiss this as "that old 'democracy' problem" is totally puerile.
This is where the author doesn't take the quantity-v.-quality (or vice versa) issue into consideration. He thinks perhaps that there is only one Jingle Bells farter out there. Maybe two. But consider that there are millions. Maybe billions. Think of quantity and quality in relation to one another. One gets the impression that B. lives in a sheltered world of limited quantities. Considered in relation to one another, however, one has reason to worry. Things multiply -- ask anyone who has ever made a financial fortune.
Again, an utterly cheap shot by B.: I went to some pretty tough "greaseball" schools, and nowhere did "taunting" amount to virtually _eternal_ (as in cached-by-google) digital online humiliation, as it does now for many children.
Actually, nowhere in the article does Chaudhry _blame_ the technology; she doesn't address the issue of "causes," she just describes how technology facilitates certain tendencies. Hence, to put the sentiment "all this is the fault of the Internet" into her mouth (or words) is idiotic.
Taking issue with Chaudry and Agger (The Nation and Slate) who blame the stupid ways we use technology on technology itself. If only technology had such powers theya scribed to it, we could change the world with code....
A strange coincidence had me reading an editorial (in The Marin IJ) by a conservative journalis, Kathleen Parker, who write about how "the new hot thing in the future will be anonimity." Not blogging ma become a status symbol yet, eh?
Gal Beckerman responds to Lakshmi Chaudhry's Jan.29/07 The Nation article ("Mirror, Mirror, on the web"), as well as an article by Michael Agger in Slate. Beckerman doesn't get it.
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Public Stiky Notes
'democracy' problem" (why is democracy in scarequotes anyway? What
does that mean?). There are very deep and real issues and consequences
attached to how our conceptions of private and public space have
changed over time. We live in an age where technology has made it
possible for everyone to be in their private space at all times,
regardless of what sort of public space they actually are in. This has
implications! To dismiss this as "that old 'democracy' problem" is
totally puerile.
Page Comments
A strange coincidence had me reading an editorial (in The Marin IJ) by a conservative journalis, Kathleen Parker, who write about how "the new hot thing in the future will be anonimity." Not blogging ma become a status symbol yet, eh?
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