Interesting People mailing list archives
Re: The future of network politics.
From: David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>
Date: Tue, 27 Dec 1994 12:19:32 -0500
Posted-Date: Tue, 27 Dec 1994 09:16:52 -0500 Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Tue, 27 Dec 1994 09:19:02 -0500 To: David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu> From: Charles Brownstein <cbrownst () CNRI Reston VA US> Subject: Re: The future of network politics. Dave- I looks to me as though the advertisment was using the list of notables and the Atlanta conference as a way to associate the Progress and Freedom Association with actual "notables" so as get some legitimacy-- that is standard operating procedure for PR oriented ideologiacally based groups, not a cause for alarm. Like ideologists on every side of the political spectrum, the Internet is the perfect Rhorshock image. It is what you put into it, and cannot be not "controlled" except by (by definition) the bad guys, thus must be protected by WE THE RIGHT BUNCH (by definition not THEM THE BAD GUYS). This is a real test for blind government haters of all stripes and a source of confusion for ideologs. The new breed of netizens serviced by Wired have only their ignorance to protect them from the fact that the Internet is a child of federal R&D activity, the feds are the only source of its focus on both continual technological evolution and commercialization of provisioning. No substitute has emerged to sustain these qualities. This is one technology which the private sector can exploit universally to their individual and collective advantage and at the same time is a critical component of the world's R&D system. It is very fundamentally different from other kinds of technology- it is not possible to appropriate it for individual or group advantage and retain the essential qualities that keep it capable. Its existance requires collective action. Thus its progress cannot be aided by "true believers. Charles N. Brownstein Executive Director Cross-Industry Working Team Corporation for National Research Initiatives 1895 Preston White Drive Suite 100 Reston, VA 22091 Tel: (703) 620-8990 Fax: (703) 620-0913 Internet: cbrownst () cnri reston va us On the Web: http://www.cnri.reston.va.us:3000/XIWT/public.html
Current thread:
- The future of network politics. David Farber (Dec 23)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: The future of network politics. David Farber (Dec 27)