…random notes on technology, media, and society
August 5, 2008
I’ve written a longish essay for openDemocracy. Although it’s mostly about Russia, I think it contains some interesting general thoughts about the extent to which governments may go in using the Web for ideological purposes. Have a look here.
I’ve written a short essay on new media literacy for the Publius Project. You can find it here.
July 27, 2008
July 26, 2008
July 24, 2008
here is a teaser — and here is the link to the full text:
“NATION shall speak peace unto nation.” Eighty years ago, Britain’s state broadcasters adopted that motto to signal their hope that modern communications would establish new bonds of friendship between people divided by culture, political boundaries and distance.
For those who still cling to that ideal, the latest trends on the internet are depressing. Of course, as anyone would expect, governments use their official websites to boast about their achievements and to argue their corner—usually rather clunkily—in disputes about territory, symbols or historical rights and wrongs.
What is much more disturbing is the way in which skilled young surfers—the very people whom the internet might have liberated from the shackles of state-sponsored ideologies—are using the wonders of electronics to stoke hatred between countries, races or religions. Sometimes these cyber-zealots seem to be acting at their governments’ behest—but often they are working on their own, determined to outdo their political masters in propagating dislike of some unspeakable foe.
July 23, 2008
July 15, 2008
