Comments on: access does not = good http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html society, technology and me Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:28:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: hugh http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html#comment-1720 hugh Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:31:09 +0000 http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html#comment-1720 hmm... access allows us to build new public institutions, outside of the constraints (and corruption) of governments. for instance, i consider librivox a public institution; though a public institution of a new kind. ditto project gutenberg, wikipedia etc. etc. access shifts the ability to make public institutions - away from governments, to the rest of us. of course we could do it before, but we can build new things now that we never could have previously (eg librivox). that being said, i've been having a similar reaction to my computer lately. I've always been a bit of a luddite; though I have been drawn right into tech of late. But I've thought recently about just smashing my computer & leaving the internet age behind & just reading more books, and writing a couple. on the other hand my little ibook allowed me to start librivox: that is, it's a tool to do something I thought was worthwhile. The important thing (for me) is not to get all ga ga about tools, but about what you can do with them. time to go for a walk in the sun. hmm… access allows us to build new public institutions, outside of the constraints (and corruption) of governments.

for instance, i consider librivox a public institution; though a public institution of a new kind. ditto project gutenberg, wikipedia etc. etc.

access shifts the ability to make public institutions - away from governments, to the rest of us. of course we could do it before, but we can build new things now that we never could have previously (eg librivox).

that being said, i’ve been having a similar reaction to my computer lately. I’ve always been a bit of a luddite; though I have been drawn right into tech of late. But I’ve thought recently about just smashing my computer & leaving the internet age behind & just reading more books, and writing a couple.

on the other hand my little ibook allowed me to start librivox: that is, it’s a tool to do something I thought was worthwhile. The important thing (for me) is not to get all ga ga about tools, but about what you can do with them.

time to go for a walk in the sun.

]]> By: Ethan http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html#comment-1721 Ethan Fri, 14 Apr 2006 16:07:38 +0000 http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html#comment-1721 ?? = 13, by my count. I started working on getting internet connections for an NGO in Accra in 1993... :-) I'm not sure I'm having directly parallel feelings to yours - I believe that access is a critical issue - but I also believe it's an artist's choice whether to make something accessible or not. There's a tendency sometimes to assume that restricting access is an evil thing to do - my post was an attempt to argue that sometimes it's a critical piece of artistic intent. Doesn't mean I'm in favor of record companies putting ludicrious DRM on CDs that musicians might want to circulate, but does mean that if an artist decided to release a disk with egregious DRM as part of an artistic statement, I'd try to consider that statement in the context of the piece... ?? = 13, by my count. I started working on getting internet connections for an NGO in Accra in 1993… :-) I’m not sure I’m having directly parallel feelings to yours - I believe that access is a critical issue - but I also believe it’s an artist’s choice whether to make something accessible or not. There’s a tendency sometimes to assume that restricting access is an evil thing to do - my post was an attempt to argue that sometimes it’s a critical piece of artistic intent. Doesn’t mean I’m in favor of record companies putting ludicrious DRM on CDs that musicians might want to circulate, but does mean that if an artist decided to release a disk with egregious DRM as part of an artistic statement, I’d try to consider that statement in the context of the piece…

]]> By: TpL http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html#comment-1722 TpL Fri, 14 Apr 2006 21:33:49 +0000 http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html#comment-1722 What an excellent set of articles - the main + the critiques! Shooting from the hip, i repeat that daycare is still more revolutionary than the internet! We got the internet but we ain't got daycare! What an excellent set of articles - the main + the critiques!
Shooting from the hip, i repeat that daycare is still more revolutionary than the internet! We got the internet but we ain’t got daycare!

]]> By: Adam http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html#comment-1723 Adam Tue, 18 Apr 2006 13:58:12 +0000 http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html#comment-1723 Wow, I think you're spot on...and I think it's only going to get worse as information technology increasingly infiltrates those spheres of our lives we had previously thought of as autonomous and sovereign. Y'know, stuff like spirituality, intimacy, solitude... This is why I made the right to opt out, always and at all times, one of the cornerstones of the principles for the ethical development of ubiquitous systems I've advanced elsewhere. But in reading your piece - and Ethan's lyrical discussion of DeMaria's powerful "Lightning Field" - I almost wonder if that doesn't quite go far enough. The "right to opt out" almost cedes too much to the assumption that everything else is "in." I, for one, hope the pendulum begins to swing back from Doctorovian techno-utopianism, as people get a better sense for what we're giving away. Many of us in technology have submitted to a form of triumphalist bullying these last few years, a particularly pernicious flavor of determinism that says "Here's the future, deal with it." I'm not necessarily sure it's isomorphic with this supposed "Californian consensus," but it's real, and I hope we're beginning to learn how to push back against it. Wow, I think you’re spot on…and I think it’s only going to get worse as information technology increasingly infiltrates those spheres of our lives we had previously thought of as autonomous and sovereign. Y’know, stuff like spirituality, intimacy, solitude…

This is why I made the right to opt out, always and at all times, one of the cornerstones of the principles for the ethical development of ubiquitous systems I’ve advanced elsewhere. But in reading your piece - and Ethan’s lyrical discussion of DeMaria’s powerful “Lightning Field” - I almost wonder if that doesn’t quite go far enough. The “right to opt out” almost cedes too much to the assumption that everything else is “in.”

I, for one, hope the pendulum begins to swing back from Doctorovian techno-utopianism, as people get a better sense for what we’re giving away. Many of us in technology have submitted to a form of triumphalist bullying these last few years, a particularly pernicious flavor of determinism that says “Here’s the future, deal with it.” I’m not necessarily sure it’s isomorphic with this supposed “Californian consensus,” but it’s real, and I hope we’re beginning to learn how to push back against it.

]]> By: mtl3p http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html#comment-1724 mtl3p Wed, 19 Apr 2006 00:14:15 +0000 http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/14/access_does_not_good.html#comment-1724 "The "right to opt out" almost cedes too much" Yes! "I, for one, hope the pendulum begins to swing back from Doctorovian techno-utopianism, as people get a better sense for what we're giving away" and Yes again! sweet sigh - now i'm all riled up and I should be going to bed ;-) “The “right to opt out” almost cedes too much”

Yes!

“I, for one, hope the pendulum begins to swing back from Doctorovian techno-utopianism, as people get a better sense for what we’re giving away”

and Yes again!

sweet

sigh - now i’m all riled up and I should be going to bed ;-)

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