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I just finished The Net Delusion by Evgeny Morozov which is a similarly sobering take on the effects of social media and technology in general on authoritarian

by benkant 16y ago

I just finished The Net Delusion by Evgeny Morozov which is a similarly sobering take on the effects of social media and technology in general on authoritarian governments. I can't summarise it anywhere as well as this link can: http://www.amazon.com/Net-Delusion-Dark-Internet-Freedom/dp/1586488740 http://www.amazon.com/Net-Delusion-Dark-Internet-Freedom/dp/... If you believe that technology is inherently ethically neutral or that the use of social networks will necessarily produce a net-increase in democracy or freedom, perhaps it's worth reading for some balance. Don't read everything you believe. I had to unfollow a bunch of people on Twitter because they kept posting articles and blogs about how technology was being used to "help the plight of the Egyptians". You know, rather than articles about the plight itself.

tremendo 16y ago
Just last week Cory Doctorow did (I believe) a really good analysis of Morozov's Net Delusion: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/25/net-activism-delusion http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/25/net-activis... As for Gladwell, I believe it's just too easy to take shots at "Social Media" in general when clearly nothing can be proven. To me the mere fact that actual people believe in it and feel helped and moved by it, constitutes enough evidence of real value. Whether it makes a measurable difference in the outcome of the Egyptian crisis is something that cannot really be proved one way or the other and to me it almost feels like Gladwell wants to somehow draw attention by arguing the point, which he already had taken on in a back-and-forth argument with Clay Shirky some months ago. Edited to add: That Egypt's government felt compelled to censor the Internet and the use of SMS messaging is also powerful evidence of the value of these ways of communication.

by benkant 16y ago

tremendo 16y ago

Just last week Cory Doctorow did (I believe) a really good analysis of Morozov's Net Delusion: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/25/net-activism-delusion http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/25/net-activis... As for Gladwell, I believe it's just too easy to take shots at "Social Media" in general when clearly nothing can be proven. To me the mere fact that actual people believe in it and feel helped and moved by it, constitutes enough evidence of real value. Whether it makes a measurable difference in the outcome of the Egyptian crisis is something that cannot really be proved one way or the other and to me it almost feels like Gladwell wants to somehow draw attention by arguing the point, which he already had taken on in a back-and-forth argument with Clay Shirky some months ago. Edited to add: That Egypt's government felt compelled to censor the Internet and the use of SMS messaging is also powerful evidence of the value of these ways of communication.