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Sure. And it was once illegal to own an English version of the Bible. (Greatly paraphrasing) Gutenberg's technology rendered that position untenable. Ok. Got a

Sure. And it was once illegal to own an English version of the Bible. (Greatly paraphrasing) Gutenberg's technology rendered that position untenable. Ok. Got a handle on the books. What do you do about pirate radio? The law is the law. The restrictions, codes-of-practice, whatever - they are medium specific. What's invalid is the idea that you can regulate the Internet like you can a "curtained off" section of your local VHS video library.

netcan 13y ago
AFAIK the Gutenberg Bible was in Latin. The protestant reformation put that technology to use to disseminate laymen readable translations 80 years later. The new technology (presses), the new theology (Martin Luther) and social change (literacy) cross-pollinated and together changed the world. Most of the positive changes seemed pretty incidental. I'm not sure Lutheranism in itself was much of an improvement, but that's besides the point. Not sure if the analogy here holds, but I think what we have is the technology. It has changed culture. I'm pretty sure public attitudes towards sex are different now because of the internet. We don't have the ideology though. IMO, the american right hog the "freedom" banner and give it all sorts of connotations that most of us want to keep at arms length. It would be good if they'd put it down and let someone new have a go at it.
- jlgreco 13y ago
  > AFAIK the Gutenberg Bible was in Latin. Gutenberg's technology enabled faaaar more than just Gutenberg's bible. The printing press enabled the distribution of the Tyndale Bible, the Great Bible, the Geneva Bible, the Douay-Rheims Bible, the Bishops' Bible and, of course, the King James Bible. All English bibles, all possible thanks to the printing press. The Tyndale Bible in particular is notable here, since it was heavily criticized and burned when possible. The printing press was crucial to achieving. the distribution that it did. Without the press then the creation of several thousand copies of it would have never been possible.

netcan 13y ago

AFAIK the Gutenberg Bible was in Latin. The protestant reformation put that technology to use to disseminate laymen readable translations 80 years later. The new technology (presses), the new theology (Martin Luther) and social change (literacy) cross-pollinated and together changed the world. Most of the positive changes seemed pretty incidental. I'm not sure Lutheranism in itself was much of an improvement, but that's besides the point. Not sure if the analogy here holds, but I think what we have is the technology. It has changed culture. I'm pretty sure public attitudes towards sex are different now because of the internet. We don't have the ideology though. IMO, the american right hog the "freedom" banner and give it all sorts of connotations that most of us want to keep at arms length. It would be good if they'd put it down and let someone new have a go at it.

jlgreco 13y ago
> AFAIK the Gutenberg Bible was in Latin. Gutenberg's technology enabled faaaar more than just Gutenberg's bible. The printing press enabled the distribution of the Tyndale Bible, the Great Bible, the Geneva Bible, the Douay-Rheims Bible, the Bishops' Bible and, of course, the King James Bible. All English bibles, all possible thanks to the printing press. The Tyndale Bible in particular is notable here, since it was heavily criticized and burned when possible. The printing press was crucial to achieving. the distribution that it did. Without the press then the creation of several thousand copies of it would have never been possible.