I am not.
There is no way the web as we know it today, as an engine of challenge to
hegemonic practices, a tool for communicative emancipation, empowerment,
will survive the next 10, or even five years. In fact, i suspect that the
very things that make it appear so valuable as a tool in these historic
struggles will be turned against not only the web and discourses upon it,
but also will be engaged to weaken all protections of dissenting speech
whereever they exist.
The appeal to the innocence of children is only the first step. The camel's
nose under the tent flap, as 'twere. (Has anyone else remarked upon that
element in "If you give a mouse a cookie..." etc?)
Remember Mencken: "Nobody ever lost money underestimating the intelligence
of the average American." I do not think the criticism is limited to just
us USers. Whatever else the web is going to be used for, it will be used
primarily to make money and to propogate the ideology of making money. That
ideology cannot tolerate anything that rebuffs any potential customer. So
confusion, contradiction, controversy will surely go.
First the dialogic nature of the engagement will be--is already
being--subverted. Microsoft has been working for the last three years to
develop "product" for the web, entertainment programs...its collaboration
with NBC is evidence and clue enough of that, as is Disney/ABC's
efforts...they aren't in this just for television programming. The "perfect
conversation" of the future of the web is already available in the on-line
catalogues: they offer, you order, and feel wise for your thriftiness...
Groups like this will remain, sheltered and aloof and elite, for a while;
but pretty soon you'll have to be able to buy bandwidth, or rent or lease
it. The business imperative has already overwhelmed the previous discourse
that animated the academy. With students--and their parents, and
legislators, and business leaders--already commodifying the process of gets
what degree and for what exchange, it cannot be long until universities see
web commerce in intellectual property as profit centers, and begin to
exploit it. Who will pony-up the $1000 or $2000 or $3000 per month that it
will cost to provide the access to web sevices like this, especially when
"corporate" interests complain that the universities who house us now are
in "unfair" competition?
Nate is indubitably correct in his estimation that his participation in web
culture will have salutary consequences--or has already had them--for his
and our intellectual growth. And it is not impossible--though it is highly
unlikely, imho--that the benefits which accrue to us in these pursuits can
be reimagined as "public goods" like national defense or clean
water--though these are not bought without price.
But i am not so sanguine. Enjoy it while you can. And be ready to, as Ken
says, breathe under water--where webbed equipment is of some propulsive
us--because the tide is surely turning and the flood will make it tough to
keep our powers dry...
cheers, chers
konopak