Newmedia on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:18:12 +0100 (CET) |
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Re: <nettime> Twitter does not cause revolution, people do |
Goran:
Thank you for your reply and for raising these important questions.
As you know, it still remains to be seen what will CHANGE in Egypt,
Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Iran, Jordan, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Saudi
Arabia et al.
What we know is that some people's behaviors have changed and that the
media they rely on to "structure" their lives have changed. I believe
that these changes will lead to permanent changes in their societies,
although it will probably not be immediate.
In the late 1970's, I was brought in by the Saudi government to help with
the standardized computer coding of Arabic (i.e. the equivalent to
ASCII). This was because I had invented an Arabic language word processor
(based on WordStar, which I called The Diplomat) and was one of the few in the
Western computer business who understood how the character set was being
used.
I believe that the widespread adoption of Arabic in computers and
communication has contributed to change in the Middle East but, to be sure, this
has taken a long time.
Most of the institutions of the West have been built under the dominant
influence of television. This is a medium that compels you to SIT BACK,
get the equivalent of an eyeball MASSAGE and to go out and buy things that
you don't really need. The result -- in FORMAL CAUSAL terms -- is a
passive, drug-addicted, consumerist society.
As anyone can tell, there are no PEOPLE on television. Yes, you are
right. In this sort of SIMULACRUM of reality, CHANGE is not going to
happen.
But, for the past 20 years, television has been being replaced by the
Internet -- which causes you to LEAN FORWARD, get BUSY and, increasingly, to
SOCIALIZE with other PEOPLE.
The New Yorker cartoon was wrong. On the Internet, you can actually
tell if you are talking to a DOG.
New media CAUSES changes in people's behaviors and attitudes. All I'm
suggesting is that we do our best to understand how this happens.
And, yes, I suspect that those in Tahrir square could write a really
important book about their experiences -- if anyone really wants to read an
obsolete 15-19th century medium anymore. <g>
Mark Stahlman
Brooklyn NY
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