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Veteran author and longtime Silicon Valley resident Andrew Keen has stepped up his criticisms of the Internet. Describing the net as a platform that has devolved from its initial ideals and promise into a vehicle of monopolistic, manipulative and exploitative practices, a Guardian article summarizes views now gaining traction. By using Amazon, Google, Facebook, Airbnb, Uber or any other online giant, are we striking a Faustian pact, behind which lays a mass of suffering, surveillance and ruthless harvesting?
Keen supports his arguments by mentioning that even online businesses that cite individual collaboration, those of the 'sharing' economy, are mere cynical fronts for firms already valued in the billions. As money has been sucked out of retail, transportation, photography, research and other industries into the coffers of new Internet giants, the net result has been losses of jobs and the compromise of working conditions. As for the Internet's much-touted 'individual empowerment', Keen counters with the rise of mob mentality - “Rather than creating more democracy, it’s empowering the rule of the mob. Rather than encouraging tolerance, it’s unleashed such a distasteful war on women that many no longer feel welcome on the network". Keen's book - The Internet is not the Answer - is, a touch ironically, available on Amazon.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday February 10 2015, @10:07PM
His basic assumption is crap. The Internet was not invented to liberate and empower its users. It was invented to connect computers together, what we do with them after that is up to us.
The fact that he can start his own Internet service, whatever that might be, using free software, and low cost hardware has not occurred to him?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 10 2015, @10:26PM
basically, he is addressing the 'sales pitches of the 90s' or hype of the 90s that the internet would be all these great things and make life wonderful for everyone. i do remember seeing a lot of messages from commercials and politicians stating things to that effect around the mid 90s.
basically, the internet was an austere paradise at first - like the New World when it was first discovered. it offered great amounts of opportunity and potential in the beginning - again, like the New World. well, it's no longer the New World. it's about the same as the old world now.
where ever man boldly goes quickly becomes like the place he left.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 11 2015, @12:41AM
where ever man boldly goes quickly becomes like the place he left
very true
agent smith said it well too... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM1-DQ2Wo_w [youtube.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 11 2015, @02:20PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 11 2015, @06:34PM
Back in my day: "It [the internet] was invented to connect computers together."
Now its: "The internet was invented to liberate and empower its users."