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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: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 11 2015, @12:11AM
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.
I'm pretty sure that every other victim of changing times felt the same. Sears Roebuck mail order, automobiles, industrialization, and more all had "victims" of their progress. Nobody wants to be the buggy whip manufacturer after cars gain traction but there you go. Nobody owes anyone else a living.
“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"
Sure, mob rule sucks. People used to go around doing things like lynching, stoning, burning, etc to each other to death for all sorts of reasons. If the only flames you're feeling are from the internet, I would call that a net win to your freedom to express yourself. Moreover, there are support communities where you don't expose yourself to mob rule but still get a network of other people who share experiences you do and can help you figure things out. You have enormous information at your fingertips.
You may not be able to express yourself as publicly as you might like on the internet and not get SWATted if you piss off the wrong people, but the other advantages massively outweigh that drawback. Other than not using your real identity and having to be careful enough with your alternate identity to not be outed, you're free to express yourself in all sorts of ways that you've never been free to before. If you're "mainstream" and not controversial you will likely not even have those restrictions.
(Score: 1) by gmrath on Wednesday February 11 2015, @12:35AM
"People used to go around doing things like lynching, stoning, burning, etc to each other to death for all sorts of reasons."
They still do.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 11 2015, @01:49AM
Hopefully not too often in places where people are overly concerned with internet trolling though. ;o)