Broadband Claims, A Little Dubious
Posted on March 10, 2008
Filed Under Content Co-Creation |
Charles Leadbeater writing in the Observer Sunday believes broadband access is our most potent way to promote democracy. The article was also a page long ad promoting Charle’s book, We Think. We Think is an extended essay on content co-creation and Charles consults on these issues.
“In time even top-down public services will feel the power of We Think.” That kind of thing. “The Linux community is the most impressive example of sustained We Think.”
The book is published by Porfile and clearly they’ve asked for those two keywords to run through the book, articles and websites associated with it.
Powerful claims. Still I disagree. I think broadband facilitates different kinds of participation but they have little to do with political processes. Or rather political processes are quite separate these days from how we run our lives. I doubt the Guru will survive the move towards participation either.
I sense we are running away from a rational way of life - one where we force egalitarian objectives on our democratic representatives. One where we don’t even force probity on them any longer. One where we’d rather play games like the alternative reality game set up for Halo 2, quote by Charles. Last night I spend an hour on a virtual reality cruise liner - what else needs to be said? In this situation political parties become stronger rather than weaker.
Broadband television, soon to be coupled to broadband games and multiple realities, will accelerate the flight of rational people from dull ole democracy.
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