[Nettime-bold] What is @XXX? [Re: Stop the G8: Online Demonstration Scheduled]

[sebastian@rolux.org]

 > What is @XXX?
 > @XXX is called Internet Time and is a universal timezone. The time is the
 > same all around the world, simplifying planning and coordination. On our
 > website there is a program to help you convert to and from Internet Time.

if i'm not completely wrong here, @XXX is *swatch* internet time, introduced by
the swiss multinational in 1998, setting up a new global meridian in biel (the
location of their headquarters), and attempting to unify and monopolize the
variety of existing time zones.

there has been a long thread on nettime back then. as geert lovink put it: "the
ideology of 'global time' is the terror logic of the corporate world state. it
stands for the worst aspect of globalism: the 24-hour economy, in which workers'
rights have been abolished all together. an impoverished, 'flexible' free-lance
labour force can be employed day and night, thereby disrupting biological
rhythms and social time in general." or, to quote swatch's promotional prose:
"there is a revolution taking place eliminating time-zones and geographical
borders" -- which i'd say is corporate propaganda as cynical as it can get.

want to read more? "biel meantime (bmt) is the universal reference for internet
time. a day in internet time begins at midnight bmt (@000 swatch .beats)
(central european wintertime). the meridian is marked for all to see on the
fa�ade of the swatch international headquarters on jakob-staempfli street, biel,
switzerland. so, it is the same time all over the world, be it night or day, the
era of time zones has disappeared. the bmt meridian was inaugurated on 23
october 1998 in the presence of nicholas negroponte, founder and director of the
massachusetts institute of technology's media laboratory."

i think @791-916 is not a good time for an online demonstration against the g8.


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