Re: <nettime> P2P Foundation: A Synthetic Overview of the Collaborative Econo...

[Newmedia@aol.com]

Keith:
 
> I want to believe too, but it will take more than an 
> economist article on car-sharing to persuade me 
> that the new order is (once again) just round the corner.

It's the technology (stupid <g>)!!
 
The economy under the *environmental* conditions of the BOOK was one thing  
-- "Wealth of Nations" and "Fable of the Bees" and "Communist Manifesto."
 
The economy under the *environmental* conditions of ELECTRICITY (i.e.  
mass-media) was another thing -- "Mechanical Bride" and "Human Use of Human  
Beings" and "Mass Psychology of Fascism" and "The Century of the Self."
 
The economy under the *environmental* conditions of DIGITAL technology  
(i.e. *hands-on" D.I.Y., needs-over-wants) is yet another thing -- "The  
Intention Economy" and "Future, Perfect" and "Digital Labor" and "A  Synthetic 
Overview" and . . .
 
If you don't think this through and continue to look at all this through  
the eyes of those who lived their lives in the UTOPIAN world of British 
Library  "capitalism vs. socialism," then you will never figure it out.
 
Technology changes EVERYTHING.  Really.
 
In addition to these *fundamental* changes in the technological environment 
 -- which have massive impact on our behaviors and attitudes, which then 
form the  basis of our radically changing economies -- the progress of science 
and  technology has so basically altered the fabric of society (i.e.  
industrialization, health-care, management, warfare, etc.) that relying on  
centuries old thinking is worse than irresponsible . . . it's stupid.
 
Then add to this that the fact the "values" associated with European  
*alphabetic* literate (i.e. book-based technology) culture are NOT shared by the  
rest of the world (sorry Tony Blair etal, you are completely *wrong*) -- 
not in  Delhi, not in Shanghai, not in Rio, not in Pretoria, not in Cairo -- 
and  trying to overlay these Western "historic" schemas on what is NOW 
happening in  these places is *certain* to fail.
 
What does the INTERNET *do* to US?  And, how are  these *effects* 
essentially different from BOOKS and  ELECTRICITY?
 
If you don't think this through (which requires over-riding your "wants"  
and "beliefs"), you will miss everything that is happening . . . NOW.
 
Mark Stahlman
Brooklyn NY
 

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