Introduction....

[Mark Surman <msurman@web.net>]

                        WHO?


My name is Mark Surman. I've been invited onto this list by Pit Schultz. 


                        WHAT?


My main interests include: utopian popular culture and media revolutions,
the development of democratic communications systems, public access TV,
public space on private networks, and information technology policy
(especially in Canada). During the 40 hours that take up most of my week, I
work for Web Networks (the Association for Progressive Communications member
node in Canada). In previous incarnations, I've worked in both commercial
and public access TV.


                        WORDS!


I have written a number of papers and articles that may be of interest to
the people on this list. I'll try to post some of the shorter ones in the
coming weeks. The longer papers described below can be accessed via the Web
or by e-mail/paper-mail on request.


WIRED WORDS: Utopia, Revolution and the History of Electronic Highways
(http://kows.web.net/wiredwords.html)

Wired Words is about the magic wand of digital revolution. It chronicles the
similarities between the popular culture of the 'Cable Revolution' of the
1970s and the 'Information Highway Revolution' of the 1990s. It looks at the
'wired words' that pop up in both eras, and connects these words to a form
of technological politics which is disempowering, and anti-democratic.
Written in May 1995


FROM VTR TO CYBERSPACE: Jefferson, Gramsci and the Electronic Commons
(http://kows.web.net/ecommons.html)

A paper on electronic public space and democratic communications. It brings
together the history of community access television and experiences of
activism on the Internet in an effort to vision the future of the
"electronic commons" amidst a world of commercial broadband "superhighways".
Written in April 1994


BILL AND DAVE'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE: NBC, Microsoft & the Cycles of History

This short paper draws a 'spiritual' connection between NBC founder David
Sarnoff and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Written in December 1995. (I'll
probably mail this one to the list.)


Comments on these papers always welcome...


********************************
Mark Surman
Content & Publications Developer
Web Networks/NirvCentre
msurman@web.net
********************************