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platform2 [2018/03/21 10:20]
admin
platform2 [2018/03/21 10:21]
admin
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 Mass surveillance fed hysteria and conspiracy theories both among leftists and reactionaries like Turkey’s strongman Erdogan. Yet however bleak the prospect of Internet tyranny, the contest over cyberspace long remained undecided. ​ Compared to the massive array of cyber weaponry in the hands of corporations and governments,​ the power of a few thousands cell phones in the hands of pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong seems puny. But was it? Thanks to an improvised networking App called FireChat, the cell phones enabled the “Umbrella Revolution” protesters to occupy the financial capital of Asia and hold the power Communist China at bay for more than two months. David vs. Goliath? ​ Mass surveillance fed hysteria and conspiracy theories both among leftists and reactionaries like Turkey’s strongman Erdogan. Yet however bleak the prospect of Internet tyranny, the contest over cyberspace long remained undecided. ​ Compared to the massive array of cyber weaponry in the hands of corporations and governments,​ the power of a few thousands cell phones in the hands of pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong seems puny. But was it? Thanks to an improvised networking App called FireChat, the cell phones enabled the “Umbrella Revolution” protesters to occupy the financial capital of Asia and hold the power Communist China at bay for more than two months. David vs. Goliath? ​
  
-=== Government surveillance ​===+== Government surveillance ==
  
 Let us begin with the issue of mass surveillance. Whistle-blower Edward Snowden’s revelation of the CIA’s mass collection of telephone records and emails, including those of world leaders like Angela Merkel, finally opened the debate over Civil Liberties and the right of privacy. As U.S. President Obama and the Congress went through the motions of restricting mass surveillance,​ new revelations based on Snowden’s vast trove of government files showed that this surveillance,​ including dirty tricks, was only increasing. Moreover, the US was far from the only country waging cyber war against its citizens and perceived enemies abroad. China in particular had a highly developed surveillance and penetration apparatus. Also Russia. Furthermore,​ criminal elements used the same techniques to steal identities and empty people’s bank accounts. ​ Let us begin with the issue of mass surveillance. Whistle-blower Edward Snowden’s revelation of the CIA’s mass collection of telephone records and emails, including those of world leaders like Angela Merkel, finally opened the debate over Civil Liberties and the right of privacy. As U.S. President Obama and the Congress went through the motions of restricting mass surveillance,​ new revelations based on Snowden’s vast trove of government files showed that this surveillance,​ including dirty tricks, was only increasing. Moreover, the US was far from the only country waging cyber war against its citizens and perceived enemies abroad. China in particular had a highly developed surveillance and penetration apparatus. Also Russia. Furthermore,​ criminal elements used the same techniques to steal identities and empty people’s bank accounts. ​
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 Like the use of torture, the massive surveillance programs failed to foil any terrorist plots, although it  sharply curtailed favorable opinion of the U.S. among people around the world. Obama’s inhuman policy of assassination-by-drone on the basis of profiling, with its inevitable civilian casualties, ​ certainly did more to recruit new fighters to Al Qaeda than hundreds of fanatical Islamic preachers, and U.S. imperialism was visibly losing both the “war for the hearts and minds of men (sic)” and the “war on terror.” Its “victories” in Iraq and Afghanistan ​ left nothing but ruin and resentment in their wake, paving the way for ISIS and more rogue states. ​ Like the use of torture, the massive surveillance programs failed to foil any terrorist plots, although it  sharply curtailed favorable opinion of the U.S. among people around the world. Obama’s inhuman policy of assassination-by-drone on the basis of profiling, with its inevitable civilian casualties, ​ certainly did more to recruit new fighters to Al Qaeda than hundreds of fanatical Islamic preachers, and U.S. imperialism was visibly losing both the “war for the hearts and minds of men (sic)” and the “war on terror.” Its “victories” in Iraq and Afghanistan ​ left nothing but ruin and resentment in their wake, paving the way for ISIS and more rogue states. ​
  
-=== Secrecy, censorship, etc. === +== Secrecy, censorship, etc. ==
  
 There was more happening on the Internet’s dark side than just government snooping. Under capitalism, all of Cyberspace was contested space, and the terrains being contested included secrecy, censorship, encryption, whistleblowing and hacking. Again, governments and corporations invested major resources in controlling these terrains, yet they remained another sphere of Cyberspace where David might still have the advantage over Goliath. ​ There was more happening on the Internet’s dark side than just government snooping. Under capitalism, all of Cyberspace was contested space, and the terrains being contested included secrecy, censorship, encryption, whistleblowing and hacking. Again, governments and corporations invested major resources in controlling these terrains, yet they remained another sphere of Cyberspace where David might still have the advantage over Goliath. ​
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 As for Cyber war between governments,​ the 2010 U.S.-Israeli cyber-attack on Iranian nuclear facilities gave a foretaste of the kind of mass destruction of communication and energy grids planned for future wars between nations. On the other hand, Cyber war is a real life computer game in which David and Goliath compete on an even playing field: the Internet. All that counts in this game is brains and initiative, and the subculture of programmers and hackers, imbued with the libertarian,​ cooperative,​ anarchic hacker mentality, has brains and initiative to spare. ​ As for Cyber war between governments,​ the 2010 U.S.-Israeli cyber-attack on Iranian nuclear facilities gave a foretaste of the kind of mass destruction of communication and energy grids planned for future wars between nations. On the other hand, Cyber war is a real life computer game in which David and Goliath compete on an even playing field: the Internet. All that counts in this game is brains and initiative, and the subculture of programmers and hackers, imbued with the libertarian,​ cooperative,​ anarchic hacker mentality, has brains and initiative to spare. ​
  
-=== Commercialization ​===+== Commercialization ==
  
  The Internet, originally a conduit for grad students to share research and jokes, has burgeoned into a platform for giant corporations. Within a generation, firms like eBay, Facebook, YouTube, Groupon, and Amazon – some starting literally in somebody’s garage – mushroomed into multi-billion-dollar businesses. Internet commerce, Internet entertainment,​ Internet communication and Internet social networks were the hottest items in the otherwise sluggish post-2008 economy. With its user base growing exponentially,​ the Internet connected corporations directly with the credit cards of an endless supply of consumers. It was free. It selected. It penetrated. It appealed to instant gratification and promoted addictions like gambling and pornography. Potential customers were targeted using algorithms that analyze the vast amount of their personal information available online. This could be as innocent as Amazon telling you that “readers who enjoyed the book you just bought also liked…” On the other hand:   The Internet, originally a conduit for grad students to share research and jokes, has burgeoned into a platform for giant corporations. Within a generation, firms like eBay, Facebook, YouTube, Groupon, and Amazon – some starting literally in somebody’s garage – mushroomed into multi-billion-dollar businesses. Internet commerce, Internet entertainment,​ Internet communication and Internet social networks were the hottest items in the otherwise sluggish post-2008 economy. With its user base growing exponentially,​ the Internet connected corporations directly with the credit cards of an endless supply of consumers. It was free. It selected. It penetrated. It appealed to instant gratification and promoted addictions like gambling and pornography. Potential customers were targeted using algorithms that analyze the vast amount of their personal information available online. This could be as innocent as Amazon telling you that “readers who enjoyed the book you just bought also liked…” On the other hand: 
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 Every day, corporations were connecting the dots about peoples personal behavior – silently scrutinizing clues left behind by their work habits and Internet use. The data compiled and portraits created are incredibly detailed, to the point of being invasive… Hidden algorithms could make (or ruin) reputations,​ decide the destiny of entrepreneurs,​ or even devastate an entire economy. ​ Every day, corporations were connecting the dots about peoples personal behavior – silently scrutinizing clues left behind by their work habits and Internet use. The data compiled and portraits created are incredibly detailed, to the point of being invasive… Hidden algorithms could make (or ruin) reputations,​ decide the destiny of entrepreneurs,​ or even devastate an entire economy. ​
  
-=== Culture ​===+== Culture ==
  
 Another serious danger was the way the algorithms used by Facebook and other sites ended up feeding users only information which the machine “thinks” they want, thus reinforcing their prejudices and insulating them from unpleasant information (for example about global warming). To be sure, close-mindedness is nothing new: long before the Internet, liberals, conservatives and extremists of the Right and Left generally read only publications they agreed with. The Internet algorithm has a multiplier effect. ​ Another serious danger was the way the algorithms used by Facebook and other sites ended up feeding users only information which the machine “thinks” they want, thus reinforcing their prejudices and insulating them from unpleasant information (for example about global warming). To be sure, close-mindedness is nothing new: long before the Internet, liberals, conservatives and extremists of the Right and Left generally read only publications they agreed with. The Internet algorithm has a multiplier effect. ​
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 Indeed, during the broadcast era, the public could  choose only among various brands of pap (with rare exceptions) beamed down at them by the big networks, NBC, CBS and ABC. The difference with the Internet was that the public now had a vast number of choices, and that users are proactive (for better or for worse) in seeking out information and entertainment on demand. Thus although pornography occupied more sites than any other subject, with violence running a close second, Internauts also have instant access to Shakespeare,​ online university classes, Ted talks, Noam Chomsky, Wikipedia, Marxists.org etc., and all the links they lead to.  Indeed, during the broadcast era, the public could  choose only among various brands of pap (with rare exceptions) beamed down at them by the big networks, NBC, CBS and ABC. The difference with the Internet was that the public now had a vast number of choices, and that users are proactive (for better or for worse) in seeking out information and entertainment on demand. Thus although pornography occupied more sites than any other subject, with violence running a close second, Internauts also have instant access to Shakespeare,​ online university classes, Ted talks, Noam Chomsky, Wikipedia, Marxists.org etc., and all the links they lead to. 
  
-=== Isolation ​===+== Isolation ==
  
 Another danger posed by the pervasiveness of Internet social media was a decline in sociability with people isolated alone in front of their screens. Increasingly,​ even when friends gathered, their attention was maddeningly focused on their online devices, prioritizing their virtual lives over their actual lives. According to MIT technology and society specialist Sherry Turkle writing in 2013, “technology has become the architect of our intimacies.” In Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other  she argues that “this relentless connection leads to a new solitude.” To be sure, the Internet could isolate people, but it also allowed them to get to know each other, to feel less alone, to access information,​ and eventually to mobilize massively for action. ​ Another danger posed by the pervasiveness of Internet social media was a decline in sociability with people isolated alone in front of their screens. Increasingly,​ even when friends gathered, their attention was maddeningly focused on their online devices, prioritizing their virtual lives over their actual lives. According to MIT technology and society specialist Sherry Turkle writing in 2013, “technology has become the architect of our intimacies.” In Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other  she argues that “this relentless connection leads to a new solitude.” To be sure, the Internet could isolate people, but it also allowed them to get to know each other, to feel less alone, to access information,​ and eventually to mobilize massively for action. ​
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 Facebook “friends” may not have been the real friends whom we can depend on to nurse us when we’re sick, but they were an expression of the universal need of human beings for empathy, attention, sympathy, and admiration, however commercialized and crass Facebook may be. Indeed, according to economist and social theorist Jeremy Rifkin writing in 2010, empathic relations are more fundamental to what constitutes human nature than aggression and competition – as was previously believed. In The Empathic Civilization:​ The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis, Rifkin argues that Internet technology represented a “third industrial revolution” that would bring people together on an empathic basis and thus save the world from ecological catastrophe. As we now know, he was prophetic ​ Facebook “friends” may not have been the real friends whom we can depend on to nurse us when we’re sick, but they were an expression of the universal need of human beings for empathy, attention, sympathy, and admiration, however commercialized and crass Facebook may be. Indeed, according to economist and social theorist Jeremy Rifkin writing in 2010, empathic relations are more fundamental to what constitutes human nature than aggression and competition – as was previously believed. In The Empathic Civilization:​ The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis, Rifkin argues that Internet technology represented a “third industrial revolution” that would bring people together on an empathic basis and thus save the world from ecological catastrophe. As we now know, he was prophetic ​
  
-=== Capitalist takeover of the Internet? ​===+== Capitalist takeover of the Internet? ==
  
 Nonetheless,​ massive data collection, invasion of privacy, mindless content, isolation, stultification of the public, attempts to privatize the Internet and above all its commercialization by mega-corporations were real threats to personal freedom and the democratic ideal. People began to ask the question: Aren’t big business and government taking over the Internet? The answer was not entirely, for the simple reason that the Internet is literally infinite. No one can occupy all that space. As long as everyone has equal access to post a blog or start a Twitter account, Cyberspace remains a level playing field. Low-cost sites like WikiLeaks (and Islamic State recruiting chat rooms!) had proven more influential than the US government’s costly propaganda apparatus and the mainstream media that follow the government “line.” It did not matter how many millions of glittering, seductive commercial sites are out there fishing for our wallets and for our hearts and minds. Open access – the possibility of many-to-many communication – remained the key to Internet democracy. Realizing this power, corporations and governments began a second wave of assaults, this time on the very technological basis of the Internet, on 'net neutrality,'​ platforms and domain names, in an effort to control it. Nonetheless,​ massive data collection, invasion of privacy, mindless content, isolation, stultification of the public, attempts to privatize the Internet and above all its commercialization by mega-corporations were real threats to personal freedom and the democratic ideal. People began to ask the question: Aren’t big business and government taking over the Internet? The answer was not entirely, for the simple reason that the Internet is literally infinite. No one can occupy all that space. As long as everyone has equal access to post a blog or start a Twitter account, Cyberspace remains a level playing field. Low-cost sites like WikiLeaks (and Islamic State recruiting chat rooms!) had proven more influential than the US government’s costly propaganda apparatus and the mainstream media that follow the government “line.” It did not matter how many millions of glittering, seductive commercial sites are out there fishing for our wallets and for our hearts and minds. Open access – the possibility of many-to-many communication – remained the key to Internet democracy. Realizing this power, corporations and governments began a second wave of assaults, this time on the very technological basis of the Internet, on 'net neutrality,'​ platforms and domain names, in an effort to control it.
platform2.txt · Last modified: 2018/05/18 10:56 by admin