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How Technology Almost Lost the War

The writing on "network centric warfare" has had a surprising amount of influence on some of the best thinking in the field of networks and civil society. Thus it is with great interest that I read Noah Shachtman's article on How Technology Almost Lost the War in Iraq. It's a stinging indictment of how easy it is to focus on technology, rather than people and communication. As it turns out, the critical networks are social, not electronic. This is some sort of big surprise? It seems that in addition to all the other horrific ways to describe the Iraq War, it's also quite possibly the largest and most expensive example of technocentric planning in history. Posted: 12/3/07; 11:06:37 AM #

The Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act: A Tutorial in Orwellian Newspeak

With what looks like the invevitable passage of the "Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act" it might be time for you to check to see whether your organization has any views that are "extremist" according to the vague language of the bill and it's likely pattern of enforcement by the Bush administration. Does your organization in any way advocate nonviolent civil disobendience? Does it support policies that are in any way out of the narrow corporate mainstream? You might want to worry. And you might want to read Robert Weitzel A Tutorial in Orwellian Newspeak. Posted: 12/3/07; 11:00:52 AM #

How the Peace Movement Can Win: A Field Guide
	If you're like me and your puzzled and discouraged by the U.S peace movement, you might be interested in Tom Hayden's Field Guide to How the Peace Movement Can Win. It's an interesting bit of strategic thinking that focuses on old fashioned grassroots organizing, rather than cream skimming, triangulating media tactics. Posted: 12/3/07; 10:56:28 AM #

Information Society Project: Reputation Economies Symposium

As regular readers will know, I have an interest in economic systems that don't allocate economic power based on ownership. This is one of my many reasons for being interested in the role of networks in civil society. So, I wish I were able to attend the Information Society Project's Reputation Economies Symposium, coming up at Yale Law School on December 8, 2007. There are four panel discussions planned: Making Your Name Online, Privacy and Reputational Protection, Reputational Quality and Information Quality, and Ownership of Cyber-Reputation. Posted: 12/3/07; 10:46:38 AM #