[iDC] The People Formerly Known as the Employers

[john sobol]

On 17-Nov-08, at 8:55 AM, Brian Holmes wrote:

> But I also repeat my
> earlier request: what are some examples of great professional
> initiatives which I might have missed and could help me and others see
> where the positive energy and ethics are going these days? As things
> stand, from what I can make out, the media ecology is in bad shape. We
> all can do better, or suffer the continuing slide of our societies  
> into
> a kind of frenetic state of easily manipulated passion, fetishization
> and amnesia.

Well, that is rather a glum interpretation of recent events. I think  
the obvious example is Obama's approach to the media ecology and the  
impact that has had on the world, and of course on America in  
particular. Lots of folks have written on this (including me, on my  
erratic blog www.thetalkingshop.ca) but surely it must rank as 'the'  
great professional initiative of recent networked times.

In addition, is it the case that

> easily manipulated passion, fetishization
> and amnesia.

have been absent from capitalist social life - or for that matter  
socialist social life - at any time in modern history?

Admittedly more products engender more fetishization, but the impulse  
is not new. And also admittedly, amnesia is becoming an irrelevant  
concept as the web eats history altogether, but again, history was  
always contingent anyway so...

I'm not trying to pick a fight...just riffing a bit after work...and  
certainly I am loathe to be the defender of big business but...as you  
said Brian:

> The point is to think in terms of a media ecology
> where the different strong points become stronger. .

the question is: what do you do if some of the strongest points of  
personal autonomy occur within a corporate context of latent control?  
is it alienated false-consciousness or a new kind of economy? who  
decides what's exploitation and what's empowerment?

ack...need rest, possibly a beer...but nice to see iDC kicking again...

John Sobol