The overarching goal of this site is to question the often giddy, utopianism that accompanies our journey into this new, digital-age reality. I have proposed on a few occasions that battles over issues like copyright are really just proxy wars in a larger, ideological (even semi-religious) cold war between humanistic and techno-centric values. Behind the overt defenses of online piracy or child pornography; behind the barrage of criticisms of old institutions; behind the idol worship of the concept open, there are new-age philosophers whose world views are anti-human, anti-intellectual, and anti-individual.
In this excellent, wry article for NewStatesman.com, Steven Poole offers a realist’s glimpse into the minds behind the memes. Read article here.
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
– Daniel J. Boorstin