RE: [Marxism] My blog

["Jose G. Perez" <elgusanorojo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gilles writes: >>Blogging is a phenomenon with deep social and cultural
implications. Issues such as singular vs plural, self vs collective,
whether it's a democratic tool compared to wikis for instance (see
freezope.org), the practical consequences on a Listserv like this one,
etc. deserve careful examination.<<

Oh give me a break!

Blogging is, on one level, just a cheap, quick-and-dirty, and
ultra-accessible way of publishing a page on the Internet. 

On another, it is simply another iteration in the *expansion* of the
right to freedom of speech and the press *inherent* in the radically
horizontal architecture of the Internet.

While distinct from many other forms of individual and collective
expression (from newsgroups to wikis to file sharing), it IS one more.
Consider not just one blog in itself but bloggers for themselves. Blogs
are ensembles of discoveries and interactions, supremely *social*
despite their "individualist" forms.

We do not yet know all the ramifications of a radically horizontal,
peer-to-peer, end-to-end architecture for the publishing of "content."
But this stuff about blogs "commodifying masturbation" and so on is
bull. You want to see what commoditized masturbation is like, turn of
Faux News or the Corporate News Network. 

Information wants to be free, free not just of the commodity form, but
also free of publishers and other official sponsors. Information about
George Washington wants to be free to play with information about Fidel,
Che and the Beatles. 

Google+blogs = a radical, new, reorganization of information outside the
control of bourgeois editors and bourgeois publishers, as well as their
mirror images, "alternative" and "progressive" publishers and editors.

Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one. The press is a little
freer today compared to a few years ago thanks to blogs.

José


-----Original Message-----
From: marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:marxism-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Gilles
d'Aymery
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2004 11:31 AM
To: marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Marxism] My blog


Xxxx Xxxxxx wrote:
[...]
> What a big deal if people make their own blogs? There are more
> important issues to discuss. Why to waste time on the use of blogs?  

Blogging is a phenomenon with deep social and cultural implications. 
Issues such as singular vs plural, self vs collective, whether it's a 
democratic tool compared to wikis for instance (see freezope.org), 
the practical consequences on a Listserv like this one, etc. deserve 
careful examination.

> If this is all an issue of "commodifying masturbation",  isn't your 
> web
> publication "swans" a commodity at all? Don't you control the 
> content of  your page?

I control the content of what I write, but exercise very little control
on 
the content written by other authors. Ask any regular contributors 
(Louis et al.) about Swans' motus operandi.

Best,
Gilles


_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism

---
Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.712 / Virus Database: 468 - Release Date: 6/27/04
 

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.712 / Virus Database: 468 - Release Date: 6/27/04
 


_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism