I would imagine that we could collectively imagine that there is a
hybrid practices between the web and the "meat-world" (great term). And
that we could collectively allow for a functionality on both
extremes...
i think Robby's post is meant to be a bit (or more) provocative here
(of course, i've been known to be wrong!). and his crit of tech lines
up with some of the other concerns about the false promises of IT to
deliver democracy, so it's not without some sound foundation. Read
Hakim Bey (aka Peter Lamborn Wilson) lately?
Trebor text posted earlier i think also asks some great questions that
had a couple people on his New Media Education challenging the
effectiveness of IT for the purposes of the left. http://mailman.thing.net/pipermail/idc/2005-November/000089.html
Anyway, i think the whole dichotomy thing IT/anti-IT is kind of a
distraction and a bit of a red herring... were people arguing over
whether or not the printing press was going to change the world for the
better, lift up the oppressed, just by being produced?
it did no doubt change the world, but it certainly didn't eliminate
oppression, as our reality testifies to.
great posts.
ryan