I have very much appreciated the comments of Sam, Michel, Craig, Debbie and
others on the issue of the internet and hp, or more particularly equity of
access to the internet. I see merit in all - or almost all - the points
that have been made. I feel that the internet, like so many other things,
contain both emancipatory and regressive tendencies, and we need to be
aware of them both. On balance each of us retains more optimism or
pessimism in the face of these realities, depending on our overal
disposition and life experiences.

While I see tremendous possibilities for the internet, I'm also conscious
of the possibility that as access broadens, new technological innovations
will emerge that will begin with the same elitist trappings as all other
such innovations have in the past (printing, tv, etc). If this is the case,
then a focus on any single technological innovation such as the internet
risks missing the broader long term trend in which the vast majority are
technologically disadvantaged (as they are in so many other ways) as a
result of ongoing technological innovations which, not accidentally, are
often significant tools and avenues for the exercise of power and control
by dominant classes.  How many of us can remember the arguments about the
emancipatory potential of community television? (television that disrupted
a society that had just achieved relatively high levels of political
participation based on print media). Despite some excellent community
programming, in the main, television has wrought a number of far-reaching
and harmful effects on our society (and has been a significant factor in
maintenance of hegemonic power)... so that the "wonders" of "participation"
implied in the observation that 90% have ownership/access to tv actually
becomes a cogent statement of the *problem*, not a solution (c.f. McLuhan,
Chomsky, and Postman, in particular, for stimulating and insightful
treatments of these issues).

So I guess that on balance I remain pessimistic. At the same time though, I
think it is vital to do all we can to advance emancipatory causes, using
whatever tools we have at our disposal; and if we can't or won't do that
ourselves, then to support the work of others that do; and in any case to
continually draw attention to the contradictions and power relations
inherent in technological innovations, whatever their proponents or
detractors claim.


Blake Poland
Behavioural Science
University of Toronto