little mainstream nudges

[carmin <carmin@pixelyze.com>]

[: hacktivism :]

xdaydreamx@gmx.net wrote:

> [: hacktivism :]
>
> I'm picking up a thread that was dropped a little while ago,
> concerning the "hungersite" and similar projects. I agree that
> the whole idea of clicking away world hunger is a bit perverse,
> especially when those paying for the cups of rice are
> corporations which as a whole surely play a part in creating
> hunger in the first place. But then it is a bit too easy to
> dismiss efforts such as those of the hungersite as complicity.
>
> Let me expand:In a democracy what counts most are votes. In a
> capitalist democracy what counts most is money. Corporations
> want our money and advertising is their way of luring it out
> of our pockets. Most advertising is bland, cost huge amounts
> of money (which goes into the pockets of corporate
> advertisers) and twists our world to conform with corporate
> views (e.g. every woman should want to look like claudia
> schiffer etc.). We are alway told to use our vote wisely
> "because every vote counts". Well what is so bad about using
> what REALLY counts in a capitalist democracy, our purchasing
> power? People have got to wake up to the fact that they wield
> an enormous amount of power and if only they can direct
> corporations to do what they want corporations will have to do
> it. Just as they try to make us dependent on them, they are
> dependent on us. If there is a way to morally force corporations
> to put money where hungry mouths are then I say we do it. Of
> course there is a lot more we can do - as hacktivists. But the
> man in the street isn't up for hacktivist stuff. A little
> nudge in the right direction from efforts such as the hungersite
> might make him do something useful nevertheless. The
> hungersite is therefore a mainstream project (see the
> overwhelming coverage it got in the media) that may not be what
> we really want, but it is a lot better than nothing.

my point exactly... tho articulated much better than i did...

As i read the 'cluetrain manifesto', i saw a useful link btwn their
views and my own.  These could be seeds for perspective and spice in
developing web  applications & hacktivist actions. Not all the points
relate to hacktivism, but the cluetrain manifesto articulated some of my
'high & low level awareness' about 'success on the net' & Big Biz on the
net.  As an web artist, i found most of the "95 Theses" useful food for
thought. For example: #7, "Hyperlinks subvert hierarchy."  I already
knew that, but i appreciate the simplicity of their statement. There
were several theses that rang true for me.  It may not be "new
material", but it's stated so simply that it's quickly read & easily
understood. -- i've been saying 'communication is the commodity of the
net' for years.

In case you *want* to read the manifesto, i boldly post the link... be
warned  ;-)
**** Easily Disgusted and Highly Cynical  -- A D V I S O R Y -- Explicit
Corporate Slant ****
http://www.Cluetrain.com/index.html#manifesto

carmin
--
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    http://www.pixelyze.com/users/carmin



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