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· · · · · · A E C F O R U M - "M E M E S I S" · · · · ·
· · · · · · · (http://www.aec.at/meme/symp/) · · · · · ·
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To: all participants of the memesis network discussion
Topic: towards a cybercivic discussion culture
Budapest, may 30th, 1996
Dear Participants,
in the last days I wrote a summary of the first six weeks of the
Memesis network discussion. This compilation was done for the
catalogue, which has a strict deadline, this week. Of course this
selection is very subjective. I tried to make a personal story out of
it so that the reader will not get bored by a random accumulation of
quotations. Perhaps I will mail it to the panel members once it ready
in it's definite version.
One thing came into my mind, which I hesitated to write in my letter to
you, I sent a couple of days ago. I would like to urge all of you to
discuss in a proper way. One should use arguments and think twice
before using strong words. This should be a civilized discussion, not a
cyberwar. The memesis discussion is and never will be a 'demolition
derby', as Perry Hoberman suggested. It is perfectly normal to write
down a short, radical manifest as a start of a discussion and then see
how other people use this text to express their own ideas, even in a
harsh and bold way. Gerfried Stocker nor me feel attacked in a personal
manner. We initiated this discussion after all...
As I wrote in my opening statement, the media art scene is now entering
a new phase, much more filled with controversies than in the past
decades. We have to develop our own 'discussion culture', bring the Net
alive with interesting debates, in order to come to cleaver and wise
decisions in which direction these new media should evolve. These
debates should be lively and have a high intellectual level, with a big
variety of cultural sources.
So the memesis network discussion is NOT a computer game with 'winners'
and 'losers'. People are NOT fighting a 'losing battle', as Douglas
Rushkoff writes. We are not at all involved in a battle. And memetics
is NOT 'under attack' (see: Hans-Cees Speel in Open Forum) simply
because its premises are critized by someone. This debate is NOT
'mutated', we exchange ideas here. For example, Roy Ascott has NO
'rotting memes', even tough he introduces this term himself. He is NOT
the representative of a 'decaying ideology' and does NOT live in a
'nursery room'. And Richard Barbrook is NOT telling the truth.
Start the War on Cyberwars. I myself am very proud if someone calls me
'a loser', I never identified myself with the 'winners'. And remember:
the world is ruled by ancient old, rotten ideologies and will be for
the time being. No one owns the future or exclusive, 'scientific'
knowledge on the Net and its culture.
And let's now start the second round! It's gonna be very interesting.
Many greetings, szia,
your moderator,
Geert Lovink
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