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INFOWAR: what forms of resistance against corporate

cultual hegemonies
Date sent:        Mon, 1 Jun 1998 13:08:20 -0400
From:             "benjamin weil <beweil@panix.com>" <beweil@panix.com>
To:               <infowar@aec.at>
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Reply-To: infowar@aec.at

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ARS ELECTRONICA FESTIVAL 98
INFOWAR. information.macht.krieg
Linz, Austria, september 07 - 12
http://www.aec.at/infowar
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I apologize for bringing Microsoft again.  seems like it is hard to avoid 
the subject, and particularly so in the context of this ongoing 
discussion...

The recent development of the "war" between Microsoft and the US 
Government (not to mention that the European Community seems to be into 
proceeding along the same path) has brought forward a very interesting 
issue, which I guess belongs very much to what I understand as being the 
topic of this conference.

in a world where information has become the main - if not sole - 
currency, it is evident that access to, and management of, the 
information interchange is what constitutes the new hierarchy, the new 
privilege.

The control of the desktop means selling more software to people, and may 
also be about selling more goods through recommended e-commerce sites.  
but most important is the control of the bookmarks folder.

I was until recently completely unaware of this fact, having upgraded 
from one browser version to the next with the very same bookmark folder 
ever since I started being involved with the internet.  And I also must 
say I am a Mac user! (romantic, no?).  However, those of you who have 
bought a new computer (equipped with the microsoft setup, which means at 
least 90% of the world) may have noticed that the explorer comes with a 
set bookmark folder.  That basically means that one who does not have any 
sense of what is out there will never have a chance to figure out there 
might be so much more than the sites which microsoft (and, more recently, 
Netscape) have been paid for inclusion into the "virgin" bookmarks folder.

As the web becomes a "mass medium", the advent of such thing as start 
pages and "portals" only furhers this notion that people want the 
information flow to be controled for them by a third party, which usually 
is informed by commercial interests.  This of course translates into the 
disappearance (lack of visibility) of independent minded web content, or 
alternative flows of information. it seems clear to me that this is a 
battlefield.  We could be satisfied by our ongoing discussion and ignore 
the situation, being comfortable amongst ourselves, as a civilized (sic) 
club of educated people who have the tools to make a choice, and enact 
relative control on what we feed on, what we digest, and how we manage 
information.  However, this is perpetuating an order which we are given 
to challenge with network media.  And I believe this is a war worth 
fighting, out of concern for the world that is being shaped around us.  
what kind of activism is appropriate.

I am still an advocate of reformism.  In other words, trying to 
infiltrate as much as we can the larger media structures that are 
actively being set on the internet by Microsoft and the likes.  Is it 
about creating alternative software?  the recent situation with ICQ may 
prove that this is not possible, as smaller companies end up being bought 
by bigger ones whose interest is to perpetuate the existing information 
order. so what tools must we think about, what strategy can be articilate 
tha would really have an impact of some sort?

This is where the term "infowar" makes sense to me.  Late 20th century 
capitalism is a form of war, as we are all aware of it.  the control of 
consuming habits is bad enough.  the control of people's brains without 
alternative is (not far removed from) fascism.  To what extent can we 
adopt and "pervertize" the tools and strategies devised by the corporate 
uniform?

benjamin weil | beweil@panix.com | tel: 212 206-7028



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