[iDC] Net autonomy

[Ryan Griffis]

On Mar 23, 2006, at 7:52 AM, Sarah Lewinson wrote:

> I'm saying this because it seems that some really
> materially and economically progressive  organizing is
> going on-- using the currently available online spaces
> in spite of the limitations of what servers we can
> access...  and despite the  ads they drag around with
> them..like so many dingleberries..
>  in a perverse way, maybe that really local stuff is
> the most resistant to corporate buy out...

i think Sarah's got a point with her assessment of local IMCs and the 
relationship between those mediated and "on the ground" networks. Which 
makes an interesting intersection with john's earlier point about 
"buying local"...
i'm wondering, while reading these discussions, what people make of the 
relationship between political processes and ones of technological 
mediation. it seems that it's easy for us to conflate the technological 
platforms and methods we employ with a political process.
participatory media is a great tool, and one with a lot of potential, 
but i don't think we can, or should, try to automate our politics.
I've found the last Mute issue on FLOSS to be really worthwhile reading
http://www.metamute.org/Underneath-the-Knowledge-Commons
best,
ryan