Internet - a Barmecide feast?
Herbert Eisele
(Paris)
The Internet represents a truly democratic pattern, ignoring hierarchy
and centrality. Such an open communication circus has aroused cultural
expectations and created opportunities which will be discussed in the following.
A preliminary warning: the Internet is an exchange platform of information,
not of knowledge! The implications of this distinction are shown, as well
as the natural limits of the wish-dream of adepts of globality. A cyber-culture
is bound to remain virtual, and the bridge from virtuality to reality remains
to be built. A short inventory is made of Internet advantages and achievements
for the scientific community and users at large. Networking and especially
knowledge networking is scrutinised, and the ephemeral electronic advantages
are contrasted with durability, which is a prerequisite of every culture.
The Internet's real, not virtual potentials in the reserved domain of politics
are also highlighted.
Brecht's Aquarian vision of little fishes trained to swim into big predators'
festive wide-open mouths is more than a virtual challenge which the well-named
Net can help make real in a fishy world aquarium like ours.
Papers held at the conference "Knowledge Networking in Cultural
Studies" are published in
TRANS.
Internet journal for Cultural Studies, No. 10/2001
Published/last change: 2001-06-20
Location (URL): http://www.inst.at/termine/knowledge/eisele.htm
© Research Institute for Austrian and International
Literature and Cultural Studies (INST),
2001
Webmaster: Andrea
Rosenauer
