-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Graham
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: 04/04/00 16:37
Subject: For moderation - Re: Demos
Thanks Tom,
I must be brief, sorry.
>Questions:
>1) what are the implications not only for the knowledge economy, but
the
>post
>knowledge economy which some have suggested is rapidly arriving?
The "knowledge economy" has always been with us, ever since the
knowledge
monopolies of the priests in ancient Egypt and Sumeria, writing, etc.
There
will be no post-knowledge economy. It's impossible. All economies are in
large part knowledge economies, divided into extremes of "sacred" and
"profane" knowledge, each with their own values and significant
artefacts
(knowledges). What there will be is an increased corporatist knowledge
monopoly after they finish buying up, not only the serious academic
publishing, but also the schools, the school curricula, the materials
thereof, and the same for the higher education sector. That's if we let
things keep going as they are. This has already gone a long way to
completion.
>2) if we were to distill from the plethora of redundant ICT
publications,
>including those put out by Demos, is there a microdot of insight, or is
it
>all
>froth- is there a common, key, thread of gold, or a needle in this
haystack?
All froth, no thought. We get to converse like this, though, which is
great
as far as I'm concerned. Great to have the opportunity.
>Here, in the US, particularly around Washington, DC there are hundreds,
nay,
>thousands, of men and women dutifully running around with a small chain
>around
>their neck from whence is dangling a picture id card. Many spend their
lives
>writing reports which sit in little racks of wood and Plexiglas for
visitors
>to
>each department or division. The only thing that changes is the title
and
>accession number on the cover and key nouns and statistics in the
tables
>(aren't
>word processors nice). So, I am not worried about what happens when the
>puffery
>is gone since these folks will just produce the next batch- watch out
for
>intelligent word processors that are on the ict horizon<grin>
Yeah ... the DADA engines are already doing a fine job.
>
>Where is the harm? Well, here in the US it is keeping a lot of over
educated
>persons with sinecures off the unemployment line. On the other hand,
with
>the
>tendency to "dress down", its playing havoc with the tailors, but
raising
>the
>market for sweatshop produced designer casual dress.
>
>thoughts?
Some things have changed. The urge for cheap labour grows.
Phil
Phil Graham
Lecturer (Communication)
University of Queensland
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