From: George Free <gfree-AT-linux.ca>
Subject: Re: Multiple Postings
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 20:01:03 -0500


On Mon, 28 Aug 2000, karl.maton wrote:

> One thing to bear in mind when discussing listservs is easily forgotten, as has
> been shown with some assumptions by one or two people in the past about the
> status and centrality of other members of the listserv.  That is that listservs
> tend to exhibit the academic heirarchy reversed.  The more one appears, the lower
> down the heirarchy one is.  For it takes time, which those in higher positions
> often do not have (e.g. admin responsibilities), it takes being bothered to reply
> in a forum which does not produce high symbolic profits for the author, and so
> on.  One rarely finds 'names' on listservs (with apologies to all ezceptions, and
> / or those who consider themselves exceptions).  A while ago, someone reproduced
> a table of the quantity of postings by various list members and intimated that
> this represented some kind of heirarchy.  It may, in fact, represent a heirarchy,
> but one reversed.
> 

I can attest to the truth of this observation ;-)

What concerns me, though, is how little the new information technologies have
penetrated into the academic and intellectual hierarchy. These technologies
offer a great opportunity for increased collaboration and
communication ... but for the most part our current authorities don't want
that. They preserve their place and distance by maintaining the ancient forms
of academic communication...

On the whole, academic discussions of the new communications technology
are aimed at demonising it, at seeing it as another form of cultural
levelling, and 'Americanisation' ... A sure sign that academic, cultural
conservativism is alive and well (and often, most staunchly, among the
'leftist' cultural critics).

There are some glimmerings of new possibilities, though, such as
http://www.opencontent.org/ ... As usual, in the history of thought, its the
technical workers who are leading the way.

cheers,
George

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