1984 Foreword: Internet and social control

[Otto]

"Oh," Kivistik said in mock confusion, "I didn't realize one had to have
qualifications."
"I think it's clear," Randy said, "that if you are ignorant of a particular
subject, that your opinion is completely worthless. If I'm sick, I don't ask
a plumber for advice. I go to a doctor. Likewise, if I have questions about
the Internet, I will seek opinions from people who know about it."
(Neal Stephenson: "Cryptonomicon")
http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=0305&msg=80245


"The World Summit on the Information Society offers a unique opportunity to
shape the future of the information society so that all people can enjoy
these benefits."
Kofi Annan, 18 June 2003

What is the promise of the Information Society?
Increasing our ability to communicate and share information and knowledge
increases the possibility for a more peaceful and prosperous world for all
of its inhabitants. However, the majority of the world's people will not be
able to benefit from this information revolution unless they are enabled to
participate fully in the emerging knowledge-based society.
http://www.itu.int/wsis/basic/faqs.asp

Pynchon says a lot of potentially positive things about a world-wide-web
in the Luddite-essay and he's warning of the negative possibilities too in
the _1984_-Foreword.

There's the promise that sharing information can do good and there's the
threat while doing so you're leaving traces of everything you do and this
may
be used against you one day. If you're living under a tyrant regime.

Otto