Screw the major media. The internet is the new populist media.

[Peak_Oil]

We are in control on the net. There is no corporation so pervasive and rich that could buy every free discussion website on the net. From what I hear, the teens and twenties use the net more than the 30's and 40's do. I'm not sure they read DU, but they're used to getting information this way rather than through print sources and maybe even broadcase media.

Looks like the newspapers are going to have to follow our lead if they want to have any chance of advertising to this demographic.

[JCMach1]

1. Damn straight

:)

My website gets 1M+ hits every month... How much voice and power does that give me?

Quite alot... we are the NEW media...

[Libby2]

2. The only thing they understand

is the bottom line, and we are the bottom line.

[sweetheart]

3. Expect them to start charging for content

"they" know that the internet could easily displace TV and radio in
a few years, so "how" to control it.

Well, they're talking about levying bandwidth charging based on the
type of content. This way, alternate internet TV stations and radio,
will not be viable. I think they'll try to price the people out of
the medium and destroy it.

Enjoy the freedom while we have it.

[cprise]

4. Absurd

That's like saying road construction companies were the populist media of the 20th century, because newspapers used highways for distribution.

And you are the Internet even less than you are the highway system. Unless you can show me how Internet backbones are public property.

We all appreciate the flexibility and reach of the Internet and the variety of people who publish on it, but please don't delude yourselves. The only reason you haven't experienced a crackdown is because nothing you've done has decided an election -- yet.

You haven't stopped the war or come close to putting the conglomerates past their pain threshold. If Kerry is elected AND he pushes through media reform AND blackbox voting is banned only then will the beast be cornered enough to justify a serious effort at content control. Until then, the private conglomerates that dominate the the public spectrum will continue to manipulate people into apathy and self-destruction.

IMO the Internet is not the long-term solution to our news problem. Only a large, independant public broadcaster can maintain a populist voice and a responsible news culture. Unfortunately, we have a weak "public" broadcaster that is both politicized and commercialized.

[bpilgrim]

5. thank GORE he 'INVENTED' the INTERNET ;-)

"That's like saying road construction companies were the populist media of the 20th century, because newspapers used highways for distribution."

no, a better annaolgy is that almost anyone can own their own press.


"And you are the Internet even less than you are the highway system. Unless you can show me how Internet backbones are public property."

the internet was funded by PUBLIC dollars. and being that we are the internet is where we derive our power.

"We all appreciate the flexibility and reach of the Internet and the variety of people who publish on it, but please don't delude yourselves. The only reason you haven't experienced a crackdown is because nothing you've done has decided an election -- yet."

actually, there have been crack downs though they are targted because the feds can't afford to shut it down for 3 reasons.

1. military
2. commerce
3. the best way for big bro to know are thoughts and keep tabs on us ever invented.

"You haven't stopped the war or come close to putting the conglomerates past their pain threshold. If Kerry is elected AND he pushes through media reform AND blackbox voting is banned only then will the beast be cornered enough to justify a serious effort at content control. Until then, the private conglomerates that dominate the the public spectrum will continue to manipulate people into apathy and self-destruction."

how do you no their plans didn't have us in other countries by now if not for the massive scrutiny and rapid dissemination by the internet?

nothing comes with out a struggle and that struggle is cumalitive and long term.

need i mention jon stewart and many others who are currently using the main stream media to great effect?

true, we need to reassert our authority over the public air ways but the only way we are going to do that is with an informed citizenry pressuring the politicos.

"IMO the Internet is not the long-term solution to our news problem. Only a large, independant public broadcaster can maintain a populist voice and a responsible news culture. Unfortunately, we have a weak "public" broadcaster that is both politicized and commercialized."

many smart, tech folks have underestimated the power of the internet in the past, even Bill Gate, though that certainly desn't make it true or false it just points to how new and vast this potential is.

independant, public broadcasters have usually been the products of GRASS ROOTS publicly funded small groups of dedicated people.

in case you haven't noticed thats exactly what we are here... just a different medium that happens to have a wider reach with multible and NEW media ;->

I am in awe of the collective power of networking wetware :wow:

:hi:

peace