My previous post on the colonization of the Internet was intended to highlight the power of code – software code. I said:
Here you see the basic argument of Lessig: laws that are written to regulate life in physical reality, are insufficient in cyberspace, where regulation is accomplished mainly through the way in which it is built, namely through the “code “.
It should be said that the word “code” is used here in its technological significance, ie the software code: cyberspace is regulated through the software (code) which makes it work.
We can see this with the events in North Africa. Carla Rumor tells us in a clear and concise way how Google and Twitter bypass censorship by giving new voice to the Egyptians.
If you still have a bit of time, it may be worthwhile to deepen the issue by reading Scroogled by Cory Doctorow …
If Google Had Spent $ 15 billion on a program to catch bad guys at the border, you can bet They Would Have Caught Them-Just Governments Are not equipped to Do Search Right.
It’s not about demonizing cyberspace, nor to consider it a paradise. However, it is desirable a joint effort to learn how to regulate cyberspace by means of a clever combination of legislation and code, in order to exploit the extraordinary properties of the cyberspace ecosystem and to protect human rights and freedom, according to the Universal Declaration of human rights and according to the constitutions of democracies.
This is the way to the knowledge society and any political project should take this point into account, seriously.
Un Trackback
[...] Come guardare una blogoclasse (3)Teaching computer literacy for the knowledge societyThe power of codeFrammenti del seminario I CareChi sonoInfo per studentiPer contattarmi [...]