IsayUsaySsay

Name   : Henk Ellerman
Time   : 14:00 - 15:00 (Balie Theatre)
Subject: Net Criticism
Date   : Sunday 21 January 1996

The current state and uses of net criticism are discussed in this session. Net criticism can be seen as the attempt to understand the net and its uses. Also it wants to offer critiques of Net-theories and Net-ideologies since both to a certain level guide the praxis on the Net.

A more or less standard ideology is the 'Californian Ideology', characterized by an enormous enthousiasm for the Net, an optimistic if not euphorical perspective on the future in which a new autonomous self-designed human plays a prominent part. This all is combined with a techno-liberal, freemarket like perspective on future economic and social life. It is, in a sense, the hype that so many critics of the new communication technology, love to ridicule. It is also this view that has structured the discussion on net criticisms during this session.

Konrad Becker, coordinator of a public database in Vienna, sees this ideology as evidence for the fact that we live in fact in an age of imagination, of Science Fiction, mythology and propaganda. The californian ideology is part of this, but, in his mind, is far too simplistic. It is plain silly to believe that these new technologies will make life, almost inevitably, better. The backlash on the Californian Ideology is not without grounds. But it should not be overstated. After all, there is nothing wrong with enthousiasm, or fashions. This is also the basis for this conference, and therefore not to be despised.

Katja Diefenbach then made the point that any ideology should be analysed and criticised. Any rhetoric about the Internet is not neutral, but a power that codetermines its future. Especially, awareness is needed for implied patterns of domination in any ideology. The notion that there is an autonomous subject, merely using the Net, also has to be counteracted. We have to realise that the subject is also produced by the Internet and the ideologies surrounding it.

Paul Garrin, artist-activist, then expressed his worries about the potential paralysing effect of net criticism. On the top of his priority list is praxis not theory. The main question is how to empower people, and to accomplish that, we have to engage, here and now, in productivity, not in self-indulgence. A major obstacle to overcome is that Internet more and more becomes a spin off the corporate sector. That is a severe obstacle for the goal of empowerment of the people.

Mark Dery, cultural critic, then ridiculed the Californian Ideology in an eloquent outburst of literary anger. He stressed that this ideology has been devised by a very small number of white men. Negroponte, 'nothing but a salesman', Steward Brand, 'Negroponte's writer', but also management guru's like Drucker and Gilder, are mentioned and honed. These man all have vested interests in the world of big corporations. While it is a fact that the ideology of these men is now conquering the world in a gigantic outburst of promotional acitivity, it is at the same time strange that so small a group can have such a global impact. Perhaps net criticism has not done its work properly, or is their an inherent weakness?

Stephen Kurz, critical art ensemble member, admits that we have as yet no serious critique of the Net. There are new concepts and new ideas, but they have as yet not been woven into a coherent whole. We are forced to operate on an ad hoc fashion: judge what comes by and react to it. And there are options for political action. We can overload certain sites so as to effectively shut them down, and it is possible to block sites. There is hope.

Geert Lovink added to this that the program of this conference is also a reflection of this add hoc state of net criticism. There simply was no overall topic or theme that would cover all participating media initiatives.

Peter Lamborn Wilson also has very little sympathy with the californian ideology. He warns the net user however for the illusion that the praxis of net criticism can be confined to the structure of the Internet. Any 'tech' can be demolished by terror from outside. The Internet can be made ineffective for any subversive political action by the State or the corporate sector. What is also needed is an organisation beyond the Internet. Perhaps it is even better to use the net, or any self-installed network for that matter, as extensions of immediatistic gatherings.

During the discussions that followed a few important points were raised. It was remarked that much of the rhetoric of net criticism is already appropriated by those in political power. The notion of 'Out of Control', the title of the bestseller of Kevin Kelly, editor for the magazine Wired, has been taken over by management guru's to express their free-market ideology. This 'power of integration' of those in power, leads Peter Lamborn Wilson to the remark that we should disapear from the traditional media. This tactic of disappearance was opposed by Garrin and Katja Diefenbach, stating that not fighting these powers could amount to losing the struggle.

The discussion on net criticism ended with a criticims on the organisation. Far too few women and far too few blacks were present. Too many oppressed were not present to express their opinions. This critique was accepted!

Henk Ellerman