anonymity

John Mcreery (jlm@TWICS.COM)
Sun, 1 May 1994 07:34:12 JST

Adding to what Jim Carrier says about anonymity, with which I heartily agree,
there's an interesting piece on intellectual property in WIRED 2.03. It's by
John Perry Barlow and makes the interesting point that in a world inundated
with information what people will pay for is _perspective_. He notes, for
example, a conference of computer-industry people who have shelled out big
bucks to hear Esther Dyson. All have access to the information she's talking
about. What they're paying for is the chance to see it through Esther Dyson's
skirt
dangerously (make that "flirt dangerously") with the proposition that
value is money, to focus there would be, I think, to miss the point. Carrier's
right, it's important to know who's speaking and where they're coming from.
That's a vital part of the social process.

Cheers, John McCreery (JLM@TWICS.COM)