Brian Eno @ German news magazine Der Spiegel:
"I notice that certain radical social experiments that even the most idealistic anarchists seem utopian, fifty years ago, had to take place now smoothly and without fanfare. These include the open-source development, shareware and freeware, Wikipedia, MoveOn and UK Citizens Online Democracy.
I notice that the power of the world is not entirely liberated in the same way as we had expected. Repressive regimes can turn it off, and can use it as liberal propaganda. On the positive side, I notice that the difference in the trustworthiness of the network has made people more skeptical about the information they receive from all other media.
It occurs to me now that I know as my patchwork of a wider range of sources digest than in the past. Also, I notice that I'm less inclined to look for through-composed, finished stories, and more prefer to make my own collage from, what I can find. What strikes me is that I read books cursory and they scan in the same manner as I scan the network - when I "bookmark" set.
It strikes me that to make the turn of the century dream of bioethicists Darryl Macer, a map of all the concepts in the world, an autonomous way is reality - in the form of the network.
It occurs to me that I communicate with more people, but less detail. It strikes me that it is possible to have confidential relationships that exist only in the net and have little or no physical components. It strikes me that it is even possible to engage in complex social projects, such as making music, without ever seeing the other employees. From the value of these changes I'm not convinced.
It occurs to me that was the idea of "community" is changing: While the term once described a certain physical and geographical ties between the people, he can now "the pursuit of common interests" mean. What strikes me is that I now belong to hundreds of communities - the community of people who are interested in active democracy, the community of people who for synthesizers, for climate change, Tommy Cooper jokes, for copyright, for A cappella singing, for speakers interested in the philosophy of pragmatism, the theory of evolution, etc..
It strikes me that the desire for community with millions of people so strongly that they belong entirely fictional communities such as Second Life and World of Warcraft. My concern is that this could work to the detriment of real life.
I notice that I have more time than before to spend with words and language - because that is the currency of the net. My note books may take longer to get full. I notice also that night I rougher the disappearance of the fax machine because it is a more personal communication tool than e-mail because it allowed drawing and handwritten letters. I notice that my mind is primarily a linguistic one, for example, compared to visual functioning is established.
It occurs to me that has changed the concept of "experts". An expert was usually "someone who had access to particular information." But now since so much information accessible to everyone equally, the notion of "experts" to "someone who can interpret the information better." The ruling has replaced the access.
I notice that I've become a slave to the network - that my e-mails several times a day look that I worry about the pile of unsolicited and unanswered emails in my inbox. It strikes me that it is difficult to find a whole morning to think without interruption. I notice that you expect from me that I will answer e-mails immediately, and that it is difficult not to do so. I notice that I am consequently impulsive.
I notice that I frequently donate money in response to calls on the Internet. I notice that "memes" are now directly spreading infections such as malignant by the vectors of the network can - and that's not always good. I notice that sometimes I'll sign petitions for things I do not really understand, and only because it is so easy. I suppose that this kind of irresponsibility is rife.
It strikes me that what pushed the network to another location in a modified form reappears. For example, musicians were usually on tour to make their records for advertising, but since vinyl records or CDs because of illegal downloads are not earned much more money they make records now, to promote her tours. Book stores, their employees are familiar with books, and familiar record stores, their employees, with music, are frequent.
It strikes me that the more the power of free or cheap versions of something provides the "authentic experience" - the unique, unmediated experience - is valued more highly. It strikes me that the authors devote more attention to those aspects of their work that can not be duplicated. The "authentic" has replaced the Reproducible.
I notice that hardly anyone has thought of us about the chaos that would result if the power would crumble.
It occurs to me that my life has changed more by my mobile phone than through the internet."
translated with Google from the original German article
