Tuesday, February 2, 2010

A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace

"A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace" was a 1996 paper regarding the then burgeoning internet. In florid prose it demanded that governments leave the internet well enough alone. It is 16 paragraphs long - I won't trouble you with it here, other than the first and last pars:


"Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather."

...

"We will create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace. May it be more humane and fair than the world your governments have made before."



Lofty aims - sadly internet fora were the first place I came across angry young men calling each other "fucktards"

Never mind.

No comments: