Re: <nettime> Steve Coll: Leaks (The New Yorker)

[colin hodson <colinhodson@gmail.com>]

I'm worried John Young that your take on Wiki-leaks reads like an
exhortation to apathy. Whoever may have taken in a few elements of
wikileaks may have been moved to a new tactical political position,
but it seems you want to shoot down this raw source for reasons
relating to its delivery mechanism, not its content. Your claim that
there are better info systems, "most overlooked" may be true, but
as you say, they are "most overlooked". So if anyone got excited by
wikileaks, maybe, as I read you, I should tell them to pull their head
in.

Wikileaks presented to my lay associates and family may get them
started on beginning to look at the rabbit hole - and I think it has,
to some degree ... awkward delivery mechanism and all, but I think it
can do some good, which is better than some nothing...

As Private Mannings is quoted:

"well, it was forwarded to [WikiLeaks] - and god knows what
happens now - hopefully worldwide discussion, debates, and
reforms - if not, than [sic] we're doomed - as a species -
i will officially give up on the society we have if nothing
happens - the reaction to the video gave me immense hope" -
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/06/18/wikileaks

I post out of hope, otherwise I wouldn't bother.

cheers,
Colin




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