<nettime> Sign the BAN X in EUROPE petition and join the campaign

[Allan Siegel via nettime-l <nettime-l@lists.nettime.org>]

Hello Nettime

Thanks Pit Schultz for your very relevant posting. To further move the 
discussion forward:
Focusing singularly on the problematic nature of one particular *social 
media* platform, whether X or any of the other obscene monopolies, skews 
the dimensions of a critical ongoing discourse. And, deters us from 
reconfiguring the dynamics of this critical political horizon.
The residual and reductive branding of these grotesquely commodified 
forms of communication as ‘social media’ conflates the inherent 
ideological models of media monopolies with more diverse media practices 
and evolving multi-dimensional social spaces: many of which are seeking 
to develop distinctive economic paradigms.
As Simon tells us, “Social media have corrupted social space in so many 
ways, leading us to the toxic situation we find ourselves in.” This 
corruption takes the form of of an insidious type of colonialism in 
which the extraction of all forms of data becomes an intrinsic building 
block of corporate wealth; as many other commentators have told us: 
branded ‘social media’ enables various processes of data extraction 
simultaneously engineering various individual and collective forms of 
exploitation.
Not surprisingly, human ingenuity and political necessity have subverted 
elements within this ‘social media’ landscape into ephemeral, but 
nevertheless, empowering social spaces that have enabled, globally, 
numerous political actions and progressive social activities.
But, while these ongoing subversions and hackings, as tactical 
interventions, provide visibility to political movements, social 
injustices, and also disseminate otherwise vast amounts of critical 
information, their enduring political impact remains negligible. 
Collectively we are using matches to melt a neoliberal iceberg. We need 
to imagine and articulate sustainable political structures and social 
spaces: a collectively reflective ideological landscape. An ideological 
landscape that addresses deteriorating societal and environmental  
infrastructures and the injustices infecting people’s lives. This 
ideological landscape is by no means monolithic but rather a visionary 
and practical framework that inspires *tactical and strategic* political 
processes in which media enables and compliments organised political 
activities.
allan
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