Joichi Ito
Emergent Democracy
Version 1.31
Joi Ito, 2003
What's inside?
Can weblogs and other social software tools help bring about a stronger, more direct democracy?
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Recommendation
In this succinct and thoughtful essay, MIT Media Lab director Joichi Ito considers the state of the Internet as an inclusive, open communications space and examines its relation to more traditional “top down” networks – like mass media – which often stifle the critical debate of ideas. Ito also discusses the potential of social technologies like weblogs to help bring about a more engaged and direct democracy. getAbstract recommends this essay to everyone interested in the subject of Internet freedom and in the relation between politics and technological innovations.
Summary
About the Author
Joichi Ito is a social software entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and advocate of emergent democracy and Internet freedom. He is the current director of the MIT Media Lab.
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