RE: memetics-digest V1 #1023

From: Scott Chase (ecphoric@hotmail.com)
Date: Sat Apr 27 2002 - 01:24:22 BST

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    From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com>
    To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    Subject: RE: memetics-digest V1 #1023
    Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 20:24:22 -0400
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    >From: "emcshadow" <emcshadow@attbi.com>
    >Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
    >Subject: RE: memetics-digest V1 #1023
    >Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 21:06:01 -0600
    >
    >
    >Ewww... Despite the milk snorting, I think there may be some small merit in
    >using new maps for familiar territories. We may be talking about the same
    >external territory with thunderbolts of Zeus and electricity, for example,
    >but the map of electricity permits us to manipulate it differently, towards
    >different ends, and with different efficacities.
    >
    >
    I still can't get past Lawrence's caution about memetics technology going
    public without a sarcastic "So what?". There's several levels to my
    coldness, first being my general skepticism towards memetics and second
    being that if memetics is valid, why not let the general public become aware
    of the supposed principles?

    Adding Steve's bit about Pandora's box is likewise odd, since hasn't this
    box been open for years? Things like coercive media ploys are already here,
    so what would be so novel about memetics technology or engineering? Would it
    represent the so-called better mousetrap? Marketing and advertizing move
    onward in the arms race with the target audience regardless of "memetics".

    As for going public, again the more knowledgable the general public about
    the underpinnings of media coercion (borrowing some stuff from Douglas
    Rushkoff here probably) the less effective this coercion will be dontcha
    think? The wizard isn't so mysterious and powerful when the curtain that
    veils him is lifted away. Though I admit to rolling my eyes a little when
    reading _Media Virus_, Douglas Rushkoff's books _Media Virus_ and _Coercion_
    have opened my eyes a little though I'm not sure I'm yet a "technorealist"
    ;-)

    I wonder what Vincent thinks of Rushkoff coming from a learned background in
    media studies...

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