Re: <nettime> The Piran Nettime Manifesto

[John Perry Barlow <barlow@eff.org>]

Wow. It sounds as if you folks had yourselves quite a time. Probably a good
thing I wasn't there...

I can't resist a few comments and questions, though.

At 4:40 PM -0600 5/26/97, Marie Ringler wrote:

>29.5.1997, The Piran Nettime Manifesto

>· Nettime declares Information War.

On whom and to what end?

>· We denounce pan-capitalism and demand reparations. Cyberspace is where
>  your bankruptcy takes place.

Reparations from whom and for what? It seems to me that pan-capitalism is
the natural state of things unless you have sufficiently authoritarian
governments to impose planned economies. The latter seem to have failed
universally. What's your alternative?

>· Nettime launches crusade against data barbarism in the virtual holy land.

What is data barbarism? What part of Cyberspace is holy and what is profane?

>· We celebrate the re-mapping of the Ex-East/Ex-West and the return to
>  geography.

You mean you want to return to all the lines on the map? Don't you think
enough wars have been fought over those lines already?

>· We respect the return to "alt.cultures" and pagan software structures

I'm with you there.

>   ("It's normal!").

Huh?

>· Deprivatize corporate content, liberate the virtual enclosures and storm
>  the content castles!

Do you mean nationalize corporate content then? That doesn't sound
feasible. Or simply declare an end to copyright in Cyberspace? I could
certainly support you there.

>· Refuse the institutionalization of net processes.

This seems to fly directly in the face of your rejection of "libertarian
declarations of independence." Unless you simply mean such declarations as
made by me.

>· We reject pornography on the net unless well made.

And who will decide what pornography is well made? Is there a Bad
Housekeeping Seal of Approval or something?

>· We are still, until this day, rejecting make-work schemes and libertarian
>  declarations of independence.

Don't worry, I've learned my lesson. But what do you mean by "make-work
schemes?"

>· NGOs are the future oppressive post-governments of the world.

Do you have an alternative model for governance?

>· We support experimental data transfer technology.

Like, um, telepathy, maybe?

>· Participate in the Nettime retirement plan, zero work by age 40.

After which the bills are paid by whom?

>· The critique of the image is the defense of the imagination.

This must be some kind of artcrit code. Could you elaborate, please?

>· Nettime could be Dreamtime.

You mean in the Aborignal sense?


All in all, a mystifying manifesto. I look forward to clarification.

Warmest regards,

John Perry


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John Perry Barlow, Cognitive Dissident
Co-Founder, Electronic Frontier Foundation

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