More Words Than Wool
I'm on several discussion lists for various academic subjects. They're pretty slow in the summer, but one posting today for the Humanist Discussion List (for Humanities Computing folk) by Willard McCarty caught my attention and thoughts this morning:
Apart from the obvious, what's remarkable about these events is the massive role all forms of (computer-mediated) communication are playing in drawing people together, uniting communities, summoning help, giving reassurance and contributing intelligence to the current investigation. Communication has, I suspect, played a very large part in helping to maintain calm and order amidst all the violence and chaos. This makes me wonder to what degree terrorism as now practiced depends on a certain level of public communication -- some, but not as much as we now have at our command.
This was the first time I'd been challenged to consider the role of communication in terrorism. If the purpose of terrorism is to incite terror, as the name might imply, how does the proliferation of communicative tools serve to undermine that very terror? This morning on the radio I heard an announcer commenting on the use of text messaging in London when the cellular network was overloaded. Apparantly, people were more easily able to text each other, a factor that may have helped to calm people by putting them in touch with their loved ones and with information.
I'm not sure what I think entirely about this...but it's certainly hearty food for thought this morning. Does the technology of our society in some way lessen the effect of terrorism?
In Other News:
Ann is really busting out...or is she?
Comments
over at my place, the talk is low down and sweaty. Over here it's all intellectual!
I would like to say that in some ways today's terrorism is both made possible and lessened by communication. How would these groups be able to function without modern forms of communication? But as you aptly point out, their goal of wrecking havoc is lessened through the very same means.
Posted by: ann | July 8, 2005 11:12 AM
Ann--Ay, there's the rub! Improved communication does make it much easier to coordinate terror...and to calm it. What it makes me wonder is "what's next?" If the payoff for the terror is "eh?" then what will the next step be?
Posted by: Anita | July 8, 2005 11:52 AM
Hey Anita, thanks for the info on magic loop. Of course I could have googled it before posing the Q. I have worked small projects on circs before, usually out of laziness in not wanting to get up and get DPNs. I just pull the long cord through whenever needed to make the project workable.
I really like the two-circ method, as it seemed less awkward than any of the other methods I've tried.
Patti
Posted by: Patti | July 8, 2005 11:59 AM
Something's busting out at Ann's, hmmm? Hilarious.
And much to ponder here. Thanks.
Posted by: Vicki | July 8, 2005 02:06 PM
I know that text messaging helped us coordinate our day on Thursday, as we touched down in London to hear about the attacks from our pilot (sketchily) and then had to make alternate plans to get together with Joe's daughters.
Because most phones over here are GSM phones, and because you can get a lot of information across quickly in a text message so mobile providers tend to give generous allowances for them, text messaging is a way of life here and in lots of countries outside the US.
Terrorism's purpose is to incite terror, is it not? It seems to me that by not being terrified, we people of London have already won. :-)
Posted by: Gwen | July 9, 2005 11:46 AM