commentary

The Medium – The Death of the Open Web – NYTimes.com

May 24, 2010 by Einar Thorsen Leave a Comment

"But a kind of virtual redlining is now under way. The Webtropolis is being stratified. Even if, like most people, you still surf the Web on a desktop or laptop, you will have noticed pay walls, invitation-only clubs, subscription programs, privacy settings and other ways of creating tiers of access. All these things make spaces feel “safe” — not only from viruses, instability, unwanted light and sound, unrequested porn, sponsored links and pop-up ads, but also from crude design, wayward and unregistered commenters and the eccentric voices and images that make the Web constantly surprising, challenging and enlightening."

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Del.ici.us tags: nytimes virginiaheffernan internet commentary

Have you got an election-shaped hole in your life? – The Guardian

May 18, 2010 by Einar Thorsen Leave a Comment

"The sense of uncertainty, the ecstatic sense that anything might happen, has given way to a slow-footed normality. Politicians who impressed us by seeming so vulnerable, unsure, spontaneous and as a result tantalisingly and excitingly "alive" have now reverted to type. Standing outside their imposing ministries, they are once more sounding certain, confident, unflappable, as though everything was always meant to be like this – even though we know that, briefly, the grown-ups' rules were in the air and life was malleable and agreeably chaotic."

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Del.ici.us tags: election2010 commentary alaindebotton

Will the leader’s election debates engage first time voters? – Journalism.co.uk Editors’ Blog

April 19, 2010 by Einar Thorsen Leave a Comment

Will the leader’s election debates engage first time voters? – Journalism.co.uk Editors’ Blog

Elizabeth Davies' experience of watching the first TV debate online:

"I was not glued to my television, but only because I don’t have one. Like a significant fraction of the population – a fraction dominated by young first-time voters like myself – I chose to watch the debate online. Unfortunately the quality of ITV’s live stream made it difficult to remain captivated for long. It’s one thing to engage with social media to encourage meaningful online discussion, but quite another to slap so many cursory widgets on the page that no-one is able to load anything."

Del.ici.us tags: election2010 tvdebates online commentary