From: Max More (max@maxmore.com)
Date: Sun Sep 08 2002 - 11:49:14 MDT
At 09:03 AM 9/8/2002 +0200, Anders wrote:
>I wonder how much the network effect of having all the isolated
>transhumanist groups and individuals becoming connected helped? [...] Through
>the net the level of connection increased enormously, making the exchange
>of ideas much faster and also linking in a lot of previously unconnected
>people.
Without a doubt. Without the Net growth would no doubt have been slower. In
a different world, people like you and I might have directed our efforts
differently. You, for example, instead of building an amazingly rich
website, might have written a book or two. I might have done the same, or
might have used the attention given to online activities to build a network
of local groups.
Consider other memetically potent groups like the Marxists. They did just
fine without the Internet. It took a bit longer, but they didn't lack for
numbers or influence. One way in which I think transhumanism would be
different without the Net is in being much less globally distributed. We
wouldn't be hearing as much from people all around the world if not for the
Net's ease of communication. *Some* of that would have happened anyway -- I
did manage to get Extropy distributed in England and the Netherlands, and
might have gone further if energy had not shifted to online activity.
I don't want to detract from the wonderful benefits of the Net; just bring
a sense of history and proportion.
Transhumanists of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your
natural chains!
Onward!
Max
_______________________________________________________
Max More, Ph.D.
max@maxmore.com or more@extropy.org
http://www.maxmore.com
Strategic Philosopher
President, Extropy Institute. http://www.extropy.org <more@extropy.org>
_______________________________________________________
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