Mythinformation

There are many myths involving how computers can make society better. There's the idea that through the love of technology-technophilia--we can level society making it structurally contained, restrained and directed. Computers are believed to spread equality through knowledge, thus it can change the economy structurally. We are told that the internet can do anything.

There were two groups attempting to spread greater political information throughout society One group was old school--it relied upon surveys and polls and questionaires. the other was known as Zero Ground and spread environmental consciousness through the internet. One would think that Zeroground won over the traditional method. In actuality, the opposite occured. Zeroground disipated into nothingness while the traditional method affected the political process because it was both convenient and efficiant. Thus it politically increased participation in contrast to that of the internet.

There's also the myth that through the use of computers, people are more knowledgable in our society. This sadly, does not actually seem to be the case. Knowledge and information are constantly mixed up with one another. In reality they are two separate things. Information represents decrete units of facts, dates, numbers and names. Knowledge on the other hand is a much broader narative--in other words theory. With knowledge, facts begin to make sense.

In reality, we don't have more knowledge, rather we have more information. Yet it is false that we don't have any knowledge at all. If that were true we would not be able to dress ourselves. We definately have experiencial knowledge in the form of pre-existing framework. One's political orientation is based upon knowledge.

As mentioned earlier, information is not knowledge. It consists merely of facts. Another myth is that knowledge is power--actually knowledge causes the opposite to happen. We become disenchanted because there are too many structures, we can't do anything about it because we lack the power to change it. Yet in an indifferent sense, knowledge is power because we can control and prevent change. Making knowledge makes power. Also those with knowledge already have power and are capable of reinforcing it such as doctors.

Another myth is that information increases democracy. Yet good middle jobs are disapearing, leaving behind either really bad jobs or really good jobs--but mostly really bad jobs. COntrary to popular belief, outsourcing is not the main problem. Most of those jobs being outsourced are ones that we don't want anyway. Information is not liberating us, it is more difficult to earn a decent living. There is increased surveillance and the goventment benefits more from it.
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