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From: debenedi@yale-com.UUCP (Robert DeBenedictis)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: The FUTURE of USENET     &     A slogan for USENET
Message-ID: <2257@yale-com.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Oct-83 17:18:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: yale-com.2257
Posted: Wed Oct 26 17:18:08 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 27-Oct-83 06:45:55 EDT
Lines: 74

Today while daydreaming during class I began to wonder about . . .

	The FUTURE of USENET

What do   YOU   think it is?

I can't imagine life without USENET.  As I begin to grapple with
the grandiose concept of USENET becoming an institution on the
order of Ma Bell, I say to myself:  "USENET needs a slogan."

I came up with a few variations on the same basic theme:
    "Now, You're Never Alone"

I also thought that USENET could be patriotically perverted
to stand for:    United States Electronic NETwork.

Hey, let's get incoherently maudlin and self-conscious about the
implications of this medium.   It is really different; really new.
It  r e d e f i n e s  who you are.
Remember, sense of self is closely tied to other's sense of you.
(See: GOFFMAN, "Presentation of Self in Everyday Life")

With stuff like USENET people have an additional way (maybe even just ONE
way) of defining themselves to others.  In the past (currently) one was 
(is) defined by socioeconomic status, race, creed, sexual preference, job,
appearance, etc.  These are by and large  e x t e r n a l  attributes.
But now, with USENET et. al. people are being defined by their INTERESTS !!
(Maybe you net.philosophy people out there can add to this.)  I think this
is closely related to the lack of censorship on the net.  And HEY, GET THIS,
ADVERTISING WILL LEAD TO CENSORSHIP.  Before anyone makes a decision about
advertising on USENET they have a responsibility to study the history of
advertising on TV and radio (as well as magazines).  Advertising as we know 
it is a relatively recent concept.  If USENET accepts paid advertisements it
will LOSE its FREEDOM.  At some point, the advertisers will demand a say in
content; and at that point, too many people will be dependent on the flow of
money that advertisers will be supplying.  Freedom is always in short supply.

How people gain a sense of individuation is nothing to sneeze at.
Long ago, people knew who they were by where they were located.  
No one else lives in my cave; AND when I meet these others, they have 
strange and different customs.  But, in the concepts/words of Marshall 
McCluhan, we've been living in the Global Village for a while now.  
People are no longer strangers.  People are no longer sure of who they are 
as individuals apart from the culture.  (I think REISEMAN, "The Lonely Crowd" 
talks about this.)  One effect of this is to have people become absorbed in 
themselves (LASCH, "Culture of Narcissism").

I think we are now, or will soon be, at a stage were I am/= my thoughts.
Our thoughts will soon be much more vocal than they were in the past.
How many of you have had that comfortable sense of privacy while sitting 
at your keyboard, alone in your office, typing your soul out TO THE WORLD !
It's weird.  It's confessional.  It's like a diary that you show to your
psychiatrist; only, nothing's really bothering you SO who needs to show it
to a 'professional' when you've got ALL these bright, college-educated
professionals lying around to read what you say and comment on it if it
really is TOO anti-social.

Has anyone else but me noticed that readnews seems to come in on a 
different modality?  Are you all familiar with state-dependent learning?
I find that readnews is like DRUGS, ("man").  I (speaking just for myself
now) enter (almost) another world when I sit and read USENET.  It's a 
personal experience.  They also say that TV is a personal experience.
But, hey, have you ever tried to do readnews WITH SOMEONE?  I just can't.
Either I read too fast or too slow for the other person.  And people seem
to have unspoken hangups about the supposed relationship between reading
speed and intelligence.

(slowly):  Do you hear me?  Are you out there?  Is this ringing any bells?
Respond PUBLICLY;  that's they key to this thing.     
Be INVOLVED; Be FREE.

"Now, You're Never Alone."

Robert DeBenedictis