<nettime> RE: Limits of Networking

[Ryan Griffis <grifray@yahoo.com>]

Hi,
> but to push technology into a hypertrophic state,
further than it is meant to go. We must scale up, not
unplug. Then, during the passage of technology into
this injured, engorged, and unguarded condition, it
will be sculpted anew into something better, something
in closer agreement with the real wants and desires of
its users.<

while i don't have a problem with the critique of
'protocol' as such (which is actually quite useful for
me), i have some questions about the seeming
opposition implied here - to either 'scale up' or
unplug.' followed with the notion of 'sculpting' the
network (both biological and IT) into something
better, in the likeness of 'the real wants and desires
of its users' i want to ask: who's desires are
currently being represented, and how are they so if
they run against the desires of users (who are?)? 
it seems there's an assumption of the natural
progression of technology that can't be resisted any
other way than generating chaos from which to reign it
in after those in power lose control. this seems
highly suspect to me for many reasons. i understand
the context in which this discussion is happening, but
i don't see why all 'slow' forms of resistence are
seen as superstitious and/or based on negative
definitions (anti-tech). much reverse engineering
seems to me an activity neither aimed at acceleration
nor stagnation (but why would that be assumed
negative?).
i don't know that an accelerated (counter)aesthetic
domination of biotech or IT guarantees anything
liberatory. who is it exactly that we think will
benefit from such a process? and how can such a
process occur without the simultaneous expansion of
regulatory protocol?
of course, i could be reading all of this wrong... but
hopefully these questions are not completely out of
the ballpark.
best,
ryan


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