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------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "e-thePeople.org" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: How will the Internet impact democracy? Date sent: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 11:11:38 -0400 (EDT) IS THE INTERNET LIKELY TO IMPROVE DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION? Or will it isolate and distract us from more important civic pursuits? The Democratic Renewal eConference, sponsored by the Study Circles Resource Center, continues with its final panel discussion: "Emailing Alone: Technology's Impact on Democracy". A very distinguished panel joins us this week: - Cass Sunstein, professor of law and political science at the University of Chicago and author of Republic.com - Howard Rheingold, online community pioneer and author of The Virtual Community - Rusty Foster, founder of collaborative news and discussion site, kuro5hin.org - Peter Shane, director of the Institute for the Study of Information Technology and Society (InSITeS) at Carnegie Mellon University Join in the conversation at: http://www.e-thepeople.org/a-national/article/11236/view >From the conversation: "The Internet makes it far easier for us to restrict ourselves, much of the same, to groups of like-minded people -- to live in echo chambers of our own devising. In this way, the Internet is creating an increase, in many places, of social fragmentation, and hence an increase in both tolerance and incivility, as people end up seeing their fellow citizens as stupid, or malicious, or despicable. This problem is increased by the fact that much of the Internet is intolerant and far from civil. The culture of (some) television -- with liberals simply attacking conservatives, and vice-versa -- isn't healthy for democracy or tolerance, because it encourages people to choose teams, rather than to think issues through. For many people the Internet is aggravating this problem." -- Cass Sunstein http://www.e-thepeople.org/a-national/comment/18771/1/view LAST WEEK'S DISCUSSIONS ON 9-11 HIGHLIGHED THE AMBIVALENCE we feel about the terrorist attacks' impact on our civic life. Has 9-11 taught us the importance of tolerance and diversity? Or has it taught us that we have been too open to things like immigration and radical viewpoints? Check out the summary of our conversation exploring these questions and others, and then respond with further thoughts. Summary: http://www.e-thepeople.org/a-national/about/news/79563988 Discuss: http://www.e-thepeople.org/a-national/article/11264/view * FROM THE ECONFERENCE SPONSOR, The Study Circles Resource Center * "As communities are learning to work and live together after 9/11, they are finding that building relationships has become increasingly important in a continually changing political and social climate. Study Circles has updated their "Facing the Future" discussion guide with new policy options courtesy of the Choices for the 21st Century Education Program at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies." Download multi-session, single-session, and one-day community summit discussion guides at: http://www.studycircles.org/pages/issues/americaresponds.html TOP CONVERSATIONS AT e-thePeople: * Multi-million Dollar Medical Malpractice Suits (16 comments) -- joe_m http://www.e-thepeople.org/a-national/article/11207/view * Method of Education needs to be changed (24 comments) -- FreedomToThePeople http://www.e-thepeople.org/a-national/article/11186/view * Everyday Biometrics (13 comments) -- Richard Saunders http://www.e-thepeople.org/a-national/article/11231/view Warm regards, Scott Reents President e-thePeople.org "Democracy is a conversation" -- To unsubscribe/change profile for [EMAIL PROTECTED]: http://www.mailermailer.com/x?u=7106064,$1$q/O1x$aGa.ZY4qsggbGut8Bsdgk 1 To subscribe: http://www.mailermailer.com/x?oid=05993o ------- End of forwarded message ------- ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. Clift - W: http://www.publicus.net Minneapolis - - - E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minnesota - - - - - T: +1.612.822.8667 USA - - - - - - - ICQ: 13789183 *** Past Messages, Discussion http://e-democracy.org/do *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To UNSUBSCRIBE instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please forward this post to others and encourage *** *** them to subscribe to the free DO-WIRE service. *** *** Please send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
