And the criterion of egalitarian empowerment is breached if coveys of technorich cronies are empowered to telelobby senators, while technopoor neighbors are excluded from the circuit. However, that answer provides none of the necessary specifics. It also fails, for example, to grapple with the U.S. Constitution's requirement that amendments garner the support of a majority of elected federal or state legislators. In short, at a minimum one would confront a profound transition dilemma. If the prospect of telecommunity replacing spatially localized community ought to evoke skepticism or opposition, one can nevertheless remain open to the possibility of democratically managing the evolution of telecommunications systems in ways that instead supplement more traditional forms of democratic community.
Caution is in order.
For instance, one transnational corporation first supported, then clandestinely monitored, and finally terminated a successful, productivity-enhancing internal computer conferencing system. Senior managers had discovered that subordinates, including women executives previously isolated from one another, were spending coffee-break time on the system discussing and criticizing company policy. This book provides a provocative and thorough analysis of the challenges facing us on the threshold of the 21st Century. This is the most far-reaching work I have seen on the political nature of technological change. In clear prose, using numerous salient examples, Richard Sclove provides a philosophic and practical foundation for participatory technology.