For instance there is no discussion of the Californian Ideology of Jeffersonian democracy many commentators have placed at the centre of characterisations of the net. Duff might well respond that subsequent approaches are merely developments of the three theses he discusses, which is possible, but it would be helpful to make more explicit links to the post-Internet literature. Thus, while well developed his targets seem rather anachronistic. Duff could have got his teeth into, and it is rather odd that he hasn t. The Information Society .
Duff concludes by distinguishing between de facto and de jure information society theses.
On the basis of including everything that might be measured as information , the former concludes that the information society is here. The latter, which is his preferred perspective, takes a more circumspect view of information, analysing knowledge society , and is more concerned with social justice and inequalities in this new society. Overall, this book is less than the sum of its parts. The survey of information society theses is useful and valuable as far as it goes. But, the agenda for the new field is dismissive of much.