Computers and Internet
Intro | Service | Activist | Advocacy | Books | Essays | Quotes | Events | Internships | Opinion-Makers | History

Introduction

Computer and Internet technology have transformed human society in fundamental ways. In their short 30 year life-span, personal computers, databases, digital networks, email, and the Web have brought great benefits to society, while also introducing us to new risks and erosions of freedom. Computer and Internet technology have changed our relationship to work, opened up new channels for communications, eroded personal privacy, empowered people with disabilities, and shaped a new global information paradigm. Computerized devices and the Internet provide a democratic counter-weight to the growing centralization of media. These new decentralized networks enable ordinary citizens to engage in self-directed research and communicate their findings and analysis, as well as mobilize grassroots political action. New technologies enable large numbers of people to engage in focused debate and decision-making. Collaborative software makes possible the pooling of collective intelligence in the joint authorship of documents. Open source software is based on trusting co-creation. It is essential that we keep this exciting creative process open, decentralized, and affordable, rather than controlled by giant corporations as profit centers. In this section of the Progressive Resource Catalog, we’ll point you to organizations and resources that are engaged in shaping the evolution of computer and Internet technology towards progress, human liberty, and social justice.
– Michael Stein

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