6.0590 Rs: Electric Gaia (4/124)

Elaine Brennan (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Mon, 15 Mar 1993 19:35:19 EST

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0590. Monday, 15 Mar 1993.


(1) Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1993 14:21:38 -0800 (28 lines)
From: tmaddox@netcom.com (Tom Maddox)
Subject: Re: 6.0578 Electric Gaia?

(2) Date: Sat, 13 Mar 93 12:38:50 EST (60 lines)
From: MICHAEL STRANGELOVE <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA>
Subject: Re: 6.0578 Electric Gaia?

(3) Date: Mon, 15 Mar 93 10:17:34 GMT (16 lines)
From: srlclark <srlclark@uxb.liverpool.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: 6.0578 Electric Gaia?

(4) Date: Mon, 15 Mar 93 09:20:17 MST (20 lines)
From: "Dr. S. Totosy" <STOTOSY@UALTAVM>
Subject: 6.0578 Electric Gaia?

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1993 14:21:38 -0800
From: tmaddox@netcom.com (Tom Maddox)
Subject: Re: 6.0578 Electric Gaia? (1/43)

Michael Strangelove asks:

>I want to write about the implications
>of the gradual convergence of two separate systems and conceptual
>worlds. These "systems" are Gaia, as understood in popular terms as
>a self-regulating biosphere (and, by extension, universe); and the
>Net (or Matrix), the emerging global "virtual community" of computer
>networks, from BBSs to Free-Nets, to the Internet itself. As these
>conceptual worlds gain ground and combine in the popular imagination,
>will we witness the emergence of what I have named "Electric Gaia"
>- the technologically-facilitated growth of a new form of global
>consciousness or self/group identity that could be said, in a
>metaphorical sense, to give consciousness to Gaia itself?

A similar notion occurred to me some years; however, because I
write fiction, that is the way I expressed my ideas about it. The story,
"Spirit of the Night," was published in _Isaac Asimov's SF Magazine_ in
September, 1987. If you cannot find it, let me know and I'll send you a
copy (paper, alas--I don't have it on disk).


Tom Maddox
tmaddox@netcom.com

(2) --------------------------------------------------------------70----
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 93 12:38:50 EST
From: MICHAEL STRANGELOVE <441495@ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA>
Subject: Re: 6.0578 Electric Gaia? (1/43)

>to be a good place to start. I want to write about the implications
>of the gradual convergence of two separate systems and conceptual
>worlds. These "systems" are Gaia, as understood in popular terms as
>
>*I am afraid the nets are likely to be anything but self-regulating,
>*and have much evidence for this from over the years.

Michael - I was not thinking of the Net as self-regulating (I agree
with you), it is more likely to become a locus of imultinational
corporate power and the primary tool for manipulating the consumer
in the next century.

>a self-regulating biosphere (and, by extension, universe); and the
>Net (or Matrix), the emerging global "virtual community" of computer
>networks, from BBSs to Free-Nets, to the Internet itself. As these
>
>*Having been a BBS sysop, an Internet and Bitnet listserv moderator,
>*and currently having been roped into helping the Freenets, I should
>*have some of the perspective you want. . . .
>
>*From my experience it is still easy to tell who is "us" and "them."
>*Not only for myself, but for others. I had thought this would not
>*be the case, since I thought I could write in a manner that should
>*be independent of the personally projected personality, but it was
>*not the case. . .never. It is apparently obviously apparent in an
>*assortment of ways I cannot begin to describe. . .but people still
>*show up as the kind of people they are, even in Plain Vanill ASCII
>*email and etext. Witness John Quarterman, for example, whom I had
>*never met, but it was obvious what kind of person he was in only a
>*few notes. However, I did confirm this from others, before acting
>*on this perception.
>

On the one hand, you are right - I have had the same experience,
personality does embed itself even in a minimalist medium such as
low ascii. On the other hand, there is the MINITEL phenomenon of
individuals (numerous) who are able to construct multiple ascii
personalities in diverse electronic contexts over an extended
period of time - so here we see that the video display terminal
has become theatre and lends itself to the Self-as-actor (someone
mentioned a sci-fi novel to me that develop this thread with two
children/geniuses who created two distinct Net personalities
to manipulate global opinion).

Thanks for the comments.


Michael Strangelove, Publisher
The Internet/NREN Business Journal

BITNET: 441495@Uottawa
Internet: 441495@Acadvm1.Uottawa.CA
S-Mail: 177 Waller, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 CANADA
Voice: (613) 747-0642
FAX: (613) 564-6641

(3) --------------------------------------------------------------28----
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 93 10:17:34 GMT
From: srlclark <srlclark@uxb.liverpool.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: 6.0578 Electric Gaia? (1/43)

Michael Strangelove's eletric Gaia could be discussed on PRNCYB.

PRNCYB@EARN.BINGVMB is concerned with the Principia Cybernetica Project.
Contact Cliff Josslyn (CJOSSLYN@EDU.BINGHAMTON.CC.BINGVAXU) or
Francis Heylighen (FHEYLIGH@BE.AC.VUB.VNET3). The style here is for long
papers to be posted and then criticised by whoever wishes a word. Memes,
cognition, sociobiological explanations of altruism have been recent topics.

I've given the addresses in the form used on JANET.

Stephen Clark
Liverpool
(4) --------------------------------------------------------------29----
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 93 09:20:17 MST
From: "Dr. S. Totosy" <STOTOSY@UALTAVM>
Subject: 6.0578 Electric Gaia? (1/43)

From: Dr. S. Totosy
Comparative Literature
University of Alberta
The concept of system as applied to literature and, in general, to social
interaction, has a large corpus. As applied to literature I published an articl
e in the Canadian Review of Comparative Literature 19.1-2 (March-June 1992):
21-93, with a sizable bibliography. Some of the works I selected for the
bibliography go in the direction you take. (Most of them are in German,
though.) There is an international organization, IGEL, people who work
with the Empirical Theory of Literature. Some of the scholars working in
this area also think along the lines you propose. I suggest you read my
article and see if you find anything useful. I will send you our IGEL
newsletter. Regards,

Regards,
S. Totosy