In this book, Jeff Jarvis writes as an advocate for the
public culture the Internet has fostered. While at times I would call him overly
optimistic, he highlights ways that the Internet’s culture of publicness has
positively affected our lives. He discusses the meaning of public versus
private, what the terms meant in the past, and what they mean now.
While I do not agree with everything he writes (I tend to
err on the side of caution and, yes, privacy), I can see that many of his
points are valid. He takes care to acknowledge the negative aspects of the
Internet, but he gives plenty of examples illustrating how publicness has
helped improve our relationships, has changed the way businesses run, and has
enabled and empowered people all over the world. I’ll admit, some of the
examples he gives are pretty impressive and persuasive. And some of his points
weren’t lost on me. Reading his book has inspired me to try more of this publicness
thing. I’m making more of an effort to be public on the Internet.
I appreciate the way he writes. He promotes an honest and
open publicness and I can tell he believes it, because his writing is frank,
blunt, and very honest. He goes further than the Internet in many instances,
questioning the moral mores of society and how that affects how we react. He
talks about the history of the public vs. private debate and he discusses the
ethics of publicness.
All in all, I feel that this book is a good, optimistic read
that will make you more willing to see the public Internet culture in a
positive light. I didn’t agree with everything he had to say, but I agree that
this book is a rewarding and thought-provoking read.
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