Networks and the Ongoing Crises of the Information Society

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Marshall, J
dc.date.accessioned	2010-02-08T23:44:08Z
dc.date.accessioned	2012-12-15T03:12:40Z
dc.date.available	2010-02-08T23:44:08Z
dc.date.available	2012-12-15T03:12:40Z
dc.date.issued	2009-12-07
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/19866
dc.description.abstract	Conventionally networks are thought of as reflecting order or as generating spontaneous order, but what if networks express disorder, help produce disorder, or exaggerate disorder and spread it faster the more efficient they are? What if network ordering produces networked disordering? The software basis of network information capitalism not only fails recurrently or seems inadequate but even when working, frequently produces an experience of disorder for its users. This is demonstrated by continuing high rates of software installation failure or disruption, despite some 50 years experience. This paper investigates the disorder experienced in networks, these perceptions of failure, confusion and chaos, through interviews and through online postings about experiences in the world of financial capital, argues that networks and software models emphasise the informational crisis of hierarchy within the corporation, and that this leads to magical thinking and ultimately collapse.	en
dc.language.iso	en	en
dc.publisher	UTS Cosmopolitan Civil Societies Research Centre
dc.relation.ispartofseries	Crisis? Networks, Resilience, Disorder;
dc.relation.replaces	http://hdl.handle.net/2100/1000
dc.title	Networks and the Ongoing Crises of the Information Society	en
dc.type	Recording, oral	en
utslib.copyright.status	open_access

Abstract:

Conventionally networks are thought of as reflecting order or as generating spontaneous order, but what if networks express disorder, help produce disorder, or exaggerate disorder and spread it faster the more efficient they are? What if network ordering produces networked disordering? The software basis of network information capitalism not only fails recurrently or seems inadequate but even when working, frequently produces an experience of disorder for its users. This is demonstrated by continuing high rates of software installation failure or disruption, despite some 50 years experience. This paper investigates the disorder experienced in networks, these perceptions of failure, confusion and chaos, through interviews and through online postings about experiences in the world of financial capital, argues that networks and software models emphasise the informational crisis of hierarchy within the corporation, and that this leads to magical thinking and ultimately collapse.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/19866