Mob Behavior Being Altered By Technology
from the is-it-really dept
Paul Andrews latest column takes a look at Howard Rheingold’s book, Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution, and wonders if it’s really that big of a deal. Rheingold’s premise is certainly interesting: that things like mobile phones provide a new way of communicating that let people organize and respond to events faster than they ever have before. However, Andrews wonders if this is only because the technology isn’t regulated yet. Once the government (for the sake of safety from terrorists) and large corporations (for the sake of protecting intellectual proptery) crack down, will mobile communication still offer the same “revolution”?
Comments on “Mob Behavior Being Altered By Technology”
Works the other way too
Police or large corporations could get “broadcast privileges” on cell phones, so that anybody within a certain area is warned to disperse. Cell phones could also be programmed with electric shock devices, so offenders will receive a nasty zap.