Am I crabby... or just impatient?

Techdirt has a wonderful post by Mike called New Year's Message: From Pessimism To Optimism... And The Power Of Innovation. It has several really-well-stated points, but one I'd like to highlight is this one:


"The point I was trying to make was that I definitely see both sides of that argument. I'm amazed every single day by some of the amazing things out there. And yet, at the same time, I'm frustrated by anything that gets in the way of making it even better. So, I'm super optimistic about innovation, and all of the possibilities out there. And I believe, quite strongly, that you cannot stop innovation -- but you absolutely can hinder it. So any "anger" that people feel, which may give them a sense of frustration and pessimism is my frustration about the roadblocks and barriers and hurdles that people throw in the way of this innovation -- either due to a misunderstanding of innovation, or through laziness and an unwillingness to change to take advantage of those new opportunities. "


Mike says it better (and more succinctly) than I can. I realize some of my posts lately, esp. the ones dealing with Wikileaks and the attempts to corral and lobotomize the net, are very intense and probably boring to people who want to read about art. I have explained my reasoning before: art is about life, and the net is my home, so things that involve the net involve my home.


Most of the Second Life politics regarding LL I have left to other better-informed writers than myself. Since I don't get around to very many shows or openings for various reasons, I can hardly be an art pundit, commenting regularly on other people's work. So I blog about my few and occasional showings.

What I do write about is what affects my thinking, my moods, my work and my home. Having lived through the earlier net politics (MS's sabotage of HTML and Netscape, the monetization/billboardization of the web, the monopolization of the backbone pipes and the killing off of independent and local ISPs, etc), I am very aware and sensitive to business/political moves that could lead to the narrowing of the possibilities of this fantastic and revolutionary medium.


So please, as Mike so very well writes, try to see my "anger" as frustration and warning regarding the topics I write about that impinge on the freedoms and possibilities inherent in the net. I love it, unashamedly and unabashedly. I've been here longer than most people and I wish to see only the furthering of this expansion into a future that is positive and enlightening for all.