The Future Arrives In Oceana

Let me say at the outset I've been on the sidelines with life to become involved in the social media dust-up from the Olympics, and I'll just remind everyone again that Dan Gillmor told us all so in 2006 at CoSIDA San Diego.  He only missed the cycle, thinking that technology would be ready in 2008.  The worst nightmare of those who wish to license air is upon them in 2012.

Here's a recap on the latest round of Olympic Social Media Policy vs. The World via PC Mag.

Aside from the muzzling of athletes and officials, the attack at the backlash is a bit frightening.  Now that Twitter itself appears somewhat co-opted, how exactly will the world view the platform that once was seen as the tool of Arab Spring and other political uprisings.

As Sascha Seagan of PC Mag points out, while Guy Adams' account appears to have been reinstated, you can't overlook this:

By blocking his account, Twitter sets a terrifying precedent. In the run-up to the Olympics, we've watched big businesses ride roughshod over small businesses, with multinationals stomping on small food vendors, florists, and shoe stores. Now the Olympic sponsors can silence voices of criticism as well.

Or, as one of the few notables from the recent literary past of Great Britain who was NOT included in the opening ceremonies once wrote:


The citizen of Oceania is not allowed to know anything

At this point, The Revolution Will Neither Be Televised Nor Tweeted.

BTW -- name the author and the book which also carries the lines:

And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed-if all records told the same tale-then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'