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John Henry, The Internet, and the New Autonomy | | | -- John Henry, Traditional
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< | The American folk story of John Henry tells the story of a man who wins a railroad spike driving contest against a steam powered drill. However, despite John Henry's best efforts, we now depend on mechanization to produce our railroads. Since then, mass production has poured into our culture - from railroads to automobiles, household goods, clothing, music, and books. This essay will discuss the implications of mechanization on our ability to shape who we are and the society surrounding us, and how the internet presents a way for us to reassert our autonomy, enhancing our capacity for self fulfillment. | >
> | The American folk song John Henry tells the story of a man who wins a railroad spike driving contest against a steam powered drill. However, despite John Henry's best efforts, we now depend on mechanization to produce our railroads. Since then, mass production has poured into our culture - from railroads to automobiles, household goods, clothing, music, and books. This essay will discuss the implications of mechanization on our ability to shape who we are and the society surrounding us, and how the internet presents a way for us to reassert our autonomy, enhancing our capacity for self fulfillment. | | | "A man ain't nothin' but a man"
Human beings are made of culture. In many ways, each of us is a product of what we are exposed to. What we want, like, and believe varies depending on where we are born and who our parents are. Due to each of our particular experiences growing up, we express different preferences. Holmes loves granite rocks and barberry bushes, while I prefer tree-lined side streets with cracks filled in with tar. | | | This does not imply that an average person is powerless to shape themselves against these forces. Quite the opposite, this model describes a situation where we choose our actions in response to these forces; and through these choices we shape ourselves out of the culture that surrounds us. The implication is, however, that the control over this mass production affects the building blocks out of which we make ourselves, yielding a great deal of influence concerning who we are to those in control of the mechanization.
"That ain't no storm, Captain, that's just my hammer in the air" | |
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< | The internet gives those with access the means to touch as wide a range of people as those whose decisions can be amplified by mechanized production and distribution. Creating and posting writings, audio, and video that can be accessed by any interested party is quick and simple. Further, this ability does not just extend to traditional media. For example, sites like etsy serve as a marketplace where people can buy and sell handmade goods, allowing people to reach people across the globe with their own creations. There are also communities that share design plans in formats that allow people to replicate their designs using a fabrication machine. Other tools allow people to comment and collaborate on top of other people's content, such as dispute finder and shift space. Finally, sites like reddit and digg replace the traditional role of editor with a community that votes upon articles which they find interesting or valuable. | >
> | The internet gives those with access the means to touch as wide a range of people as those whose decisions can be amplified by mechanized production and distribution. Creating and posting writings, audio, and video that can be accessed by any interested party is quick and simple. Further, this ability does not just extend to traditional media. For example, sites like etsy serve as a marketplace where people can buy and sell handmade goods, allowing people to reach people across the globe with their own creations. There are also communities that share design plans in formats that allow people to replicate the designed goods using a fabrication machine. Other tools allow people to comment and collaborate on top of other people's content, such as dispute finder and shift space. Finally, sites like reddit and digg replace the traditional role of editor with a community that votes upon articles which they find interesting or valuable. | | | The implication of the internet, as seen through these examples, is that an average person increasingly has the power to reach others with the same amplification effect as those in control of mechanized production. This tendency is towards the democratic ideal of culture - each of us with an equal opportunity to influence each other, and thus a better chance at determining our own destiny. John Henry hammered against the steam drill in order to preserve the humanity of his profession in an ever more mechanized world. The internet is our tool to do the same - to participate in and develop the cultural forces out of which we are made.
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