Digital Mythologies: The Hidden Complexities of the Internet

Are we letting our techno-toys dumb us down? Are we so wrapped up with living in a sci-fi paradise--finally--that we can't see the dark, sordid side of our new lives? Writer Thomas Valovic, former editor-in-chief of Telecommunications magazine, pulls aside the curtain in Digital Mythologies: The Hidden Complexities of the Internet. The 33 short essays here shine a light on the assumptions of technophiles, which they might prefer be left in shadow: electronic democracy, scientific spirituality, and portable offices all look distinctly sinister when seen from a new perspective. What if the ritual of voting every other year commanded a different, more considered way of thinking than instantaneous direct polling? How can the materialism inherent in technological solutions transcend itself to give substance to cyber-religion? Why is it a good thing to be able to draft memos and rearrange spreadsheets while sitting in coffee shops? Valovic asks these questions relatively free from constraining values and finds in favor of technology as long as it is used intelligently for benign purposes; unfortunately, our thinking about this use is often deeply flawed. Literate, deep, and well-considered, Digital Mythologies is good medicine for those of us who are ill at ease with our brave new world. --Rob Lightner