Sunday 7 February 2010

The Virtual Revolution Enemy of the State



I'm sorry Kiddywinks but the streaming is only available in the UK.

Below is the BBC blurb for episode two, Enemy of the State. If like myself you don't really know how the WWW came into being, then episode one is still available for twenty one days.

But the second show was particularly interesting in explaining the blogosphere and it's role in modern day politics and activism. Not least how Twitter played such an important role in getting information out of Iran during the recent unrest.

Though the regime shut down Twitter when they became aware of what was going on, I particularly liked the piece of the program showing "Geeks to the rescue" or more acurately one geek to the rescue. They say for every program there is a hack, which was demonstratively highlighted by the geek and his encrypted bit of software that allowed the Tweeters to drive on.

I shall leave three links lower down the page, could someone outside the UK tell me just what you can access, whereas I don't expect you to be able watch the program, can you in fact access the home page of The Virtual Revolution?

Twenty years on from the invention of the World Wide Web, Dr Aleks Krotoski looks at how it is reshaping almost every aspect of our lives. Joined by some of the Web's biggest names - including the founders of Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, and the web's inventor - she explores how far the Web has lived up to its early promise.

Here, Aleks charts how the Web is forging a new brand of politics, both in democracies and authoritarian regimes.

With contributions from Al Gore, Martha Lane Fox, Stephen Fry and Bill Gates, Aleks explores how interactive, unmediated sites like Twitter and YouTube have encouraged direct action and politicised young people in unprecedented numbers.

Yet, at the same time, the Web's openness enables hardline states to spy and censor, and extremists to threaten with networks of hate and crippling cyber attacks.



You do not have to download iplayer, the programs will stream without doing so.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/

Episode two: Enemy of the State

The Virtual Revolution Home Page.


A few computer related toons to brighten the place up.