Paint a wall...make a video

Using social media to decry social media...watch and discuss.

http://vimeo.com/48736559

Why not let social media run the country?

Check out this thought-provoking BBC article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19555756

Some thought provoking excerpts:

"Ultimately someone has got to take a decision. How comfortable would we be with a decision on capital punishment taken via a TV debate and a vote on Twitter?

"We have indirect democracy for a reason. When does crowdsourcing become mob rule?"

The whole point of representative democracy, of the kind practised for centuries at Westminster and in most Western democracies, is that it acts as a brake on "wild and irrational decisions", he reasoned.

What do you think? I am still hoping you tell me--we don't have a single response yet--be the first!

The Diamond Age--Reading Group Discussion Thread

We held our first reading group session today for our fall semester text, The Diamond Age, at Dr. Fell's home. Many thanks again to the president for hosting us this semester. Dr. Courtney Bates suggested at our first meeting that we launch a discussion thread for those who cannot attend our afternoon sessions. We will start off with a thread on the main Power of Portrayal blog, and if the response is good, I'll start a separate linked blog to facilitate online discussion of the text.

Our next book group session, will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 10 @ 3:05pm at Dr. Fell's home. Our group is attempting to read through page 220 by this time.

Feel free to leave questions and comments about The Diamond Age attached to this thread.