Valleywag
Ken Goffman, editor of the long-defunct cyberpunk magazine Mondo 2000 who goes by the pseudonym RU Sirius, hopes to create a new political movement based on the principles of open-source software development. For some reason, Goffman thinks wikis, social networks, online conferences, games and fun shindigs, melded with some off-brand party like Unity or the Libertarians, will make a difference. Of course, this is no different than any other fringe political movement — it's just geekier and fringier.
"We Are All Actors" already tried to inject social networks into the political process with big Valley names like Brad Fitzpatrick, Jay Adelson, and Jimmy Wales — with predictably pathetic results. At least that effort focused on one campaign issue, budget reform, and Fitzpatrick's bar tab alone probably exceeded the mere $170 Goffman has raised from his supporters.
Does Goffman seriously believe a political movement based on a software development methodology that can't garner 5 percent of the operating system market can be a more viable force than the other "sad and hopeless alterna-candidates"? Or is he merely trying to generate some attention for his new social network Mondo Globo which promotes his other Web content at 10 Zen Monkeys, the RU Sirius show, Neofiles, and other locations? Gratuitous self-promotion disguised as activism is a cynical enterprise we could embrace, if Goffman's execution of it weren't as sad and hopeless as his political ambitions. (Photo by Mark Ismay)
Comments
A sub-genre of techno-elite Web 2.x Paultards?
Next...
@schvitzatura: The people who hate Ron Paul are the ones who have a vested interest in the political status quo, e.g. Wonkette readers.
Yeah, open source politics. As soon as things get complicated they'll ask for "political donations" so we can get the "enhanced version."
Alright...I gotta say something here...realize explaining the joke is tiresome...but, ya know, I'm on the Asperger's "spectrum", so I'll take a shot...
RU Sirius...if you read him, Robert Anton Wilson, Principa Discordia, the book of the Sub-Genius, Temporary Autonomous Zone...you'll come to understand several things...one is that it amuses some small subset of the population to invent wacky religions with themselves as transparently silly overlord...part of the joke, of course, being that they aren't very successful & never get any real traction...
They know what they're doing...I really think. The goal is not to be L Ron Hubbard, it's to mock him. Which isn't to say they wouldn't take the money & run if they became the next pet rock.
I can speak at length about Star Wars, Micronauts and Dungeons & Dragons as well.
@ sample032: Many splinter "small l" libertarians have issue with many of RP's compromised (read "GOP") positions, as filtered through his "vision".
The LaRouchies probably hate him too...and they have a vested interest in subverting the dominant paradigm, too. Along with every other competing political dogma along the spectrum, ever so slightly different from the other.
10 HOME
20 IF 'PAULTARDERY 2.0.8.0' THEN 40
ELSE 30
30 CHANCE IN HELL
40 MASSIVE FAIL (PUBLIC:VOID||third.party)
50 IF 'OPENSOURCETARD' GOTO HOME (until 40)
60 END
They should hire Lucrecia Bermudez as a spokesperson (obscure reference to SF whackjob perenial candidates)
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?