trend researchers from sociology and Media Studies assume that we are currently in such an important Leitmedienwechsel as it did before Only two times has been: from the tribal culture to written culture and the culture of writing the book culture. The change to the book culture was initiated by the printing press. The conflict of old and new culture culminated in various armed conflicts such as the Peasants' War in the 16th Century, the French and the Russian Revolution.
have the right trend researcher, and for me this makes sense, we are now in the transition from book culture to the ICT culture. For a change, the new and old cultural life for a transitional period more or less peacefully nebeneinader, until the two cultures have become very apart and the new culture the old threat. A few skirmishes, the current Leitmedienwandel is already behind, the Wikipedia has participated involuntarily as a representative of the ICT culture. Seen in large it has its own through their work in 10 years, pretty much destroys the whole encyclopedia industry. Although the producers of print encyclopedias, their products have moved to the Internet, but not adapted to the ICT culture. In the small example of the former German Bundestag Lutz Heilmann in 2008, Wikipedia has had blocked in court because his statements have Wikipedia article about him not fallen. The representative of the book culture understood the ICT culture and had to adjust his attack failed. A year later, he was not re-elected to the Bundestag.
Now it seems the conflict between the two cultures have climbed to the next level. It's not about the destruction of the encyclopaedia (or the video stores, etc) but to the destruction of our financial system and the present world order. The attack on the culture of books out this time, the whistleblower site Wikileaks (which is always confused with Wikipedia, which can lead to unpleasant consequences Wikipedia to ). Wikileaks published since 28 November dispatches from U.S. embassies . This, or rather the announcement to be published early in 2011 documents that a U.S. major bank Enron-like have consequences that can be representative of the book culture, especially in the United States go back a be nervous and to retaliate. With the means of book culture they are trying to dry financially Wikileaks and take down. All in all, the U.S. appears their new opponents, but rather are at a loss over. This shows, for example, the requirement Wikileaks should return the disputed documents .
Attacks Wikileaks ultimately go to the financial system of book culture, is serious. Accordingly, the rhetoric has intensified. From Cyberwar is talk and Infowar . In America on camera for the execution of Julian Assange the figurehead of Wikileaks, called , although not even a law was found, contrary to the Wikileaks.
No matter how the fight against Wikileaks by the representatives of the book culture goes on, the future world will look different. In addition to Wikileaks is working with Openleaks already at an alternative site whistleblower. Other sites are evidence of the increasingly large gap between the old and the new culture. The journalist Thomas Knüwer as predicts for 2011 a "great battle", "starting from the Youth Media Protection State Treaty".
enforcement is ultimately the new culture - the question is when and how and at what price.
[Update]: For more examples of the different views of the representatives of the book culture and that of the ICT culture and the consequences of which are current in an article by Tim Hwang The Washington Post . Tags are GNU, Napster, BitTorrent., Pirate Bay. The following quotation describes the mechanisms very beautiful:
"Each round of conflict draws in additional supporters, from hackers to the growing numbers of open-government activists and everyday users who believe, more and more, that the radical openness of the Web should set the pattern for everything. "
