Networks, Economics and Culture

Being in an expansive mood this Saturday morning, and having received the latest from Clay Shirky on his “Networks, Economics and Culture” (NEC) mailing list, I’m trying to gather my thoughts around what’s going on (from as high a level as my little mind can get).

I’m a big fan of Mr Shirky. I once had the good fortune to talk to him while we were in (of all places) Rupert Murdoch’s “Fortress Wapping” several years ago. He was consulting for CurrentBun.com and the other News International websites, and I wasa lowly producer working for a Times Literary Supplement educational site that soon after went West. He has this amazing gift of being able to cut through the crap and see things straight. Something that I find incredibly hard to do.

Anyway, I think he said he was convinced that we are in a golden age of experiementation with the network, communication and ways of allowing humans to exchange information. It certainly seems that way to me.