Now, if we could only control people's Internet access, use, thoughts!
I'm not a highly respected scientist with a distinguished research
record in the sciences or the academic-industrial complex. My area is
communications. The SANET exchange on the technology of rBGH
has been revealing about communications technologies as well, with a
calculus of three variables: propriety, fear, social control. And, with
one or two exceptions, I'm not going to name names in adding my
pinch of salt to the briny deep.
In pillorying Lara Wiggert, Pamela Andre's most telling words were
these: "[T]his powerful medium [Internet] can be used improperly."
Reminded me, among other things, of early 20th century etiquette
books that predicted the new electrical medium--the telephone--would
torch the house of propriety and drive formerly sheltered people into
the arms of frightening rabble. (Turned out to be true though I
personally don't find the value of being able to hear from farmers five
hours from this office outweighed by weird calls at 3 a.m. and market
research surveys at suppertime.)
Democracy--that curious beast in the cosmic rainforest. It finds all
sorts of niches, technological and otherwise. And it does make
that issue of control of information a sticky one. When it comes to
democracy, trust me, I'm not naive--just idealistic. Which is why Paul
Feder's comments hearten me--I worked in government, was horrified
at how politicized, top-down, and repressive some agencies became
since the early 1980s. I like to imagine that democracy can be reborn
in part within government with people like Paul and Gabriel Hegyes
doing the draining, day-to-day work of nurturing exchange, moderating
disputes, asking hoods to step outside, and occasionally taking a shiv
in the ribs for their trouble.
Likewise academe. A researcher at the UW-Madison (a land grant
institution) confided to me last year that he feared the Internet and
citizen access to it. "If they have my e-mail address," he said, "they
can ask me questions anytime." I asked him whether that wasn't in
line with his 100% Extension appointment. I didn't say it to be flippant
or facile, and I appreciate the levels of his concern. But my realm is
communications: I'm bound to be glad that one of the potentials of the
Internet is to diversify dialogue and help hold scientists immediately
and directly accountable for their research, positions, funding
sources, and contact with "the public." Many people in land grant
institutions (and, ahem, the Kellogg Foundation) consider these crucial
issues that'll force a rethinking of boundaries between "institutions"
and "the public," just as boundaries between corporations and
government and industry and academe have been dissolved and
re-forged in an era of global capital.
I'm not claiming that Internet is a magic carpet across the new terrain.
It's one vehicle. We've seen, here, how powerful it can be both in
facilitating exchange and threatening some folks' sense of authority.
Though a barbarian at the gate/cyberpunk at the gateway, I'm also a
citizen choosing to send an annual tithe to the IRS to support federal
guvmint programs. USDA and NAL are neither private entities nor
independent fiefdoms, though I suspect some of their inhabitants may
forget that. Services like NAL are beholden to citizens, like it or no,
and when citizens get Internet or other access change will happen,
and not necessarily by the whims of those in power.
And back to etiquette. It'll take awhile to work out a Net etiquette, and
what gets worked out won't be perfect, I hope, one person's propriety
being another's censorship. Those who claim to value democratic
exchange but inclined to feel threatened by Differences, I'd advise
them to get out in the wind and rain, thicken their hides, and get ready
for some virtual sparring. It's a tough ol' world; and, just imagine, it
doesn't even get physical on SANET!
Finally, it frosts my shorts when the empowered mouth self-serving
myths about a class of people ill-equipped to choose between the
subtleties of shiny, supported, warranted Scientific Opinions, and
drecky icky rabbly ones. To me, the rBGH dialogue both on and off the
Net shows citizens questioning the very fabric of the social production
of knowledge, of policy, and of technology, often in terms more
complex than I hear coming from some of the individuals who are
replying. Citizens may not be doing this in Edgicated fora bearing
somebody's stamp of approval, but, hell--neither did the hosts of the
Boston Tea Party.
It's about listening. SANET subscribers can go around about whose
rBGH facts are better and who agrees with whom, and some may
elect to indulge in institutional voguing and bullying. For those of us
who are professionals, academics, researchers, etc., throwing hissy
fits because our authority has been questioned simply looks silly. We'd
be fools to ignore dialogue about concerns lying outside the
laboratory and the peer-reviewed journal article simply because,
horror, it sounds like somebody might be dissing the experts.
As a citizen, ag professional, and descendant of Tom Paine, I want my
government to sponsor SANET not as a PR tool of the USDA but as a
place where dialogue and questioning on issues related to agricultural
sustainability are valued and supported, and where certain principles
of democracy are sacred. Yeah, it's messy, time-consuming, and
diverts resources that might otherwise be devoted to shoring up
institutional and expert authority. But some of us consider this a good
use of resources. We also have the First Amendment engraved on the
inside of our eyelids. That's the one that includes freedom of speech
and the right of people to petition the Government, in whatever form
and via whatever technology, for a redress of grievances, including
rBGH-related ones, with Flavr Savr-related ones likely soon to follow.
I highly value SANET for many reasons, including you, reading this.
Thanks for your time, colleagues. Peace and a good new week to all.
Writing on my own nickel--
Michele Gale-Sinex
Madison, WI
DISCLAIMER:
I will send extensive general, professional etiquette, and cosmic
balance sheet disclaimers to anyone who feels a need for them and
who requests them at this address.