As part of their "Superpower" month of TV programmes, devoted to "Exploring the Extraordinary Power Of The Internet", the BBC is rerunning original BBC2-series "Virtual Revolution" on the BBC World cable channel. The extremely well done episodes are written, performed and presented by the newest brainy British IT-pinup grrl, and a doctor no less!, dr. Alex Krotoski [doctor of something networking-sociological-or-other; Alex short for Alexandra, one has to presume].
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/assets/images/2010/03/11/100311205231_aleks_krotoski_226.jpg
"SuperPower: Exploring the Extraordinary Power Of The Internet"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specialreports/superpower.shtml
This week's episode, #3 in order, called "The Cost of Free," contains the most comprehensive, pedagogical explanation known to me to date of Google's key to success – how they managed to make us complicit in the unholy exchange of free services for willingly becoming the commodities that they are selling [because that's what they do].
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/assets/images/2010/03/05/100305121324_buy_now_226.jpg
The doctor also brings up the hitherto little-discussed implication of people, especially young ones, engaging in social networks and leaving personal trails on the web effectively for ever – there to be discovered years hence by prospective mates and employers alike. Once it's on the web, it becomes impossible to remove/ cancel/ delete. Google's own brainy IT-pinup grrl makes an appearance, talking much too fast for my liking, as if she was paid to exhale some sizeable minimum of syllables per time unit. In all a rather well done piece of social documentary of what is mere 20-year phenomenon, the World Wide Web.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/digitalrevolution/2010/02/virtual-revolution-episode-thr.shtml
Don't miss it tomorrow on BBC World cable
channel at 10:10-11:00 and 23:10-00 [GMT +1]
Online schedule: "The Virtual Revolution: How and when to listen"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/2010/03/100311_virtual_revolution_how_and_when.shtml
BBC-search for "Krotoski":
http://search.bbc.co.uk/search?q=Krotoski
[or] http://search.bbc.co.uk/search?q=Krotoski&uri=%2Fworldservice%2Fspecialreports%2Fsuperpower.shtml&go=toolbar |
