E.Con : How The Internet Undermines Democracy

by Gutstein, Donald

• ISBN13: 9780773760561
• ISBN10: 0773760563
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-10-01
• Publisher: Stoddart Pub

Summary

The Internet. We think of it as a marvellous, sprawling, open market, a worldwide bazaar in which ideas and information are free for the taking. But increasingly the Internet is becoming a commercial market for selling information. Corporations are beginning to wrest the Net from the people. And governments are helping the corporations, by selling them publicly financed information systems.

Author Biography

Donald Gustein is a senior lecturer in the School of Communications, Simon Fraser University. Gutstein grew up in Toronto and moved to Vancouver in 1966. He earned his master's degree in architecture at the University of British Columbia and has worked on numerous municipal, provincial, and federal election campaigns. He has written numerous articles and has contributed to several books, including Crossing the Line: Free Trade with Mexico.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vii
Introduction	1	(8)
Connecting Canadians ... to What?	9	(26)
The Information Industry Targets the Public Library	35	(34)
The Private Government of Connected Canada	69	(30)
Telephone Companies Enter the Content Business	99	(25)
Enclosing the Information Commons	124	(37)
Academics Build Their Intellectual Property Portfolios	161	(33)
Colonizing New Markets: IBM Goes to School	194	(36)
What Does Industry Want?	230	(27)
Reclaiming Public Information	257	(34)
Endnotes	291	(20)
Index	311