Date: Fri Sep 1 15:49:16 2000
realname: Dick Cowley
username: dick.cowley.1@bridge.bellsouth.com
comments: 9-1-2000 Really enjoyed your interview on NPR "Technation" show today.

Date: Sun Sep 3 22:24:37 2000
realname: Anthony Smith-Grieco
username: ansmith@reed.edu
comments: Ok. A lot to say, and I haven't even finished the book yet... (1) I work in high-tech, I live in Silicon Valley, and I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have a skill set that is in great demand by society and for which I am paid a very comfortable salary. There are (at least) two Californias: the California where I work, and the California of Targets and car washes staffed by Mexicans and other immigrants who haven't had access to the educational system and other resources which would enable them to achieve the kind of lifestyle I have. To other techies reading this, I ask: how many Hispanics work in your office? In my case the answer is zero. I'm not trying to make some radical argument here, this is all just to point out how much of a difference your upbringing and class background makes in terms of the opportunities available to you in society... (2) The funny thing about the China comments, is that those people even chose a bad example for their point: private enterprise is actually flourishing in China right now... (3) After all of this I'm still not even sure how much I like the book, even though I share some of Ms. Borsook's views. Actually I think to categorize geeks as "libertarian" is to give them too much credit, if there's any underlying belief system I would say it's "apathy", except of course when it comes to matters of national importance like our god-given right to use Napster to get music for free. (It's like, sure, pot should be legal, but is it really going to make the world that much of a better place?)

Date: Fri Sep 15 18:06:57 2000
realname: George Harrison
username: gjharris@kent.edu
comments: No,I'm not one of the Beetles.What struck me about your thesis was how well high tech people have learned the message of modernity in contemporary America;that is that you have no story except the story you choose when you have no story.Freedom turns out to be our fate.

Date: Fri Sep 22 07:02:35 2000
realname: Brian Reid
username: reid@ti.com
comments: Just listened to your Ken Meyers interview on Mars Hill Audio - can't wait to read the book!

Date: Mon Sep 25 06:47:44 2000
realname: Alliax
username: damiencola@yahoo.co.uk
comments: I am going to read your book because it has been advised by David Silver from RCCS. If you fancy reading something about personal home pages, go to http://www.lingoParadise.com/identity/ have a nice day.

Date: Tue Oct 10 12:13:25 2000
realname: anonymous
username: anonimous100@juno.com
comments: I think the author of the book engages in class envy :( ie, she doesn't get paid, as a liberal arts educated person, as much as the high tech "male geeks" ) is condescending, is sexist ( critizicing MALES for being more adept and capable at high tech than females and thus reaping greater financial rewards) belittles their accomplishment by believing that the government initial planning of the internet is somehow more valuable than the ENORMOUS EXPLOSION of high tech knoledge and business development achieved by the "high tech geeks" she secretly envies, and is DEAD WRONG in thinking that "big government" is good. The smaller the government role in anything, THE BETTER!. Heavy government regulations only help big companies because they have the resourses to comply with them, whereas small startups cannot and thus are no longer able to present a threat to big companies.

Date: Mon Dec 4 22:25:43 2000
realname: J.G.
comments: If Napster is taken to be a shining example of technolibertarianism, than am I the only one who finds the whole Napster model (well, the old model, by the looks of recent events) is very socialistic? I mean, Napster emphesizes sharing. It treats music files like any other piece of work in the public domain. Hell, even the World Socialist Web Site (www.wsws.org), a fine news source even if you don't subscribe to their beliefs, supports it. In a libertarian world, music would very much be privatized, like now, you would have to buy a CD. The current vitrol aimed towards record companies is also contradictory. It was recently reveled (carried by Wired, even: http://wirednews.com/news/mp3/0,1285,381 03,00.html) that the record companies had conspired to fix prices at around $20! Under the libertarian belief the increased competition would have drove the prices down, but now (and I mention the government has no influence over the record companies)it isn't the case. There's this huge furor over software piracy, yet it's fine to let artists' work let free? If everything is privatized, what luxury do they have to give thier work out for free? Especialy starting out and non-commercial artists (think about it, there would be more demand to cater to the popular trend than actually make something of artistic worth since it is the lame, contrived, cliched blockbuster movie that makes more money than the art house movie). I've had my long rant, now.

Date: Tue Dec 5 18:15:03 2000
realname: mk
username: http://www.pangea.ca/~kolar/DD/
comments: Hi, I have not yet read your book, but have I listened to your interview on the Canadian CBC radio today. Not everybody is selfish and libertarian on the web. Visit my Direct Democracy page at http://www.pangea.ca/~kolar/DD/ were you can find links to people who are trying to use the Internet to promote the true democracy in which everybody could participate and share. It could function only if information on anything is available to everybody.

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