September 29, 1997 |
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Fighting Off Cultural Imperialism |
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As stated in the current issue of Slate (a magazine sponsored and published by Microsoft), the short history of Java is characterized by "cultural conflict, in which symbols and rhetoric have played as important a role as underlying technological differences." The article takes pains not to dismiss the momentum surrounding Java as mere marketing hype. However, it trivializes the Java "culture wars" in another way: by suggesting that the battles for cultural hegemony are just the way high-tech business works these days.
No doubt, but we think there's more at stake. The Java "culture wars" are just a small part of a vast cultural evolution.
The cultural evolution of the '90s is based on the acknowledgment and preservation of difference across the globe. Unique communities that were once invisible have suddenly been "networked," or brought into the forefront via technology to make their traditions (music, clothing, art, etc.) available to outsiders. The goal is to allow these practices to be enjoyed by other groups without being homogenized.
At a fundamental technological level, Java encourages difference; it nullifies the rule of platform hegemony. Java unifies disparate computing systems while retaining their uniqueness by building on existing infrastructure. Developers and end-users alike are not required to give up their computer platforms in lieu of an all encompassing system (a.k.a. Windows). Java gives the developer community a means to network with, not assimilate, other platforms; this is the force shaping the new network computing model.
Finally, a break from tyranny.
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