A day late on the #Newsletter, sorry folks. Hope you had a great July 4.
Today, we lean on John Stuart Mill and Marshall McLuhan to explore the difference between protecting free speech & protecting the public forums, the "containers" of speech, that make personal liberties possible & defensible.
Brain's still moving at a lower gear setting, but no matter.
On to 🍵, then OnlySky.
Happy hump day, whatever your lumps & bumps!
#Philosophy #BetterWorldsTheory
#Humanism
https://mlclark.substack.com/p/on-mill-mcluhan-and-social-media
Ephemerality vs. Posterity is interesting. Plenty of books are lost to time. Plenty of news broadcasts, radio shows, newspapers, & TV programs were simply discarded or taped over by their creators as a matter of course.
So I wouldn't say the internet is at all new in its fleeting nature - except that it makes pulling up records of speech *much* easier in the short term.
Free speech is generally considered in its moment, but the longterm implications of that quick recall matter too.
@MLClark hmmm. Lot to chew on, thanks.
Is ephemerality of social media content another consideration?
The saying "the Internet never forgets" isn't very apt* and I think attention spans are shorter. Hence maybe unconsciously (being generous) some folks feel empowered to say *whatever* and expect no lasting consequences.
*The Internet is not equipped for preservation in any real sense. No one could afford it. Will this post be available in 100 years? In 10? McCluhan's book will be.