A Series of Tubes

So, you don't have to look very far to find some treatises on the political and economic significance of free and open source software (FOSS), cryptography, and various other technologies. Computer geeks tend to have really interesting politics, with a fiercely libertarian streak. They also tend to have odd political arguments, partially because their world, where logic always wins, is in many ways the opposite of the world of politics. Not surprisingly, though, the geeks understand that world much better than politicians understand technology. One such argument just popped up on what is perhaps the most important technology news site in the world, if only because it is the most revered such site among the people who actually create the technologies that make news. So, anyhow, you should read (and participate in) this lively discussion about technological innovation, political rhetoric, the United States government, and the nature of democracy.