Wednesday, July 09, 2008

The New Society

I mentioned it back in the old world, but on those rare occasions when it reflected its tagline, The Real Hustle was great television. Patronising perhaps, but we all draw some pleasure from seeing the comeuppance of selfish idiots who thought they could make a quick killing.

Increasingly however, the programme does not trade on the greed but instead on the generosity and kind spirits of the supposed "victims". It suggests that everyone who asks for help should be treated as a crook, every id displayed to you should be treated as a fake id, everyone who stops you to ask for directions is just trying to pick your pocket. It may be true, but it is evil. It is the opposite of civilised society.

But like the greatest creation of Jim Steinman, there is hope in the box. On the internet, it pays to be generous. Provide more links out and more people will link in. I'm paraphrasing Neil Perkin here, but the more that you drive people away, the more you will draw people in. A great business model. As Tim Berners-Lee seems to be saying more and more, the web is not technology, it is people connected. It is society. Common Sense.

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