Ian Barbour's Lest we think the Revolution is a Revolution Response

Ian Barbour
English 100 A
Anna Wolf
February 21st 2010

Lest we think the Revolution is a Revolution Response

After reading Lest we think the revolution is a revolution by Cynthia Selfe I can't help but feel that the article was written in bad taste by some one who is radically biased. The article is basically about how Americans are quick to believe that technology and specifically the computer will improve society and break down social barriers, but Cynthia claims that technology is doing just the opposite. Cynthia rants “Computers in other words, are complexly socially determined artifacts that interact with existing social formations and tendencies including sexism, classism, and racism to contribute to the shaping of a gendered society.” I think Cynthia Selfe is mistaken because she overlooks the fact that all of these prejudices have been around for thousands of years and are still present. Just because they show up online which is obviously going to occur considering racism, sexism ect. happens everywhere and online is just a world wide community, which is clearly going to be an extension of all those beliefs, does not make online the evil next step producing prejudices. Simply speaking the internet in nature would stop these negative tendencies, giving all 1st world (for now) people regardless of race or class the ability to find all of the same information any one else can, everyone's information pool is infinity large. Also it gives people of different cultures a chance to communicate easily online, this could break some social boundaries and therefore stop some people's racist thoughts. More over Cynthia claims that advertisements incorporate stereotypes, for example a women only using the internet to look up cooking recipes or how to clean something. I am not sure what made up ads she has been watching, but no ad I have ever seen would ever dare to get even close to being considered racist, sexist or anything. The most recent computer ads for windows 7 shows a little girl not looking up how to cook a meal, but she has mastered photoshop and is putting together professional looking collages. Some might argue that she wrote this article a decade ago and back then here arguments were more valid, but regardless in my english 100 class we were just watching an ad that was about 20 years old and they were already fighting stereotypes with their ad featuring a hard working black ump. For arguing with this passage I used the disagreeing with reasons strategy. My paragraph clearly shows this strategy as I immediately state how I disagree with her and then go on to list several reasons why.