Clay Shirky on Gin, Television and Social Surplus
Over on WorldChanging, Clay Shirky has just posted a somewhat long (2467 words) essay about how Gin was a necessary component of the Industrial Revolution, and how Sitcoms have played an integral role in the Information Revolution (currently in progress). It's an interesting article, touching on subjects ranging from TV recovery to Warcraft guilds to the true societal costs of Wikipedia.
Go check it out.
Go check it out.