Read the Introduction to Cyburbia
here
Author Archives: JamesH
I’m appearing tomorrow Tue 12 May, 730pm at the Bristol Festival of Ideas, if anyone’s around.
More info here.
Jonah Lehrer, marshmallows and the problem of self-control
The science writer Jonah Lehrer has an interesting article on self-control in next week’s issue of the New Yorker (“The Secret of Self-control”, New Yorker, May 18 2009). Lehrer rehearses the same scientific study I mentioned in Cyburbia, the famous … Continue reading
Just back from seeing Tunnel 228, the collaboration between Punchdrunk and Kevin Spacey
It’s really interesting. Go and see it – to book, go here. As I point out in the book, Punchdrunk beat the assembled hucksters of Web 2.0 hands down. The real possibilities opened up by our relentless button-pressing lie not … Continue reading
Lovely review from Art Review’s May edition, by JJ Charlesworth
Cyburbia: The Dangerous Idea That’s Changing How We Live and Who We Are By James Harkin Little, Brown / Knopf Canada, £17.99 / $24.32 (hardcover) Right now, you’re probably too busy bidding on eBay, cruising Second Life, emailing on your … Continue reading
Great review of Lost in Cyburbia in Canada’s National Post on Saturday
Even if they didn’t go for the title. Read it here
How The Geeks inherited the Earth. An essay which will appear in this week’s New Statesman.
Thursday 26 March 2009, day 66 of Barack Obama’s presidency, may be remembered as the day that his clean-living administration went to pot. The occasion was the launch of Obama’s Online Town Hall, designed to build on the momentum … Continue reading
Trapped in Cyburbia: A lovely review from Spiked-Online
By Jennie Bristow. Read it here
Lost In The Loop: Review from DNA Sunday, India, 5 April
Lost in the loop Malvika Tegta 826 words 5 April 2009 DNA Sunday English Copyright 2009. Diligent Media Corporation Ltd. Inhabitants of cyber space essentially conform to peer opinion and willingly become nodes of loose information, argues a new book … Continue reading
Adam Curtis on the rise of Oh Dearism; from Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe
Watch it here
Exciting feedback from Russia: Greatest interest in creative-social project aroused in great country Russia
Received this morning. “Subject: Greatest interest in creative-social project aroused in great country Russia Dear Dr (I do presume) Herkin, I am live in Rassia and am v interesting to buy your this book. I do spend time on the … Continue reading
Review: The Independent, 27 March. Invasion of the Cybermen
By the critic and author of The Play Ethic Pat Kane. Read it here.
Twister: The New Yorker on non-linearity, or cyber-realism
A great article in last week’s New Yorker, analysing the film-making technique of Tony Gilroy, finds most of the ingredients of cyber-realism – the puzzle, the loop, multiplicity of perspective and the tie – within Duplicity, his latest film. According … Continue reading
Punchdrunk and Adam Curtis: It Felt Like a Kiss
Manchester International Festival have announced a show entitled It Felt Like A Kiss, a collaboration between the documentary-maker Adam Curtis, the theatre company Punchdrunk whose work I write about in Cyburbia, and Damon Albarn. Read more here. The show, according … Continue reading
Losing The Plot: The new cyber-realist storytelling. Essay in The Observer’s quarterly film magazine today.
Read it here.
Little Brother: Me on Google, on Newsnight last night
Watch it here.
Will be on Newsnight tonight, with any luck. Talking about Google, not Josef Fritzl.
Review: The New Zealand Herald, 14 March. Probing Cyburban Neurosis.
Probing cyburban neurosis 14 March 2009 New Zealand Herald Cyburbia – The Dangerous Idea That’s Changing How we live and Who we are By James Harkin Hachette, $40 Rating out of 10: 10 WHAT a fascinating book! The author is … Continue reading
Review: Sunday Times (South Africa), 15 March. The world is not flat.
A smart political review of the book from the Sunday Times in South Africa. The author concludes that the idea of the net currently tends to obscure the sources of power. I’d agree wholeheartedly. As I argue at the end … Continue reading
Dunblane and The Sunday Express: a response from the editor
On the subject of Dunblane and the Sunday Express, the editor of the Scottish Sunday Express Derek Lambie has just emailed me to request an interesting clarification: “Having read your Comment piece in the Guardian, I have to point out … Continue reading
The Ties That Don’t Bind: The problem with Facebook’s global village
A comment piece from today’s copy of The Guardian. Read it here.
Appearance on ABC Radio Australia programme this weekend
I’ll be appearing on a “BACKGROUND BRIEFING” programme on ABC National Radio in Australia this weekend about the Australian Government’s controversial plans for censorship on the net. Broadcast Sunday 9am, repeated Tuesday 7pm, and available on the net.
What can our Google searches tell companies about ourselves? Take this example.
In Tim Berners-Lee’s testimony before a House of Commons committee on internet privacy on wednesday, he drew attention to the potential for snooping on the data trial we leave behind on Google. “We use the internet without a thought that … Continue reading
Review: The Independent (UK), 7 March
An interesting review in Saturday’s Independent, by the author of The Play Ethic Pat Kane. Unlike some of the critics, Kane gets the jokes too. It’s not online yet, so here is is below. The Independent, 7 March 2009. Cyburbia: … Continue reading
Can Twittering be a Sin? Answers, please, in 140 characters.
A comment piece in tomorrow’s (UK) Independent. Read it here.