Living in the Global Glass House

I'd like to share a post from a longtime online friend and associate in Sri Lanka, Nalaka Gunawardene, with whom I've worked on projects related to Sir Arthur C. Clarke, for whom Nalaka acted as a personal secretary.

Nalaka is an exceptional writer and observer of the global condition, especially as it relates to communication and technology.

As Arthur grew older, he frequently turned to Nalaka to shape his own writings, and Nalaka did so with great insight and ability.  I believe he's worth listening to, so here's his original post, with a link that will carry you to his worthwhile essay ...

------------------
By Nalaka Gunawardene

Dear friends,

"In the struggle for freedom of information, technology -- not politics -- will be the ultimate decider."

These words, originally uttered by Sir Arthur C Clarke many years ago, have been quoted frequently in the current debate surrounding WikiLeaks and freedom of information.

I invoke these words, and many related reflections by the late author and futurist, in a 2,250-word essay I have just written. Titled 'Living in the Global Glass House,' it is presented in the form of an Open Letter to Sir Arthur, and available at:
http://groundviews.org/2010/12/19/living-in-the-global-glass-house-an-open-letter-to-sir-arthur-c-clarke/

While it was inspired by the current WikiLeaks controversy, it also touches on some other issues related to our information society. I look at what it means for individuals, corporations and governments to live in the Age of Transparency. I also wonder where the 'Digital Pied Pipers' of Facebook might eventually lead us (or our children)...

Please visit, read and join the conversation!

Thanks for encouraging us, Sir Arthur

I was unbelievably fortunate to have befriended the late Arthur C. Clarke, with whom I corresponded for more than three decades as a result of a high-school term paper. His encouragement of my writing led to a lengthy association, and I'm proud to say I'm a contributing editor to Neil McAleer's "Visionary: The Odyssey of Arthur C. Clarke," which was published in 2012 and is available through Amazon.

Arthur passed away in 2008 after a long and influential life. Here's a video of his reflections, created when he was 90 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qLdeEjdbWE

And here's a glimpse of him when he was in his heyday -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOaZspeSBZU