Computers are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. They are the machines we use to create knowledge, they let us talk and write to each other, they are the cars, trains and planes that we use to move around. Computers are so tremendously useful because they are general purpose machines. We routinely use them to create and do things that the people who built them never dreamed of. Yet we are in the middle of an intense battle for control of these computers. Corporations are busy turning general purpose computers into mere shopping devices. Instead of choosing our destiny, we only get to choose our masters. It doesn't have to be this way. Are we heading for a world of corporate surveillance, where our choices will be bought and sold? Or are we going to create a world where we live in freedom and take charge of our lives?
