Is this the future, and how well does it really work? America is apparantley the world’s most wired society. People get withdrawal systems if they can’t access the net on a regular - i.e. daily basis -these are real physical symptoms, like anxiety; stress; depression. According to the same reports - a third? half? two thirds? of American people are obese or over-weight. A great percentage of college students are doped up on happy pills. Is this where technology takes us? It might not take all of us there, but it’s certainly taking some people there.

Care must always be taken. Yeah, its great having the internet, email and all these other advanced technologies. yeah, its great we can search the world for information (although having access to it doesn’t necessarily make anyone anymore powerful). But instead of either or, couldn’t we have a mixed approach? Isn’t there room in this great e-gov future for the post office? A place where a lonely elderly person might be able to go and have a chat with someone now and again?

An over reliance on technology, and attempts to replace social interactions with technically mediated interactions can only increase the feeling of alienation and isolation that many people feel.

I still feel enthusiastic about the technology but I feel increasingly cynical about something called ‘e-government’ which is increasingly turning into an exercise in alienating social interaction and outlining huge job cuts.

We could push the paranoia boat out even further here. If all interactions between ‘citizens’ (ha!) and ‘the council’ are electronic (or if lots of them are), then it makes it much easier to outsource and privatise those services. And then who gains? There is certainly little public accountability and even less democracy involved in privatised services. So is e-government making democracy (in a real sense) more or less likely?

Which is a more accountable source of information - the BBC (which the Blair government seem determined to get rid of) or Rupert Murdoch?

What’s better - local services provided by local people who live in an area and have a social and geographical connection with an area or being provided by a privatised company which has as its raison d’etre the accumulation of profits rather than public services?

Well, that’s all my garbled thoughts for one evening - I’m having to pay three quid on wi-fi access in the beanscene - good place, good coffee, good music - but I’ve gotta go…