ABC News: Silicon Insider: The Myth of the Mistake-Free War

As a software developer of many years, it is a responsibility further this discussion. Just as Jon Stewart got into the faces of the Crossfire gang for their damage to public discourse, this piece should serve the same purpose. Mr. Malone make some eloquent points. We are all human. And we all make mistakes. I too see this digitalization of public discourse. I think it is something we will be better for in the long run. I think we are in a period of adjustment in the context of public discourse.

The measures of "current knowledge" have changed. Water-cooler conversations are being tempered until they can check CNN.COM or NYTIMES.COM. Even then one can still get caught. But people are learning to adjust the communication timing.

This means that it is an opportunity to excercise fundamental elements of political philosophy. Perhaps the speed of things is helping ordinary folks, discern or percieve elements of how society operates. The notion of propaganda in the 1930's is something that took months for a single message to get out and around. If you asked folks in the 1930's if they could identify pieces of propaganda, they may not even know the meaning of the word. Today more and more folks know about The Drudge Report and FOX news.

They are just now learning how to delineate between that form of information and the FACTCHECK.ORG, SMOKINGGUN.COM or other similar sources. It is a good thing, but it is a transition and it will take time. It also cannot be stopped.

Change is a constant - perhaps because to Err is Human.