the.world.is.flat-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Bigari　〃is　so　enthusiastic　about　the　call　center　idea；〃　the　article　noted；　〃that　he　
has　expanded　it　beyond　the　drive…through　window　at　his　seven　restaurants　that　use　
the　system。　While　he　still　offers　counter　service　at　those　restaurants；　most　customers　
now　order　through　the　call　center；　using　phones　with　credit　card　readers　on　tables　
in　the　seating　area。〃　
Some　of　the　signs　of　flattening　I　encountered　back　home；　though；　had　nothing　to　do　
with　economics。　On　October　3；　2004；1　appeared　on　the　CBS　News　Sunday　morning　show　
Face　the　Nation；　hosted　by　veteran　CBS　correspondent　Bob　Schieffer。　CBS　had　been　in　
the　news　a　lot　in　previous　weeks　because　of　Dan　Rather's　60　Minutes　report　about　
President　George　W。　Bush's　Air　National　Guard　service　that　turned　out　to　be　based　
on　bogus　documents。　After　the　show　that　Sunday；　Schieffer　mentioned　that　the　oddest　
thing　had　happened　to　him　the　week　before。　When　he　walked　out　of　the　CBS　studio；　a　
young　reporter　was　waiting　for　him　on　the　sidewalk。　This　isn't　all　that　unusual；　
because　as　with　all　the　Sunday…morning　shows；　the　major　networks…CBS；　NBC；　ABC；　CNN；　
and　Fox…always　send　crews　to　one　another's　studios　to　grab　exit　interviews　with　the　
guests。　But　this　young　man；　Schieffer　explained；　was　not　from　a　major　network。　He　
politely　introduced　himself　as　a　reporter　for　a　Web　site　called　InDC　Journal　and　asked　
whether　he　could　ask　Schieffer　a　few　questions。　Schieffer；　being　a　polite　fellow；　
said　sure。　The　young　man　interviewed　him　on　a　device　Schieffer　did　not　recognize　and　


then　asked　if　he　could　take　his　picture。　A　picture？　Schieffer　noticed　that　the　young　
man　had　no　camera。　He　didn't　need　one。　He　turned　his　cell　phone　around　and　snapped　
Schieffer's　picture。　
〃So　I　came　in　the　next　morning　and　looked　up　this　Web　site　and　there　was　my　picture　
and　the　interview　and　there　were　already　three　hundred　comments　about　it；〃　said　
Schieffer；　who；　though　keenly　aware　of　online　journalism；　was　nevertheless　taken　
aback　at　the　incredibly　fast；　low…cost；　and　solo　manner　in　which　this　young　man　had　
put　him　up　in　lights。　
43　
I　was　intrigued　by　this　story；　so　I　tracked　down　the　young　man　from　InDC　Journal。　
His　name　is　Bill　Ardolino；　andhe　is　a　very　thoughtful　guy。　I　conducted　my　own　interview　
with　him　online　…how　else？　…and　began　by　asking　about　what　equipment　he　was　using　
as　a　one…man　network/newspaper。　
〃I　used　a　minuscule　MP3　player/digital　recorder　（three　and　a　half　inches　by　two　inches）　
to　get　the　recording；　and　a　separate　small　digital　camera　phone　to　snap　his　picture；〃　
said　Ardolino。　〃Not　quite　as　sexy　as　an　all…in…one　phone/camera/recorder　（which　does　
exist）；　but　a　statement　on　the　ubiquity　and　miniaturization　of　technology　nonetheless。　
I　carry　this　equipment　around　D。C。　at　all　times　because；　hey；　you　never　know。　What's　
perhaps　more　startling　is　how　well　Mr。　Schieffer　thought　on　his　feet；　after　being　
jumped　on　by　some　stranger　with　interview　questions。　He　blew　me　away。〃　
Ardolino　said　the　MP3　player　cost　him　about　125。　It　is　〃primarily　designed　to　play　
music；〃　he　explained；　but　it　also　〃comes　prepackaged　as　a　digital　recorder　that　
creates　a　WAV　sound　file　that　can　be　uploaded　back　to　a　computer　。　。　。　Basically；　
I'd　say　that　the　barrier　to　entry　to　do　journalism　that　requires　portable；　ad　hoc　
recording　equipment；　is　＇now＇　about　100…200　to　300　if　you　add　a　camera；　400　to　
500　for　a　pretty　nice　recorder　and　a　pretty　nice　camera。　＇But＇　200　is　all　that　you　
need　to　get　the　job　done。〃　
What　prompted　him　to　become　his　own　news　network？　
〃Being　an　independent　journalist　is　a　hobby　that　sprang　from　my　frustration　about　
biased；　incomplete；　selective；　and/or　incompetent　information　gathering　by　the　
mainstream　media；〃　explained　Ardolino；　who　describes　himself　as　a　〃center…right　
libertarian。〃　〃Independent　journalism　and　its　relative；　blogging；　are　expressions　
of　market　forces…a　need　is　not　being　met　by　current　information　sources。　I　started　
taking　pictures　and　doing　interviews　of　the　antiwar　rallies　in　D。C；　because　the　media　
was　grossly　misrepresenting　the　nature　of　the　groups　that　were　organizing　the　
gatherings…unrepentant　Marxists；　explicit　and　implicit　supporters　of　terror；　etc。　
I　originally　chose　to　use　humor　as　a　device；　but　I've　since　branched　out。　Do　I　have　
more　power；　power　to　get　my　message　out；　yes。　The　Schieffer　interview　actually　brought　
in　about　twenty…five　
44　
thousand　visits　in　twenty…four　hours。　My　peak　day　since　I've　started　was　fifty…five　
thousand　when　I　helped　break　'Rathergate'。。。　I　interviewed　the　first　forensics　expert　
in　the　Dan　Rather　National　Guard　story；　and　he　was　then　specifically　picked　up　by　
The　Washington　Post；　Chicago　Sun…Times；　Globe；　NYT；　etc。；　within　forty…eight　hours。　


〃The　pace　of　information　gathering　and　correction　in　the　CBS　fake　memo　story　was　
astounding/'　he　continued。　〃It　wasn't　justthat　CBS　News　'stonewalled'　after　the　fact；　
it　was　arguably　that　they　couldn't　keep　up　with　an　army　of　dedicated　fact…checkers。　
The　speed　and　openness　of　the　medium　is　something　that　runs　rings　around　the　old　
process。　。　。　I'm　a　twenty…nine…year…old　marketing　manager　＇who＇　always　wanted　to　write　
for　a　living　but　hated　the　AP　style　book。　As　iiberblogger　Glenn　Reynolds　likes　to　
say；　blogs　have　given　the　people　a　chance　to　stop　yelling　at　their　TV　and　have　a　say　
in　the　process。　I　think　that　they　serve　as　sort　of　a　'fifth　estate'　that　works　in　
conjunction　with　the　mainstream　media　（often　by　keeping　an　eye　on　them　or　feeding　
them　raw　info）　and　potentially　function　as　a　journalism　and　commentary　farm　system　
that　provides　a　new　means　to　establish　success。　
〃Like　many　facets　of　the　topic　that　you're　talking　about　in　your　book；　there　are　good　
and　bad　aspects　of　the　development。　The　splintering　of　media　makes　for　a　lot　of　
incoherence　or　selective　cognition　（look　at　our　country's　polarization）；　but　it　also　
decentralizes　power　and　provides　a　better　guarantee　that　the　complete　truth　is　out　
there　。　。　。　somewhere　。　。　。　in　pieces。〃　
On　any　given　day　one　can　come　across　any　number　of　stories；　like　the　encounter　between　
Bob　Schieffer　and　Bill　Ardolino；　that　tell　you　that　old　hierarchies　are　being　
flattened　and　the　playing　field　is　being　leveled。　As　Micah　L。　Sifry　nicely　put　it　
in　The　Nation　magazine　（November　22；　2004）：　〃The　era　of　top…down　politics…where　
campaigns；　institutions　and　journalism　were　cloistered　communities　powered　by　
hard…to…amass　capital　…is　over。　Something　wilder；　more　engaging　and　infinitely　more　
satisfying　to　individual　participants　is　arising　alongside　the　old　order。〃　
I　offer　the　Schieffer…Ardolino　encounter　as　just　one　example　of　how　the　flattening　
of　the　world　has　happened　faster　and　changed　rules；　roles；　and　relationships　more　
quickly　than　we　could　have　imagined。　And；　

though　I　know　it　is　a　cliche；　I　have　to　say　it　nevertheless：　You　ain't　seen　nothin　
yet。　As　I　detail　in　the　next　chapter；　we　are　entering　a　phase　where　we　are　going　to　
see　the　digitization；　virtualization；　and　automation　of　almost　everything。　The　gains　
in　productivity　will　be　staggering　for　those　countries；　companies；　and　individuals　
who　can　absorb　the　new　technological　tools。　And　we　are　entering　a　phase　where　more　
people　than　ever　before　in　the　history　of　the　world　are　going　to　have　access　to　these　
tools…　as　innovators；　as　collaborators；　and；　alas；　even　as　terrorists。　You　say　you　
want　a　revolution？　Well；　the　real　information　revolution　is　about　to　begin。　I　call　
this　new　phase　Globalization　3。0　because　it　followed　Globalization　2。0；　but　I　think　
this　new　era　of　globalization　will　prove　to　be　such　a　difference　of　degree　that　it　
will　be　seen；　in　time；　as　a　difference　in　kind。　That　is　why　I　introduced　the　idea　
that　the　world　has　gone　from　round　to　flat。　Everywhere　you　turn；　hierarchies　are　being　
challenged　from　below　or　transforming　themselves　from　top…down　structures　into　more　
horizontal　and　collaborative　ones。　
〃Globalization　is　the　word　we　came　up　with　to　describe　the　changing　relationships　
between　governments　and　big　businesses；〃　said　David　Rothkopf；　a　former　senior　
Department　of　Commerce　official　in　the　Clinton　administration　and　now　a　private　


strategic　consultant。　〃But　whatis　going　on　today　is　a　much　broader；　much　more　profound　
phenomenon。〃　It　is　not　simply　about　how　governments；　business；　and　people　communicate；　
not　just　about　how　organizations　interact；　but　is　about　the　emergence　of　completely　
new　social；　political；　and　business　models。　〃It　is　about　things　that　impact　some　of　
the　deepest；　most　ingrained　aspects　of　society　right　down　to　the　nature　of　the　social　
contract；〃　added　Rothkopf。　〃What　happens　if　the　political　entity　in　which　you　are　
located　no　longer　corresponds　to　a　job　that　takes　place　in　cyberspace；　or　no　longer　
really　encompasses　workers　collaborating　with　other　workers　in　different　corners　of　
the　globe；　or　no　longer　really　captures　products　produced　in　multiple　places　
simultaneously？　Who　regulates　the　work？　Who　taxes　it？　Who　should　benefit　from　those　
taxes？〃　
If　I　am　right　about　the　flattening　of　the　world；　it　will　be　remembered　as　one　of　those　
fundamental　changes…like　the　rise　of　the　nation…state　or　the　Industrial　
Revolution…each　of　which；　in　its　day；　noted　Rothkopf；　

produced　changes　in　the　role　of　individuals；　the　role　and　form　of　governments；　the　
way　we　innovated；　the　way　we　conducted　business；　the　role　of　women；　the　way　we　fought　
wars；　the　way　we　educated　ourselves；　the　way　religion　responded；　the　way　art　was　
expressed；　the　way　science　and　research　were　conducted；　not　to　mention　the　political　
labels　we　assigned　to　ourselves　and　to　our　opponents。　〃There　are　certain　pivot　points　
or　watersheds　in　history　that　are　greater　than　others　because　the　changes　they　
produced　were　so　sweeping；　multifaceted；　and　hard　to　predict　at　the　time；〃　Rothkopf　
said。　
If　the　prospect　of　this　flattening…and　all　of　the　pressures；　dislocations；　and　
opportunities　accompanying　it…causes　you　unease　about　the　future；　you　are　neither　
alone　nor　wrong。　Whenever　civilization　has　gone　through　one　of　these　disruptive；　
dislocating　technological　revolutions…　like　Gutenberg's　introduction　of　the　printing　
press…the　whole　world　has　changed　in　profound　ways。　But　there　is　something　about　the　
flattening　of　the　world　that　is　going　to　be　qualitatively　different　from　other　such　
profound　changes：　the　speed　and　breadth　with　which　it　is　taking　hold。　The　introduction　
of　printing　happened　over　a　period　of　decades　and　for　a　long　time　affected　only　a　
relatively　small　part　of　the　planet。　Same　with　the　Industrial　Revolution。　This　
flattening　process　is　happening　at　warp　speed　and　directly　or　indirectly　touching　
a　lot　more　people　on　the　planet　at　once。　The　faster　and　broader　this　transition　to　
a　new　era；　the　more　likely　is　the　potential　for　disruption；　as　opposed　to　an　orderly　
transfer　of　power　from　the　old　winners　to　the　new　winners。　
To　put　it　another　way；　the　experiences　of　the　high…tech　companies　in　the　last　few　
decades　who　failed　to　navigate　the　rapid　changes　brought　about　in　their　marketplace　
by　these　types　of　forces　may　be　a　warning　to　all　the　businesses；　institutions；　and　
nation…states　that　are　n