cover image WORD OF MOUSE: The New Age of Networked Media

WORD OF MOUSE: The New Age of Networked Media

Jim Banister, . . Agate, $24.95 (216pp) ISBN 978-0-9724562-6-5

Banister, a media industry consultant, suggests that networked media—most especially, the Internet—is still in its earliest stages, with greater levels of connectivity yet to come. His argument, though rich in McLuhanesque theory, has a foundation solid enough for any bottom-line businessman to grasp: successful companies need to create "communities" of consumers who possess the "symphonic literacy" to fully participate in new forms of media while the companies find ways to turn that participation into a financial transaction. Some elements, such as access to the network, may go down in price or even become free, as companies are forced to respond to consumer expectations. The online auction site eBay is held up as a "near-perfect paradigm" of the networked experience, but Banister also points toward the entertainment industry, where electronic gamers are already discovering interactive "storyforming" and "storydwelling." The future gazing takes an odd turn, though, when Banister starts enthusing about "a living or conscious web of man," the next stage of evolution, which will change us into "humanodes," consuming and producing media with equal agility. A proclamation that networked media are "feminine" and will restore a transcendental cultural balance may alienate readers who simply want a financial edge. Readers of Wired magazine will find it all old hat, while the subject and corporate emphasis will be of limited appeal to a general audience. Agent, Jayne Rockmill. (Aug. 15)