From The Guardian, a review of Imaginary Futures: From Thinking Machines to the Global Village by Richard Barbrook; and how we have been fooled by utopian visions of the future: Our expectations of technology are borne out of Cold War spin. The community-building projects of the digital world are celebrated for the abundance they make it possible to access and share; but what if the culture of a community only arises from jointly endured constraints? Tony Curzon Price explores a key paradox of the online age. Lost in cyberspace: The network society may ultimately lead to information overload, triviality, and loneliness. It's better in the flesh: Social networking sites don't foster meaningful communication. They are a complete waste of time. Is Wis.dm your next online obsession? Answer yes or no. This new

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