In this essay, Varnelis takes sides with some of Jameson's ideas in a presentation on network culture that focuses primarily around the age of computed reproduction (rather than Jameson's recently outdated age of mechanical reproduction/ postmodernism). To varnelis, we haven't even achieved a new "ism" for this epoch of culture, but rather have achieved a state of "historical amnesia" in which case it seems fitting that we don't even bother with a relative epoch name-- we won't even bother recording it or referring to it again. Varnelis goes on to say that, "As we have described throughout this book, the networking of individuals worldwide gives them new links and new tools whith which to challenge the system, but as the chapter on politics suggests, whether newtworked publics can come together to make decisions democratically is still unclear." (p.150). This paricular quote caught my eye, specifically with the initiation of SOPA's arrival recently. The networked public (aka the internet) spat wildly in the face of the SOPA bill, driving it out of the shadows into the disgusted sight of the public. Needless to say, the bill was ultimatelty not passed, however, new bills seeking to do the same level of private probing have been introduced (most recently ACTA) and the public response seems to be lacking in wrath as it had before. It is true that the networked public showed its ability to blurr lines between public and media while also deomstrating that decisions can be made democratically within the network, I feel that we have come to another problem entirely: sensational apathy caused by information overload. This ideal demonstration of public outcry was impressive and indeed seemed to turn the chaotic nature of networks on its head, but in the end, it is the agenda of some to pass these laws, public approval/acceptance/awareness be dammed. With forces acting behind the scenes and basically playing at the very accurate assumption that the networked public lacks a very long attention span (without snesationalism, one may as well not exist within the realms of the internet) it seems to be only a matter of time before we have a fast one pulled on the dissonant names that make up the populace.