Every time I think co-operative thinking cannot surprise me any longer in this world, somebody proves me wrong. Astra Taylor is a writer, activist, and documentary filmmaker. In her thoroughly researched and comprehendingly presented The People’s Platform, she debunks some of the myths surrounding the advantages of the internet, which in just 20 years has changed everything about the way we live. Taylor warns against users becoming oblivious consumers exploited by power and greed which often hide behind seemingly benign services. She champions an “open, egalitarian, participatory, and sustainable culture” where people are “put before profit”, and gives practical advice about how such goals can still be attained.

The People’s Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age
by Astra Taylor
Fourth Estate, 2014

First published in the Cape Times, 1 August 2014, p. 32.