Hierarchy of cyber needs

Andrew Sullivan points off to a TED video that explores “the dark side of the web.” It’s basically a reflection by an eastern European social scientist on the ways in which the Net can facilitate “authoritarian deliberation” (as opposed to the communicative practice my colleague Gary Simpson urges). I’m not entirely sure I agree with his argument, but I don’t know enough about the context to critique it. Still, I find the “hierarchy of cyber-needs” that he describes a fascinating thought experiment, and it’s certainly descriptive of experiences I’ve had here, in the US, as I’ve observed and participated in various netly activities.