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As suggested in section 2.3.1, I want to adopt the phrase I first encountered in the work of AndyLaw, when he chooses to describe phones and computers as 'liberation technology' (Law 2001p.165). The obvious connection to liberation theology whose hermeneutic principles areimportant for this study, hardly needs spelling out. Law goes on to say,"Through the gift of microprocessors, computers (and many other domestic andbusiness goods) get better and cheaper, thereby defeating our preconceived notionsthat better things are more expensive. They serve us well and add value to what wedo, but in themselves are too readily obsolete." (Law, 2001 p.166)In this next quotation, some pointers are offered to the potential impact of computers on thehuman condition."At St. Luke's 40 technology is a great leveller. Beyond the skill of programming, theuse of computers is a fair and democratic process. That's good, because it means thatwork's greatest enabler is available to any and every human, regardless of who theymight be." (Law, 2001 p.168)Friedman makes an important contribution to this debate, celebrating the work of the 'OpenSource' movement. He writes, "The primary goal of the free software movement is to get asmany people as possible writing, improving and distributing software for free, out of aconviction that this will empower everyone and free individuals from the grip of globalcorporations" (Friedman, 2006 p. 106). He writes powerfully about the impact of Google Earthon the small nation state of Bahrain, and its capacity to metaphorically breakdown the wallsimposed on the population by the ruling elite (Friedman, 2006 pp. 506-507).As a prologue to his historical report on Facebook, Kirkpatrick rehearses the story of Immanuelwhich again illustrates the power of technology to liberate and educate (see Kirkpatrick, 2010pp. 1-7).40 Andy Law's own advertising agency.114Simon Hughes Ph.D. Thesis (October 2012)