Life is simpler when it's divided into two clear categories

There are so many books and theories and pundits attempting to explain the Internets that it's hard to keep track of them all. Adam Theirer does a good job of delineating two camps of the debate, as well as providing a full-throated guilt trip of a book list.

Beliefs / Themes

Internet Optimists	Internet Pessimists
*Culture / Social*
Net is Participatory	Net is Polarizing
Net yields Personalization	Net yields Fragmentation
a “Global village”	Balkanization
Heterogeneity / Diversity of Thought	Homogeneity / Close-mindedness
Net breeds pro-democratic tendencies	Net breeds anti-democratic tendencies
Tool of liberation & empowerment	Tool of frequent misuse & abuse