Regarding the net as a metaphor/model for terrorist and other distributed organizations like vacationing teachers, it was notable today that one sector that apparently did well in a bad day for stock trading was videoconferencing technology. People apparently want to stay put.
As to organizations like the ones housed in the WTC, Christian makes an interesting comment. I suspect most of the ones that were using computer databases had multiple backups, some of which were well beyond the WTC, possibly even in other countries. Why not similarly distribute personnel?
And if I may be allowed a bit of tongue-in-cheek, perhaps "distance learning" could in this way come to mean sending faculty to teach from Hawaii while their students remain in Chicago.
Sj
Nancy Baym, Communication Studies University of Kansas NEW! email: nbaym@ku.edu NEW! snail mail: 102 Bailey, 1440 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045, USA NEW! url: http://www.ku.edu/home/nbaym