In his book Dhammic Socialism, Buddhadasa Bhikkhu proposes a synthesis of Buddhist worldview and Western egalitarian political idealism. Buddhadasa's Dhammic Socialism is based soundly upon Buddhist notions of interdependent co-arising (paticca-samuppâda), restraint and generosity (niyama), and loving-kindness (mettâ-karunâ). Together they comprise his antidote to the soul sickness of our wicked world, characterized by exploitative development of the natural world and media perpetuated consumer alienation borne of excessive material hunger, resulting in a sense of self that deliberately threatens community survival.
His core precepts undergird the positive potential of the Internet. If implemented properly, the Internet could bring to fruition Buddhadasa's vision of a socialistic society united in pursuit of enlightenment. Conversely, without the active involvement of mindful folk, the Internet could be fearsome force for absolute dehumanization.
According to Buddhadasa, Dhammic Socialism involves realignment. We are not living up to our human potential2 - mired in heedless greed and anxiety, ruled by our most basic instincts, we are too trapped in the temporal to transcend.
The Internet is inherently transcendent. You can't smell body odour over the wires, let alone procreate. Distractions of physical presence minimized, the mind is engaged.
The Internet is about information dissemination. Each person is their own agent of collection, with the potential to publicate. Rather than television demanding a pavlovian response to commercial puffery, the Internet encourages an active engaged personal search for truth.
By contrasting the moral underpinnings of Dhammic Socialism with the structure and ethic of online community, we can see the interplay of ideals between geeks and Buddhadasa.
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http://www.buddhanet.net/budasa2.htm