They say that anyone who knows what's good for him will avoid arguing on the Internet.

But what of arguing about the Internet?

That's what four net-centric thinkers — MoveOn.org board president Eli Pariser, "Googlization of Everything" author Siva Vaidhyanathan, Slate's Jacob Weisberg and "Net Delusion" author Evgeny Morozov — did Tuesday at an Oxford-style debate organized by Intelligence Squared U.S. and held here in New York. At issue: "When it Comes to Politics, The Internet is Closing Our Minds.”

Pariser — author of "The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding From You" — and Vaidhyanathan argued in favor and won by moving 25 percent of attendees over to their position.

This Thursday, editorial director Micah Sifry will dig in with Siva Vaidhyanathan, discussing his recent book, "The Googlization of Everything and Why It Matters," on a conference call that is free and open to attend. Some things have changed since the book first came out, including Facebook's continuing rise, Google's stumbles, and the battle over SOPA/PIPA, which shocked Washington and suggests new possibilities for carving out real protections for a free and open Internet. We'll talk about these issues, and explore the themes of Vaidhyanathan's ongoing work, which is all focused on how tech can foster a more democratic culture.

For more information or to register, click here.

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