Pesce wrote an interesting piece, but it only holds true insofar as the hierarchy you're dealing with has any sort of digital presence.
There are plenty of hierarchies which can't be harassed or harangued sufficiently to move their moribund hides into less-restrictive modes of operation, and without which all this e-banner-raising is so much guff. Public utilities (water and electrical) and unions for one. Telecom monopolies for another. Want to download that pirated copy of Harry Potter? You need an ISP -- either Rogers or Bell, or a smaller carrier licensing use of Rogers or Bell infrastructure.
One way or another you're going to kowtow to the hierarchy, whether you like it or not. The whole "Net will create a flat Utopia" business is so Wired mag circa 1995.