Let's have an open ended forum this week. Please feel free to post on a subject that interests/provokes you in this book. I suspect we will spend some time discussing its status not simply as an examination of technology but also as a volume that aims for an audience beyond academics. ***************** post: While reading Shirky I couldn't stop thinking in how modern his writing and thinking are. "Cognitive Surplus" is definitely and exemplary work in compiling buzzing terms that exalt the latest incarnation of a revolutionary modern period, a period of rapid change, acceleration, and transition. Although the list can be longer I will try to put here the buzzwords that resonate more nowadays: -participatory -civic -spread -social tools -radical -collective knowledge -civic engaged -creativity -wiring humanity -sharing -global -social media -free -innovation -media environment -expression As other participants of this forum have pointed out, Shirky compiles stories that illustrate the concept of "cognitive surplus" as a resource that has appeared thanks to the cumulative hours of free time and the development of "participatory social tools". He does a good job doing it but his critical analysis of them is poor. Because he is more like an evangelist of this latest "revolution" (call it internet, social media, networked, computer, digital, ... -revolution) he invites his readers to participate of it, to experiment with the new resource creating systems that generate value out of it. Shirky is definitely optimistic and positive and has lots of hope in that the new tools of the new revolution will create a new and better society. He has definitely the old good modern intentions. However, his argument stays at the surface of the buzz-words and does not dive at the more complex relationships between the politics, culture and labor of the current "revolutionary" society and technological system. Perhaps by exploring those relationships we can figure out a less modern scenario. ****************** technology determinist evangelist of social media and "new tools" pitching the web 2.0 thinking of revolutions >> too modern the internet revolution it is not interesting the the context, in the network process free labor, hypercatilism, businesss civic as well? social change and technology systems communication revolutions : printing press, telegraph, mobil phone he asks "What is the ideal way for a new technology to be integrated into society?" he argues for the sceneraio "As much chaos as we can stand" experimentation, trial and error, times of revolution >>> and questions how society would benefit -promises radical benefits too modern thinking of the new the revolution a sort of evangelist the citizens of the larger society >> negotiation that really matters media environment as cognitive tissue >>> in transition, trasformation new world "where public and private media blend together, where professional and amateur production blur, and where voluntary public participation has moved from nonexistent to fundamental." 211 digitl networks, ciberspace, internet, digital networked world change in the direction of more participation very optimistic, evangelic, positive the sky is the limit, our imaginations talking to designers public creativity, participation, sharing lots of buzz words : participation, civic, spread, social tools, radical, change not as new as he is trying to put it collecting knowledge civic engaged creativity wiring cognitive surplus shared global social media consumption he is not looking for a really radical change in society, capitalism, consumption, etc social lubricants for moments of transitions > i dont believe such revolutionary connotations. buzzwords as categories end oversimplifying what is actually happening when technological systems are being adapted by societies. the transition and change is not only experimented by the society but also by the technology. social lubricants as the medicine for moments of transition >> really ? ii dont believe that >>> gin, sitcom, built as a part of the late capitalist system and promoted by venture capital capitalist logic of production network economy of late capitalism >> extracts value form that free time, free labor indeed a sort of social factory totally ignores the dynamics of the digital economy and the relationship between politic, culture and labor, free time labor for being more specific. tips for new businesses? or for really radical change? ***************************************** -lecture- examples of a concepts :: the interactions are just there > in the screen, but there is not analysis of how that translate into the real world characterizations do they interact offline? mimi ito's teenagers in korea protesting >>> social media combined with real life interactions how it combines with real life? cognitive surplus as a nebolous source and a motivated factor other social media studies attack different this kind of examples strong ties and weak ties > -strong ties: certain kind of social capital : emotional bonds, afiliation, good for emotional and psychological support. -weak ties: bridging ties, dont have strong emotional connection, but good for information transmission. easy to join easy to accept social media research quality of the ties is not explore in shirky shirky just points out that is good to make things and experiment. does not get into how can be social media political benneficially? weak engagement for social change using social media? technological determinist? >> world of peer production, commons, can flourish absence of conflict in the picture one dimensional motivational structures :: -intrinsic motivations : feeling of mastery -extrinsic motivations intrinsic motivations usually in private extrensic usually public new social settings :: blur space public / private amateur culture :: what can accomplish what is the reward for the amateurs? hobby and the amateurs >> -private, in their basement, -now they are not necessarily always private -now there is an option to pursue socially their hobbies -community base enterprise -they love it : the emotionality of the connections >>> natural curiosity >>>culture?? >> it is a big term >> perhaps he is talking more about motivations when can you call a culture a culture ? share interest, transformative point, creative endevours casting of opportunity :: discussion of need in missing :: needs and desire shared values? shared values for pursuing something "little science, big science" >> analyzes structures of networks of scientists :: use of quotations ::: knowledge history the invisible college :: need for a common culture among the group >> creating a community of practice >>> it is simmilar to a common peer production/ open source effort >> led by communities of practices >>> to waht extent do they have a shared culture? network of the technology helps people to network peer based system >> when every body is involved, much data will be shared in the commons, easier to see, to