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In the push-pull between the market and expression, many people here
and elsewhere in academia tend to take sides against the market as if
the market is in itself exploitative, and entrepreneurship should be
discouraged, and anything that smells of profit is suspect. I'm not so
ready to make those conclusions about SL or other for-profit
environments since, as Michel argues, most users comprehend and accept
the plain fact that the principle of profit-taking is "the very
condition for the participatory platform to be sustainable." Is this a
perfect model for free expression? Maybe or maybe not. But how else
are we going to fund a platform like SL that takes real human sweat
(alas, maybe produced in virtual sweatshops) to stay afloat and
innovate. We can dream about a full open source SL, and that may
happen some day, but there's no crime in Linden Labs' profit motives
alone. <br>
<br>
Our entire electronic life involves this contract: Google and all of
its services are free to us because of the advertising Google rakes in;
this may not be "pure" but it works -- Google is at the top of its
field and the geeks prefer it. We watch television for free in return
for watching inane commercials, etc. Is this system perfect? No. But
that doesn't mean it's exploitative. As Michel says, if a company like
MySpace overreaches is authority, we can leave and set up camp
somewhere else. <br>
<br>
-Josh <br>
<br>
Michel Bauwens wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:c776300b0703050102t234be43fm3b16ecb9f030d9aa@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite"><br>
Hi Trebor,<br>
<br>
For years, the left has complained about the stranglehold of mass
media, and how they were dumbing us down, preventing autonomy and
sharing etc...<br>
<br>
Now we have an extraordinary techno-social development which creates a
multitude of micromedia, some of which, most of which?, probably are
mediated by an existing political economy and specifically in concrete
cases by proprietary platforms.
<br>
<br>
But the first thing is to recognize the joy that people are feeling
when they are enabled/empowered to express themselves, share, and form
communities. On that basis, they will learn the impediments that
mediation is forcing on them, and learn to yearn for more pure forms
of autonomy.
<br>
<br>
However, if peer production is non-reciprocal, as I argue, then it
makes no sense to argue about exploitation through derivative services.<br>
<br>
Rather, I would argue that in most cases, there is a very well
understood social contract. You provide us with a participatory
platform, we understand that needs funding, and therefore, the provider
has a business strategy. Conflicts will arise out of the balance
between participation and profit-taking, but not on the very principle
of profit taking ,since this is the very condition for the
participatory platform to be sustainable. If the participation breaks
down because of the profit taking, as seems the case in MySpace, then
people start to leave, and eventually, the social conditions for the
creation of totally autonomous platforms will arise.
<br>
<br>
I understand that in academia, being critical is the life-blood for
recognition and that there is a competition towards hyper-criticality.
But I think that the conclusion that most people have suddently become
'dumb', because they do not recognize the exploitation, is unwarranted.
They do know this, and they mostly recognize it as a fact of life, but
they also have their own interests at heart.
<br>
<br>
If you criticize that the benefits of the labor of the many go to the
few, does that then imply that you favour revenue-sharing? But in that
case, you kill passionate production, it becomes a for-market activity,
the quality of contributions plummets. Is that what is preferable? Or
rather, should we find ways so that the generated revenue goes back to
the community in such a way that the peer production process is not
undermined by direct payments?
<br>
<br>
I say we need strategies which work with the passion of the peer
producers, that take them seriously (does not assume they are dumb and
unaware of exploitation).<br>
<br>
Michel<br>
<br>
<br clear="all">
<br>
-- <br>
The P2P Foundation researches, documents and promotes peer to peer
alternatives.
<br>
<br>
Wiki and Encyclopedia, at <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://p2pfoundation.net">http://p2pfoundation.net</a>; Blog, at
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net">http://blog.p2pfoundation.net</a>;
Newsletter, at <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://integralvisioning.org/index.php?topic=p2p">
http://integralvisioning.org/index.php?topic=p2p</a><br>
<br>
Basic essay at <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=499">http://www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=499</a>;
interview at <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://poynder.blogspot.com/2006/09/p2p-very-core-of-world-to-come.html">
http://poynder.blogspot.com/2006/09/p2p-very-core-of-world-to-come.html</a>;
video interview, at <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2006/09/29/network_collaboration_peer_to_peer.htm">http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2006/09/29/network_collaboration_peer_to_peer.htm
</a><br>
<br>
The work of the P2P Foundation is supported by <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.ws-network.com/04_team.htm">http://www.ws-network.com/04_team.htm</a>
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</blockquote>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Joshua Levy <br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.personaldemocracy.com">www.personaldemocracy.com</a> <br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.levjoy.com">www.levjoy.com</a> </div>
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