Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Creating The Commons
Before the Internet was what it is today, things needed to be thought up and created and in reading the section in Smart Mobs on inventing the innovation commons I got a better sense of where the Internet comes from and what gives it its base. Rheingold describes how the Internet was suppose to be free from the start and how it still it today, to some extent. The Internet was created for and by people who wanted to create better technology and wanted to share ideas with one another. Of course the Internet is used for many more things today but the idea is still there. The Internet is used to receive and send information about whatever it may be. Weather its e-mails to and from classmates or friends, to software techs discussing a new innovative program, the Internet is a means of fast communication for everyone.
“The Internet was deliberately designed by hackers to be an innovation commons, a laboratory for collaboratively creating better technologies.” (Rheingold48)
This section in Smart Mob's discussed the creating of software to harvest the Internet and really get it going. The first OS or operating system was designed to be freeware, or software that anyone could use. This freeware allowed many people to use the early Internet and constantly improve on it. Had the first operating systems been private, then we may not have the Internet we have today. These first commons for inventing software and operating systems was critical for the Internet. It also being free to re-use and distribute to other people was also a big idea that would help the Internet become what it is today.
“Software deliberately created as a public good is the reason you can type www.smartmobs.com instead of a string of numbers to see this book's web site.” (Rheingold 52)
Labels: communication Commons, Early Internet, Freeware, Smart Mobbs
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A very good post. good use of links.
"Innovation commons," what a great phrase. Is this ideal a utopian dream? Does the open source, freeware, shareware culture stand a chance against the free market zealots of DRM and intellectual property? A healthy minority of activists is struggling to spread the gospel of a creative commons around the world. It is a noble crusade but will it stand up in a competitive economic marketplace. Can it work without the incentive of profit?
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"Innovation commons," what a great phrase. Is this ideal a utopian dream? Does the open source, freeware, shareware culture stand a chance against the free market zealots of DRM and intellectual property? A healthy minority of activists is struggling to spread the gospel of a creative commons around the world. It is a noble crusade but will it stand up in a competitive economic marketplace. Can it work without the incentive of profit?
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