Peer Production and Collaboration

February 21

The free software movement is one example of a trend towards distributed volunteer networks of individuals collaborating on collective projects that were formerly the domain of the for-profit private sector. In this session, we explore how far such peer production can go in redefining the economic and social structures of modern society.

Assignments

Assignment 2 due

Readings

• Yochai Benkler, News, Information and the Wealth of Networks (watch from 8:32 to 26:07)

• Joseph Reagle, ”Be Nice”: Wikipedia Norms for Supportive Communication

Additional Resources

Joseph Reagle's book: Good Faith Collaboration: The Culture of Wikipedia

The following audio streams from NPR may be interesting:

• Wikipedia, Open Source and the Future of the Web
• Wikipedia Wins Users and Critics by Jenny Lawton
• Wikipedia's Growth Comes with Concerns by Laura Sydell