Review Another Team´s Work

List of wiki team´s topics.
I will write this review like a comparison of two wiki team´s works.

1. The Networked Information Economy

First one and best structured is work focused on book Benkler, Y. (2006). The Wealth of Networks. It is good work, well structured looks almost like work of one man. In fact, it is summarizing of one book, It is main advantage - it give the team, whose created it clear structure. Finally each member can made just part of book. It´s not rebuke by me, i just want to underline, that make clear structure of team work, edit materials created by many members and give a final form of the team work is the most hard job in any team project. So this wiki work is really good, but it seems to me, that main part of this work did original editor of the book, on which is this team work based.

2. In opposite of the first one are "Social Media, Viral Marketing and Crowdsourcing"

This work is in fact also good, there is quite lot of information, well written texts, good quotes... But it´s not compact. It´s very visible, that each part made someone else. There is necessary next step, the final editing of the materials made by different members of the team by main editor. In this case, each member choose some aspect of the topic and create text. But social reality, or may be better say each reality except reality of natural science, is not possible to strictly divide into different parts. Of course it is possible, but finally the parts overlaps some of them a more, some of them less - but it is unavoidably - and in each work project is extreamly important role of final editor. I like the parallels with films - It´s almost the same - film editor make simillar thing. all film team create many shots and many minutes of film material - At the end director from huge amount of material creat the short film.... This wiki team miss the final editing... unfortunately in the same way as our team :(.

Week 12 / In Search of Middle Ground: Hybrid Approaches

Topic 23 & 24
* Try to position yourself on the "Free vs Proprietary" scale. What would you expect from a hybrid licensing scheme?


I am closer to Free extreme... but with some reservations.

And what i expect from hybrid licensing? It´s realistic, and really good strategy, how to extend the Free ethics, and penetrate free licenses into wide population, which is at this time demesne of hard core business - proprietary models. It´s only way how to achieve change. The strict GNU GPL and similar licenses are important (extremes are important) - but if there would be just GNU GPL - it would lead to marginalization of this project - enclosing to tower from elephant´s gold (it´s old word, i am not sure, if it´s possible to translate it like this).

* What is your impression about the MS Shared Source?

I wrote about it already earlier. I understand it like desperate (but sophisticated) bid of Microsoft Corporation to keep monopoly over OS/software...
So of course, i don´t like it.

Week 11 / The Uneasy Alliance: Free Software vs Open Source

Topic 21 & 22
*Analyse both free software and open source approach in your blog. If you prefer one, provide your arguments.
* How are CC licenses implemented in your country?
* Do you consider the FDL 1.3 a good solution for the incompatibility problem?

Week 10 / The Digital Enforcement

Topic 20
Write a short analysis about applicability of copying restrictions - whether you consider them useful, in which cases exceptions should be made etc.

I don´t consider them useful. It´s useful just for enslavement of people... it´s "good" reason for prohibiting the Internet. For destroying it´s freedom and openes. ACTA and similar agreements are just first steps - wide spreading of concept of "Great Fire-wall of China" is another one.

Already now is World wide web separate into many different areas. GF of China is just most visible and well known example. But what about IP? It is common and people already accepted, that Google gives you different answers in USA and in Europe, that we can´t watch everything on you tube - that part is simply unavailable (or just throw backdoor-tunnels). And biggest paradox is, that people in Europe are confident, that they have in Europe more freedom than people in Turkey, because there is unavailable all you tube - not just parts.

Week 10 / One Microsoft Way: the World of Proprietary Software

Topic 19
What could the software licensing landscape looks like in 2015? Write a short (blogged) predictive analysis.

There are few possibilities.

1* massive expansion of open source and domination of open source on market because
- it´s free - really big advantage
- also flexible
- on development can participate everyone, - specific type of crowd sourcing - so called world sourcing :).

2* Microsoft and similar producers of proprietary software would adapt for new situation and danger expanse of open source. They will start offer their software for free (but of course it still would not be free software) this new strategy help them to keep their Vendor lock-in advantage. But despite this new strategy free culture and free software will expand, much more slower then in first prediction but still.

"Give away technology in hopes of establishing a standard that you can control. Offer local pricing: Don't force people who make $1,000 a year to pay $250 for an office suite. Shift to a service/support model, and give your products away for free." (more)



3* Microsoft, wipo and other different corporations would bribe politics and they will adopt agreements like ACTA. It will cause stagnation of western civilization and progress of countries which are opposed the economical/political/power pressure of USA and western corporations.

"The Free Software Foundation has published "Speak out against ACTA", stating that the ACTA threatens free software by creating a culture "in which the freedom that is required to produce free software is seen as dangerous and threatening rather than creative, innovative, and exciting."[38] Specifically the FSF argues that ACTA will make it more difficult and expensive to distribute free software via file sharing and P2P technologies like BitTorrent, which are currently used to distribute large amounts of free software. The FSF also argues that ACTA will make it harder for users of free operating systems to play non-free media because DRM protected media would not be legally playable with free software.[38]" (wiki)

Most probably seems to me second scenario. But in light of latest negotiation about ACTA i am little bit afraid of possibility of realizing 3. scenario. We will see... but good luck will be essential.

Week 9 / The Millennium Bug in the WIPO Model

Topic 18
Find a good example of the "science business" described above and analyse it as a potential factor in the Digital Divide discussed earlier. Is the proposed connection likely or not? Blog your opinion.




source

"You may have access for free through an institution."

It looks like just a bad JOKE. but it is reality. You can access journals from JSTORE for free throw some institutions. What does it mean? At first some institution, for example your university/library have to buy access to this electronic database. And it is not free. It is even "quite" expensive. So in fact it means, that "free" access can legally have just members of relatively rich universities and institutions. Education is mostly paid by governments, therefore real access in this database have just people from relatively rich countries... It is pure example of the "science business", and of course this practise of creating an artificial scarcity conduce to deepening of digital divide and enriching of few institutions in first world.

For me is more interesting than practise of "science business" the ways how to "go around" and how to paralyze this practise. So there is list of few respectable examples. Academical sources available online, project of open university, sharing documents, educational slides, books without copyright, google videos and different warez/pirate projects of sharing of books. In fact all the pirate and warez movement... and sharing at all... has also social dimension and therefore this activity is illegal but legitimate way to decrease digital divide.

Czech sociological review free availabel online.

Open university

Sharing of documents

Sharing of slides

Books without copyrigt - project Gutenberg

Pirate sharing of the books - project Gigapedia

Google books and google scholar - full view

The list of reasons, why use Creative Commnos 0 for teachers and creators of educational content.

CC0 - no restriction licence - simillar to public domain.


Directory of Open Access Journals


Map of access to open access journal server - Of course most of the access are from places where is many computers/computer users... But if we can compare with access to EBSCO or JSTOR (or similar database) - i am pretty sure, that there would be much lesser accesses at all and especially in "poor" countries.

Week 9 / The Hacker Approach: Development of Free Licenses

Topic 17
Study the GNU GPL and write a short blog essay about it. You may use the SWOT analysis model (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats).

S&O
- Using GNU GPL allow you (software developer) to use another IP protected by GPL.
- This license protect the unpaid effort, against hanger-on by proprietary projects. So it is good way how to keep justice. No one should earn money from someone´s philanthrophy.

W&T
- This license is very strict. There is danger, that the human effort would be waste becouse of the prohibiton of proprietary usage (current system is proprietary, is based on consume - simply we can´t ignore it). - So strict conditions can cause the segregation of the whole idea of free culture. If you want anything in society change (and attempt to established free culture is really BIG change), you have to be open and inclusive.



The reasons why use GNU GPL and not GNU LGPL by Free Software Foundation: here.

Long list of many different free licenses: here.

Here is a blog of Michael Carroll, Professor of Law on Washington College of Law and a founding member of the Creative Commons board.

Week 8 / More WIPO: Contracts and Licenses

Topic 16
Could this kind of contract be non-binding in some cases?

Contract logically can´t be non-binding... But. It seems to me, that some types of CC licenses are contracts, which allow everything without any specific terms. So it´s binding contract that allow you to operate with this IP without any engagements... Copyleft seems to me be as strict as copyright (it´s just opposite). Real change is for me CC.

And one joke:

"Creative Commons rolled out CC0 (read “CC Zero”) to respond to this problem. CC0 is a universal waiver that may be used by anyone wishing to permanently surrender the copyright and database rights they may have in a work, thereby placing it as nearly as possible into the public domain; essentially, it is a "no rights reserved" option. CC0 is universal in form and may be used throughout the world for any kind of content"source

Week 8 / The Proprietary World: The WIPO Intellectual Property model

Topic 15
While there are international treaties (e.g. the Bern Convention), different countries treat IP differently (a good example is China). Yet, Internet is global and all those understanding will collide online. What would it ultimately lead to?

I read in some historical book, that the decline of Great China empire (for example printing press or Porcelain was invented much more earlier in China) was caused by rigidity of social, educational, simply whole system of dynasty.

I am little bit afraid, that we are at the same situation at this moment. All the world, which accept the chain of IP, or may be is better to say: allow to be enchain by lobbyist and corporation because of their profit, will be in this situation. I think it is one of the reasons, why come upward movement of China in last years. (I mean IP in currently form)

Critics of IP often say that different parts of IP have been outdated in different measures. What do you think?

For sure it is much more better than actual form. But my point of view is, that IP mustn´t obstruct progress. I understand few years of Copyright, patents... but actual form is here just because of profit of few people. "Intellectual property is an attempt to create an artificial scarcity in order to give rewards to a few at the expense of the many." And what about different measures? It´s fine idea - for sure there is a different rate of progress in a different branches of human activity. So in each sector would be the length of IP accepted differently. What can be OK in one sector, can chain down the another. But this type of system would be even more predisposed for corruption then the actual...

Study the Anglo-American and Continental European school of IP. Write a short comparative analysis to your blog (if you have clear preference for one over another, explain that, too).

I am not a lawyer, but just according to common sense both types of the IP law are not enough flexible for dramatic changes caused by Internet. There is many examples of crazy judgements... when people should pay thousands $ for few songs.
In Czech is in fact even illegal to sing songs sitting around campfire(when you don´t have permission for each song) .
The well known example of strange situation in USA from last month could be verdict of trial. When some woman shall pay thousands $ per songs, which she download. and in the same time the survivors of people who died during the air disaster get 5 times less money...

And how define IP wipo?:

Intellectual property surrounds us in nearly everything we do. At home, at school, at work. At rest and at play. No matter what we do, we are surrounded by the fruits of human creativity and invention.

WIPO has taken this concept and created a virtual tour of IP in everyday life. Based on an exhibition called At Home With Invention that was held at the WIPO Information Center in Geneva, the tour provides a broad, interactive excursion into the various areas of intellectual property in a familiar setting. Take a few minutes to find out how we are all . . .

And just a pirate printscreen from this presentation - Could be called:

"What lurks inside the Fridge?"

Week 7 / The Author vs the Information Society

Topic 13 & 14
Read Chapter 3 "Against Intellectual Property" of the Brian Martin's book. Write a blog review (especially, comment on his strategies for change).

"Intellectual property is an attempt to create an artificial scarcity in order to give rewards to a few at the expense of the many. Intellectual property aggravates inequality. It fosters competitiveness over information and ideas, whereas cooperation makes much more sense."

I don´t agree with his view on piracy. He is true when he says, that trying to hide it, just underline the acceptation of the legitimacy of the system. But he completely ignore the manifest acting, the public support of the piracy, which straightly subvert this status quo. For example pirate parties play this role, even the names of them are declaring this point of view. It is necessary "change the polarity" of this conduct. Robin Hood is positive character. And it´s just one way how to change the public opinion on piracy and resort value system. Coming out, demonstrative acting and settle this topic in public opinion arenas.

„...illegal copying is not a very good strategy against intellectual property, any more than stealing goods is a way to challenge ownership of physical property. Theft of any sort implicitly accepts the existing system of ownership. By trying to hide the copying and avoiding penalties, the copiers appear to accept the legitimacy of the system."

There is really good presentation "It is About Time: Getting Our Values Around Copyright" on this topic by Lawrence Lessing, author of well known book "Free culture".

Week 6 / Social Engineering in Social Networks

Topice 12
Blog about a good case of social engineering.

I don´t have so many experience with social engineering. But sometimes i receive email with such attempts: "your email address won... click here!" Attempts like this are quite funny, because most of them comes from abroad. They are using google translator and because of it, it´s quite clear. It´s hard to describe the grammar mistakes caused by automatic translation, but most of them are really funny (problems with cases, gender, declination... and other difficulties in Czech language).

may be even more funny are attempts which does not use the translator, like this one:

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So really dangerous could be in Czech republic just attempts originated in Czech republic like fictive gathering... or attempts translated by real interpreter.


Formulate some measures which can reduce the effectiveness of social engineering attempts

One big security hole is warez programs. It is possible to solve it by wide spreading the open source, shareware, freeware...programs. May be even bigger problem and security hole then warez are Windows. So the best way how to reduce danger of malware and spyware are wide spreading Open source OS, ...which are defend by open source community.

And how to reduce social engineering focused on naive people? Just strengthen critical thinking, there is no other way.

Week 6 / From Hacktivism to Cyberwar

Topic 11

Find and blog about an illustrative case of hacktivism.
How would you draw the line between civil disobedience over Internet and hacktivism?

The type of hacktivism which could be seen as a virtual strike against something... really similar to civil disobedience out of keyboard, so it is the line. For example in Czech constitution, there is the right to strike... i find this two phenomenons very similar, therefore i think there should be also right to strike virtually, we can call it right for cyberstrike.

I was really glad this spring to find the pure example of cyberactivism/strike/war. Some students of Tel Aviv university have developed a program that makes it easy for just about anyone to actively support some policy, to join the cyber struggle against cyber symbols (websites) of enemy. It seems to men very similar to make a demonstrations in front of embassies, or similar to any boycott. boycott is also coordinated stop using, buying, or dealing with someone, and the coordinated sending request to some server is not so different. I find problematic/iligal using the computers against will of their owners. But when people download and install the software for DDoS attack alone, and want to participate - it´s clear. More about in wired..

Second example, at this time is in Czech republic next political crisis. So it could be two weeks back, when someone make a webpage, where you can choose the text which you want to send to politicians via mail, you choose also throw some form the politics which you want to contact. fill your email and name and this system send the fill email to your email account with the chosen addresses and text. It makes the protest and process of civil complaint really simple and time free.

There was something similar with sms. In Czech republic have citizens right to make suggestions to some types of law or different strategic plans of development. And the authority have the function, they have to negotiate each suggestion. There was some filthy project of building some new industry and the NGo interesting to it spread the information about the right of each citizen make own suggestion against it. What i find most important in this case for topic of this lesson is the special mechanism of participative sms, which was used by this NGO to keep the process of making suggestions as simple as posible. More about.

Ministry for Regional Development received (because of this application) around 9000 comments by public (citizens, their associations and communities) on the policies, which became a record amount of comments per concept.

I think, that these three examples have common principle. Active citizens/NGo create system, which simplified the process of civil disobedience and strengthen civil society, or pass the complicate process of bureaucratic obstructions of suggestions by automatizing of this process. Therefore it increase the participation of public so it reinforce the democracy. It is also possible call it e-democracy. "E-democracy suggests greater and more active citizen participation enabled by the Internet, mobile communications, and other technologies in today’s representative democracy as well as through more participatory or direct forms of citizen involvement in addressing public challenges"

Week 5 / The Hacker Ethic in a Networked World

Topic 9
Browse the Jargon File. Write a small blog entry about a term/definition which was the most intriguing for you.

I am really glad of finding this explanatory dictionary, it cover´s field which is ignored by standard dictionaries. So form me was quite interesting to read and clarify my understanding of some basic terms like the malware/viruses/Trojan horses... or the shareware/freeware/open source... Unix/Linux... etc. i didn´t know the distinctions for example between these terms. So i find it really useful for non geeks.

Write a short blogged analysis about the hacker ethic found in today's world (is it there or not, how much of it etc).

In the wiki for this topic was highlighted the examples of hacker project like Wikipedia, open source, Linux,... so I am pretty sure, that in today´s world there is hacker ethic quite widespread. I think, that there is even good-sized rise of this ethic, rise of this "life approach". There is visible and measurable rise of Ubuntu users (and also other Linux OS), the content of Wikipedia (an also the wiki authors). And last few months, there is also fast growing pirate movement, which make pressure for safe Internet neutrality and which is strong-mindedness to defend our Free culture.



relly good presentation about cc by Lawrence Lessig.

Aktualization 26.11:

Volunteers Log Off as Wikipedia Ages

So it sems, that there is some type of degress in participation on wikiproject.

Week 4 / Ubiquitous Computing

Topic 8

"This week's two topics are, in a way, two aspects of the same phenomenon."(1)

It´s another aspect of penetration of IT into the society. According the wiki: "Ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) integrates computation into the environment,..." So ubicomp is a process of shift from view on IT as a type of second (unreal) life to the actual distinction real world to "out of keyboard"/"on the keyboard".

if your country had outlined similar scenarios, what could they have been?


There are National strategic plans of development Czech republic, for example special plat for country side. but I don´t find Conception of development of Internet. There is also academic prognosis, but most of them is about social cohesion, economical pro/degrees, safety, government... so nothing special focused on e-society.

For example according the NSP of development countryside for 2007-13, there was just 1,5% of countryside population with access to Internet throw DSL (to the whole population). And the plan is to achieve 30% penetration till the end of 2013. (source-CZ)

How important do you deem the social cohesiveness (or caring) in reaching ubicomp?

In the case, that i understand the concept of ubicomp correctly, the digital divide is not opposition of ubicomp. Therefore the social cohesiveness is not necessary in reaching ubicomp, even its even threaten by ubicomp. It should be possible to have pretty ubicomp society with big part of country covered by wifi broadband, but with huge digital divide between majoritarian population and excluded minority, which would´not have enough money even for own desktop computers (it is possible to solve by available public terminals) or even worse woud´not be able to fully make use of Internet (wold be able just write emails, browse porn sites,...etc.). In this case ubicomp will deepen the existing digital divide. It will give many new opportunities to ubicomp population and magnify the distinctions...between the lucky and unlucky people.

But there is also another more optimistic consequence of ubicomp. The cellphones throw which is possible to connect to the Internet will be cheaper then desktop, and the Internet connection via mobile/satellite system will be more accessible then weired distribution. I read somewhere, that in Africa start this more optimistic process.

Week 4 / The Digital divide

Topic 7

In Czech republic was penetration of population by Internet 57% last year (2008), the chart under visualize proportion of positive response for question "Are you using Internet i.e. email, www or any other part of network (does not matter from home/work or any other place)?"


It mean, that little bit more than 40% of Czech population was last year still unconnected. The socioeconomic differences, gap between these two groups (connected/unconnected) are the factors of digital divide. It is the unequal access some part of society to information technologies and also the unequal ability to operate with them in other words the lack of necessary skills.

One of the main factor of digital divide is the age. The ability to accept new inventions a and learn new necessary skills is contingent on the age, education level, socioeconomically status... chart under visualize the age difference of users in Czech population last year.



So why 40% of people don´t use the Internet? the chart under visualize responses for question "what is the main reason, why you don't use the Internet?"


There is not just "hardware" digital divide - which is possible to over bridge by broaden broadband over whole Europe, according to EU "Broadband for all" policy. From the cart below is visible, that there is also quite big group of people, whose main problem is computer skills, and also part with financial problems. So I think, it is necessary to support creating free open source software from public fund - like solution of economical inequalities based digital divide (At all i think, that everything what is supported from public fund, by government, EU... should be published under CC licences and like free, open source software). The another important part of state policy should be well equipped public libraries and as much public Internet access points as possible (not just a WIFI, but also terminals for people without laptops). Of course at the same level of importance is the education. In Czech republic is the lessons of IT literacy in basic schools - but i think, that the conception is wrong. They just tutored us there how to use the applications of Microsoft office set (why not tutored Open office??). It just strengthen the monopole of this corporation and cause the economical based divide (not everyone has money to buy this software and not every one is able to pirate it). And even worse is, that this strengthen of position some corporation on the market is paid from public budget! WTF?! ("just" indirectly throw the school policy, of course).

used sources: Češky a Češi v kyberprostoru,Charles Univezity - Faculty of Social Science, Praha, November 2008, online

aktualization 1:

I found another article about digital divide in czech republic: The Deepening of the Digital Divide in the Czech Republic:

"According to the WIP CZ findings shown above, we assume that about four-fifths of nonusers are potential Internet users. The basic problems are lack of public access points or awareness of them, lack of digital skills, and low understanding of what is Internet use good for and what are its main assets."

And one more citation from the final conlusions: "...We have found persuasive evidence of the digital divide deepening in the Czech Republic...."

Week 3 / The Big Brother on Menwith Hill

Topic 5

The reading assignment for this lesson, was about the Echelon. Unbelievable huge and old system of information surveillance of planet. In fact i don´t really believe it. I am quiteskeptic, according the information in this lesson it should looks like really huge system, which should be able to watch almost the whole information traffic on the planet. And even before the computer age. Simply i can not imagine how it worked/(could work :). OK, i am able to understand how was possible to collect these data (data is just a collection of facts, without any logical systematization), but the ability of sorting so huge amount of them and creating information (data which are processed) without computers, i can not even imagine it.

Since the invention of computer it is possible, of course. But before..? I can´t believe it. May be the American and British army had the computers really many years before.. it associated me the CharlesBaggabe´s Analytical engine. and the fictions based on the hypothetical scenarios (what if...)

If it´s really true... it mean, that google indexing (or something very similar) exist much longer before 1996.

The aspects of surveillance are everywhere and each day it is worse. the rise of amount of CCTV in the streets of the cities. It will looks like in the dystopian fictions and cyberpunk novels in few years, preventing crimes before they happen (allusion for minority report) The cell phones, which have almost each person still with, and which allow to watch the moving of the people in the real time, just for example google latitude, or here another article about this topic.

Even worse "EU funding 'Orwellian' artificial intelligence plan to monitor public for 'abnormal behaviour'", so some time i am a lot afraid of impact of ICT and Internet on the society. It´s really ambivalent.It can cause the social/new medial revolution, but also it can create totalitarian state much more effective then ever before. We will See.

Week 3 / Rid the Fools of Their Money: The Online World of Crime and Fraud

Week 2 / Censors in Cyberspace

Week 2 /The Networked World

Week 1 / Towards the Information Society

Week 1 / Ethics in Turbulent Times