Net Smart: Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Howard Rheigngold’s Net Smart was an interesting read. The chapter focused on collective intelligence and virtual communities, and Rheigngold kicked off the chapter with a prime example of network-enabled collaboration: the World Wide Web. He notes that Tim Berners-Lee—creator of the Web in 1989—refused to patent his idea because he didn’t want to own it, he wanted to use it. Rheigngold writes that Berners-Lee knew that the Web would be most useful to him and to other scientists if many people used the technology.

The Web’s creation has led to collaboration on a scale that was never before possible—mass collaboration. As Rheigngold notes, it has changed the way that we find info, conduct science, aggregate knowledge, create software, entertain, gather and distribute news, keep in touch with others…the list can go on and on. Whether or not you believe that everyday access to the internet has influenced our society for the better, there is no going back. Rheigngold points out, “If you tag, favorite, comment, curate or blog, you are already part of the Web’s collective intelligence”.

Much of the chapter deals with Collaboration Theory and attempting to understand how to effectively use the collaboration skills made possible by the Web. How do we effectively organize and govern online groups? What can Collaboration Theory teach us about our online lives? In terms of effectively deploying collaboration skills, Rheingold mentions four points to keep in mind:

1.      We must pay attention to one another—“Attention is a fundamental building block of social cooperation”. Later in the chapter, he notes that, historically, we learned by imitation.

2.      It is because of our ability to learn how to create new tools and methods to overcome social dilemmas, that “humans are supercooperators”.  Tools shape the way that we think as a collective intelligence.

3.      New media has made new kinds of institutions possible—“Innovative social institutions continually coevolve together with communication media”.

4.       Both individuals and groups benefit from “reciprocating cooperation, punishing non-cooperators,  and signaling a willingness to cooperate”.

So what does Cooperation Theory teach us about our online lives today? Rheingold offers the following advice:

1.      In new interactions, present yourself as ready to cooperate.

2.      Contribute publically without expecting a reward.

3.      Reciprocate when someone does you a favor.

4.      Seek a sense of shared group identity.

5.      Introduce networks and people to one another.

6.      Punish cheating (but not too drastically).

Finally, what marks groups that are able to organize and govern their behavior successfully?

1.      Group boundaries are clearly defined.

2.      Rules for collaborated goods meet the social needs of the group.

3.      Most who are affected by the rules have the opportunity to influence them.

4.      There is access to means of conflict resolution.

5.      Within the community, members monitor each other’s behavior.

In moving forward in New Media Studies, this information is all very useful. I don’t have much experience with online collaboration and I do not usually contribute much (other than “liking” pictures and posts), but I am interesting in becoming more involved.