This week’s readings included the first five chapters of Howard Rheingold’s Smart Mobs and Eric Raymond’s story on The Cathedral & the Bazaar.
Smart Mobs details the technological journey the world has departed on as communication devices evolve and become incorporated into every aspect of daily life. Rheingold begins his book with a look at the vast use of text messaging and cell phones in Asia, virtual reality and internet in Helsinki, and SMS messaging in Stockholm. He goes on to discuss the creation of social networks in our virtual world of online communications. Rheingold identifies the social impacts created by the use of this emerging technology as they pertain to the “social, economic, and psychological contexts of the observed cultures.” (p. 24) He believes that the forms of collective behavior enabled or changed by smart mob technology goes beyond individual groups and can affect entire societies. (p. 28) It is apparent that most common form of technology incorporation into society begins with adolescents. They are generally the first segment of the population to adopt new methods of communications, as seen with text messaging in Japan. (Chapter 1)
Rheingold continues his analysis of modern communications by examining the corporations that develop these technologies. In chapter 2 he visits the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington, where he interviews Marc Smith, Microsoft’s research sociologist. He questions Smith on what keeps people engaged in virtual communities. What do they gain? Smith describes the “social network capital, knowledge capital, and communion– people can put a little of what they know and how they feel into the online network and draw out larger amounts of knowledge and opportunities for sociability than they put in.” (p.30) In interviewing Smith, Rheingold relates their discussion to game theory and the ways in which humans interact with one another. He continues to explore this relationship throughout chapter 2 by explaining Mutual Aid, the Prisoner’s Dilemma, among others.
In chapter 3, Rheingold begins to discuss open-source technology (which is the premise of Raymond’s book). Open-source technology revolves around the idea that many people share in the creation of great programming, as opposed to closed source technology that is developed by a single entity and does not allow for outside input. Chapter 3 begins with the discussion of peer to peer network computers and the use of idle computers in various locations to help complete ongoing projects (ex: SETI@home project). By using the power of idle computers these type of projects are able to utilized the computer strength needed to perform intricate analysis of vast quantities of information. In a way they are creating a virtual bond and relationship to reach a common goal.
Smart Mobs chapter 4 outlines the possible future of computer technology and its adaptation into our daily life. This chapter scares me a little due to the societal and privacy implications it could have. Rheingold interviews people like Scott Fisher and Jim Spohrer who both see ways to further incorporate computer technology into everyday life from wearable computer chips to virtual reality. These technology supporters visual the future with everything and everyone being wired. Thinking of the world in these terms reminds me of films like Minority Report and Enemy of the State, where privacy does not exist. The world will be controlled by computers which in itself is not that scary, but who controls those computers? The vast amounts of personal information stored in a world like that seems to be risky.
In chapter 5 Rheingold discusses the evolution of reputation and brings to light common aspects of life we take for-granted. For instance, the amount of personal information that is stored on a credit card. One’s financial livelihood is stored on that magnetic strip. Rheingold discusses the evolution of paper banking to online banking and the creation of e-commerce. Each of these technologies rely on trust and reputation.
The Cathedral & The Bazaar
Eric Raymond discusses the evolution of computer programming as it relates to the creation of open source technology. Open source technology is more flexible, adaptable and editable than the traditional closed source programming. As Raymond describes his accidental take over and development of Fetchmail, I am reminded of a current project at my job that has evolved much like his. At Global Vision Communications we take on the task, sometimes monumental, of redesigning various organizations web presence. With a recent project near completion, I have had the joys and the pains of working with open source technology. I find myself in the role Raymond describes on page 57. As a project manager with my company I am responsible for the following:
- to define goals and keep everybody pointed in the same direction
- to monitor and make sure crucial details don’t get skipped
- to motivate people to do boring but necessary drudgework
- to organize the deployment of people for best productivity
- to marshal resources needed to sustain the project
Each of these goals Raymond describes relate to my client’s project. We are using open source technology to perform Content Management for a website (CMS). The open source programming is called Drupal. This CMS has been a godsend and also a lynch pin in our project development. It is a very robust CMS that meets the needs my client has specified. It has handled the challenges we set out to concur and produced a functioning website. However, as we learned one of the drawbacks of open source technology is that when you do find a bug you are sent into a holding pattern– not exactly easy to explain to a deadline and budget oriented client. We are at the mercy of drupal’s developers and online community of open source contributors. We are waiting for them to finish testing and implementing a module of the CMS that our client needs.
The upside of this open source technology is that when we do encounter a bug we are quickly able to find a solution. The online community offers the support and ease of use that traditional closed source purchased in the box technology doesn’t offer.
At the same time we have been using Drupal, I have also been getting familiar with Joomla, a less robust open source CMS. Which I feel is easier to use, but does not offer as many features as Drupal.
I would say overall my experience using open source programming has been successful and well worth it.
