Is there a place for Is there a place for altruism in an electronic altruism in an electronic

society?society?

Katie Katie MacLureMacLureLynsey Lynsey NicolNicol

Hafiz LawalHafiz Lawal

Subject AreasSubject Areas Founded on altruism?Founded on altruism? Online CommunitiesOnline Communities Open Source SoftwareOpen Source Software Charities OnlineCharities Online Intellectual PropertyIntellectual Property Internet CrimeInternet Crime

Electronic SocietyElectronic Society

AltruismAltruism

Unselfish concern for Unselfish concern for the welfare of others;the welfare of others;

selflessnessselflessness

http://www.answers.com/topic/altruismhttp://www.answers.com/topic/altruism

e-Commerce e-Health

e-Sciencee-Government

e-Learning

Was the Electronic Society Was the Electronic Society founded on altruism?founded on altruism?

or driven by

• intellectual insight?

• public interest?• personal need?• personal greed?

Vannevar Vannevar BushBush J.C.R.LickliderJ.C.R.Licklider

Larry RobertsLarry Roberts

Cerf Cerf & Kahn& Kahn

Crocker Crocker & Postel& Postel

Gates Gates & Allen& Allen

Wozniak Wozniak & Jobs& Jobs

Was the Electronic Society Was the Electronic Society founded on altruism?founded on altruism?

Doug Englebart

‘How can my career maximize my contribution to mankind?’

•Multiple, resizable windows, bit-mapped screens,

video conferencing, hypermedia and the mouse

Bill Gates

‘A computer on every desk and in every home -running Microsoft software’

Network Working Group (inc. Cerf, Kahn, Crocker & Postel)

•Student research scalability and compatibility issues of ARPANET (pre INTERNET)

•Cooperative, open forum, peer review led to layered protocols

‘We reject: kings, presidents and voting.

We believe in: rough consensus and running code’

Are Online Communities Are Online Communities altruistic?altruistic?

Motivation to accessMotivation to access

blogs, wikis, forum, social blogs, wikis, forum, social websiteswebsites

•Altruism?Altruism?

OROR

•ReciprocityReciprocity

•EfficacyEfficacy

•ReputationReputation

Are Online Communities Are Online Communities altruistic?altruistic?

BENEFITS Societal• Local interaction• Global interactionPersonal• Sense of belonging• Sense of efficacy• Knowledge exchange• Self esteem

DOWNSIDE• Reduction in real social

interaction• Exclusion/elitism• Internet addiction

disorder• Online crime e.g.

identity theft, stalkers, paedophilia

• Assumed authority & veracity

Open SourceOpen Source Not about price, it's about libertyNot about price, it's about liberty Source code accessSource code access Work may be sold commerciallyWork may be sold commercially A community effortA community effort A potential threat to Microsoft, e.g.A potential threat to Microsoft, e.g. Made this slide on OpenOffice!Made this slide on OpenOffice!

Open Open SourceSource

Charities OnlineCharities Online Easy to donate onlineEasy to donate online Online shoppingOnline shopping Random acts of kindnessRandom acts of kindness Raise money as you shop or searchRaise money as you shop or search Advertisers pay - hungersite.comAdvertisers pay - hungersite.com Disasters Emergency CommitteeDisasters Emergency Committee

Charities Charities OnlineOnline

Altruism; Intellectual Property Altruism; Intellectual Property IssuesIssues

Copyrights, patents and other property Copyrights, patents and other property rightsrights

Intangible, yet more valuable than Intangible, yet more valuable than some real propertiessome real properties

Main component of value in most Main component of value in most Internet transactions Internet transactions

TypeType

• Software: Operating system, Web browser, Software: Operating system, Web browser, Web Development tools, Programming Web Development tools, Programming Language and P2P file distribution protocol.Language and P2P file distribution protocol.

• Music/Video: www.jamendo.com, Microsoft, Music/Video: www.jamendo.com, Microsoft, www.youtube.comwww.youtube.com

• Games: www.planeshift.it, gameupdates.org Games: www.planeshift.it, gameupdates.org

• e-Books : www.floodle.net, e-Books : www.floodle.net, pocketpcbooks.net pocketpcbooks.net

Altruism: Internet CrimeAltruism: Internet Crime

Crimes committed on the Internet, using Crimes committed on the Internet, using the Internet and by means of the Internetthe Internet and by means of the Internet

Two types:Two types:

1.1. Crimes created (exclusively for) & Crimes created (exclusively for) & committed on the Internetcommitted on the Internet

2.2. Internet induced evolution of historical Internet induced evolution of historical crimes to a different level of innovation crimes to a different level of innovation and ingenuity.and ingenuity.

Relationship to AltruismRelationship to Altruism

Free hacking techniques propagated Free hacking techniques propagated through the Internetthrough the Internet

Free Phishing techniques exchanged Free Phishing techniques exchanged through the Internetthrough the Internet

Virus Creation/Dissemination: Unlike Virus Creation/Dissemination: Unlike biological virus does not exist biological virus does not exist spontaneously, they are deliberately spontaneously, they are deliberately created by programmers created by programmers

OthersOthers

Internet Fraud: Various versions: Nigerian, Internet Fraud: Various versions: Nigerian, Chinese, East European & American Chinese, East European & American

Denial of Service attacksDenial of Service attacks

Illegal downloadingIllegal downloading

Child pornographyChild pornography

ConclusionConclusion Electronic society mirrors real societyElectronic society mirrors real society Evidence of altruistic foundations, also clear Evidence of altruistic foundations, also clear

counter-evidencecounter-evidence Open Source altruistic by defaultOpen Source altruistic by default Online charity ‘feel good factor’Online charity ‘feel good factor’ Intellectual property: basically commercialIntellectual property: basically commercial Online crime: definitely altruistic, but immoralOnline crime: definitely altruistic, but immoral

Altruism contrived reciprocity for Altruism contrived reciprocity for sustaining electronic societysustaining electronic society