Week 5 -- Open Source Communication

The GNU Manifesto, the Cluetrain Manifesto and The Second Superpower are all provocative articles that issue challenges to the “status quo” of communications. The GNU Manifesto, where Richard Stallman proposes this idea of developing “free software” to be available as an alternative to the ones you paid for, sets up the central theme that can be found in all three articles. The basic idea of fostering a community of openness within the software medium for the “greater good”—whether that be world peace, an empowered global citizenship or common ground between businesses and consumers—seems to be the main theme that arises. Moore’s article about the Internet becoming the medium for the “second superpower” is striking in the way it describes the current situation and predicts what I think is the inevitable future of communication. Although the premise of the article focused on how this can check the power of the U.S., it can also be applied to any other large organization, like the U.N., or countries that are known to committ crimes against humanity--such as North Korea. Because the U.S. is such a superpower, the battles it chooses to fight are the ones that become globally publicized (War on Terror, War of Drugs). But with open source communication, we also now have the power as individuals to create high impact movements. This is why it is critical that communication scholars study the open source software movement, because the way by which we communicate will revolutionize not just social governance, but every facet of “society”—including politics and corporate strategy. Moore brings up excellent examples that demonstrate how collective voices of ordinary citizens can bring about policy change—citing Moveon.org as well as the Seattle WTO riots. I loved the analogy of the eagle and the army of ants, because it exemplifies the impact an army of ants has collectively—even though it is made up of individual ants that are weak alone. This idea of a second superpower is analogous to how the media is commonly referred to as the 4th Estate. But the role of the media as the voice of the “people” is now evolving away from traditional media, to new media. In new media, it truly is in the literal sense, the people’s voices...Not just journalists, not just newscasters, but also Jane Doe from Kansas and Joe Smith from London. Because mass movements are underway that foster and encourage open dialogue, global communication and free press (in its truest sense), experts need to further explore the implications of such rapid change. It has the potential to revolutionalize the social and political hierarchy and gives ordinary citizens more power than we’ve ever had in history. The Cluetrain Manifesto is a great example of the impact open source software has in the business sector. As a business major, the very things Levin et al condemns about corporate America, are the very things I’m being taught to perfect! How to "position" your company to gain "brand loyalty" from your "target market" is something that is drilled into the course material in every class. This of course means very little to the average consumer and as pointed out in the Cluetrain Manifesto, turns the people off. We’re not a “target market”, we are human beings and want to be treated like human beings. I’m sure this has been a common sentiment throughout the years, but it can now be exposed and discussed and given room to start the change making process now that we have the capacity for national and global support in one medium. With increasing peer to peer knowledge sharing, product rating sites etc., available on the web, it is critical that businesses “get a clue” and evolve with the changing dynamics of the customer-business relationship via new media.

These articles really bring to light the need to understand the potential of open source software and how it is currently changing the way we live, how we govern ourselves and how we govern our society.

Discussion Questions

1) How do you think open source software will change the political system and structure in America? Will it serve merely as an outlet for frustrations among peers or will it be a catalyst for change?

2) What are some ways businesses can engage the market on a more “human” level to adapt to the growing “networked market”? Do you share the frustrations of The Cluetrain Manifesto?

3) What are the pros and cons of having free software? Do you think this is an effective strategy to encourage innovation and progress?