The article “We are the Web” by Kevin Kelly addresses the power of the people. The opening pages chronicle the changes experienced by the internet and its users over a ten year period (from 1995-2005). The conclusion offers predictions for the future of this technology and where we might be come 2015. Kelly admits that the launching of Netscape’s IPO marked a pivotal point in the advent of the internet. Before Netscape’s release the internet was in the dark, and after the IPO the internet was thrust into the limelight. Public exposure garnered both enthusiasts and skeptics. Critics, such as Time Magazine and Newsweek, argued there was no hope for this new technology. Cynics also feared the commercialization of the internet. However, optimistic supporters rallied to defend the revolutionary concept still in its infancy. Another recurring theme throughout the piece is the central belief that not only did people fail to envision the Web’s potential, but most still don’t see it today! Even so, the web of today differs dramatically from its simple beginnings. The current model is dominated by the reciprocal roles of producer and consumer (think youtube.com). In other words, customers aren’t a passive audience anymore, but rather active participants in cultural consumption and production. Kelly puts a modern spin on renowned communication theorist Marshall McLuhan’s famous expression, “The medium is the message” by declaring instead that “The online culture is the culture.”
“Open Source Paradigm Shift” by Tim O’Reilly proved to be a complicated read for me. The constant references to computer language and source codes made it difficult for me to understand some of the topics he touched upon. Battelle’s book employs similar parlance. However, his overall style and tone is more captivating (and clarifying). Unfortunately, I found O’Reilly’s writing to be very dry and uninspiring. Consequently, I often became sidetracked with other thoughts, which resulted in rereading some paragraphs over several times. However, (I think) I deciphered some of his central arguments.
The article is an adaptation of several previous talks O’Reilly delivered on the open source paradigm shift topic. As defined by Kuhn “paradigm shifts” refer to revolutionary processes in science, but today the term is more commonly known as describing any profound historical change that occurs over time. O’Reilly bases his sixteen-page discussion on the open source paradigm shift which he believes is slowly in effect. Open source refers to the principle practice of writing software in which the source code is made available and open for public use. O’Reilly uses the IBM example (see page 2 of his article for clarification), to illustrate the position of free and open source developers. In other words, the belief exists that software vendors are disadvantaging themselves by abiding by yesterday’s rules when today’s rules are reshaping the industry. O’Reilly posits his “three C’s” to reflect the current trends in business: the commodization of software, network-enabled collaboration, and software customizability which means software as service. After that, it’s all mumble-jumble to me. Hopefully, tomorrow’s class will lessen my confusion.
