1. Generation X, Y, Z
Cognitive Surplus: Part I
Shirky, C. (2010)

2. 1)MEANS
 A METHOD BY WHICH ONE ACTS
2)MOTIVE
 A REASON FOR WHICH ONE ACTS
3)OPPORTUNITY
 INTERACTION BETWEEN ACTORS
Laws of Action

3.  THE TRILLIONS OF HOURS OF FREE TIME
EXPENDED BY THE TWO BILLION PEOPLE
WHO ARE CONNECTED BY THE INTERNET.
COGNITIVE SURPLUS

4.  200 BILLION HOURS/YEAR
 100
MILLION HOURS/WEEKEND
WATCHING COMMERCIALS
AMERICAN TELEVISION SURPLUS

5.  APACHE WEB SERVER
 THE “ORIGINAL” NAPSTER
SOCIAL PRODUCION

6.  MOST WIDELY USED WEBSERVER
WORLDWIDE
 READILY AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE CODE
 COPYRIGHT BY THE APACHE LICENSE
◦ NO ONE CAN PREVENT THE CODE FROM
FREE CIRCULATION
◦ ENCOURAGES EXPERIMENTATION AND
PARTICIPATION
APACHE SERVER

7.  GOVERNANCE OF THE COMMONS (OSTROM)
◦ REQUIRES GREAT COMMUNICATION AMONG
MEMBERS
◦ REPEATED INTERACTION
◦ MUTUALLY BINDING AGREEMENT
 THE COMMUNITY AND THE AGREEMENT
ARE CRITICAL FOR SUCCESS
MECHANISMS OF FREE PROJECTS

8.  MP3 FILE SHARING/MEMBER SOURCED
 THEORIES OF SUCCESS
◦ 1) YOUNG PEOPLE ARE MORALLY BANKRUPT
◦ 2) YOUNG PEOPLE OVERCOME WITH COMMUNAL
TENDENCIES
 NAPSTER WAS THE ANSWER TO “RIVAL
SHARING”
◦ MEANS, MOTIVE, & OPPORTUNITY
NAPSTER (1999-2002)

9.  3 KEYS TO SUCCESS
◦ DIGITAL DATA WAS INFINITELY AND
PERFECTLY COPYABLE AT $0 (MEANS)
◦ PEOPLE WILL SHARE IF SHARING IS SIMPLE
ENOUGH (MOTIVE)
◦ SHAWN FANNING DESIGNED A SYSTEM TO
LINK (1) TO (2) VIA THE RIGHT INCENTIVES
(OPPORTUNITY)
NAPSTER (1999-2002)

10.  MEANS+MOTIVE+OPPORTUNITY =
ACTION
 FREE TIME x PARTICIPATION =
COGNITIVE SURPLUS
 COMMUNITY+AGREEMENT =
GOVERNANCE OF THE COMMONS
WHAT DID WE LEARN?