Reading 6
Everyone: "The Tragedy of the Commons" by Garret Hardin from Science Magazine (1968).
How does the theory of the commons relate to the Internet, community, or politics? What are your experiences with electronic government or eDemocracy; how would you rate them? Is this evolution good or bad, and why?
When I saw this title it made me think of a story from my economics class about sheep in England. Then I read the article. It WAS about sheep in England, well sortof. I felt smart =)
The theory applies to the Internet in that its a shared resource that people have little incentive to share and keep open. People use bandwith as they please, but at least when they use bandwith it doesn't disapear. But then neither did the grass if you didnt use too much. If the internet is simply used without any research and additions to it, it will grow old and die. The only reason its still working as a common resource is that we are putting so much energy and work into it. Imagine if the few countries who do so much for it, stopped. It would hurt everyone else.
I don't even want to think about and electronic government. Isn't the government we the people?? It can be useful sometimes... but, I think we shouldn't loose the people.
How does the theory of the commons relate to the Internet, community, or politics? What are your experiences with electronic government or eDemocracy; how would you rate them? Is this evolution good or bad, and why?
When I saw this title it made me think of a story from my economics class about sheep in England. Then I read the article. It WAS about sheep in England, well sortof. I felt smart =)
The theory applies to the Internet in that its a shared resource that people have little incentive to share and keep open. People use bandwith as they please, but at least when they use bandwith it doesn't disapear. But then neither did the grass if you didnt use too much. If the internet is simply used without any research and additions to it, it will grow old and die. The only reason its still working as a common resource is that we are putting so much energy and work into it. Imagine if the few countries who do so much for it, stopped. It would hurt everyone else.
I don't even want to think about and electronic government. Isn't the government we the people?? It can be useful sometimes... but, I think we shouldn't loose the people.
posted by Nika at
7:11 PM
