It is always good to remind ourselves from time to time why we do the things we do. Why we get angry about issues of copyright, why censorship is problematic, etc. Why we care about, what this website calls ‘a healthy information ecosystem.”
As a response to Jimbo Wales’ (founder of Wikipedia) ten things that will be free, Charles Nesson (founder of the Berkman Center) writes – and, pardon me but, could language be more beautiful?
“More people come to see that yes, we are in new reality. Core insight about the structure of the net come clear. We can connect with whom we want, if only they want to connect with us. We can build structures in the net out of software that make connection productive and fun. People who like to connect like to share. People who like to share like to trust. The net provides us ways of doing this, ways that are interesting and powerful. In the battle of good and evil rhetoric strucures the game. It plays like poker, with rhetorical chips, stacked in story strength.
The force is that will draw us forward toward the expressions of free culture Jimbo describes is evolution determined by the architecture of cyberspace. In an environment that facilitates sharing, those who learn to do it well will have competitive advantage. We are building self-sustaining software structures that facilitate aggregation of shared value. We can build more, with near boundless aspiration.”
Those who like to connect like to share. Those who like to share like to trust. Principal foundations of a healthy information ecosystem.