Learning with the Fang

Presley - ‘A little less conversation, a little more action please’
Rheingold - ‘Competition shrinks, just a little bit to make room’ (for co-operation)

I want to see what new types of wealth can be created by trans-disciplinary discourse (co-operation) as described by Rheingold

Having recently heard Howard Rheingold’s talk on co-operation for the second time, I picked up on something I missed first time around. The phrase ‘a little more co-operation’ has been bouncing round my brain as I think about the place of the *Read/Write Web in the world of scientific research.

As an active participant on the Read/Write Web, I can see great potential for improving the way scientific research will evolve to address some really big issues. It seems clear to me that evolution is speeding up and will continue to do so, with or without my help. The Read/Write Web is providing us with some early model tools of co-operation, I intend to become skilled in their use and to apply those skills in some emerging field of research (hopefully nanotech, biotech or materials science). Rheingold does an excellent job of articulating stuff I have experienced in that talk - using anthropological instruments such as the prisoner’s dillema and the tragedy of the commons as a guide. He goes on to describe early attempts at creating new wealth through co-operation from industry and philanthropy.

I think that I am figuring out a place to start

I think ‘a little more co-operation’ is key to figuring out a way forward in the near term. I used to think that if I could only help a researcher to publish small pieces of work frequently to the Read/Write Web (I call this ‘researching out loud’) that things would improve rapidly in line with my own experience of innovation over the past few years. Looking at the diagram below, one might think of moving the ‘slider‘ (think of a sliding volume control on an amplifier) just slightly to the right (in favour of more co-operation).

However, words like patent, trademark and litigation soon appear in conversation, pouring cold water on any enthusiasm. In order to begin innovating using the potential of the Read/Write Web for scientific research, we need to separate out pure research from the commercialisation of product. This separation allows us to hold a more healthy tension between ‘litigation and co-operation’. It would be very smart to be an early adopter when it comes to increasing co-operation in areas of pure research, carefully disentangling the creative types from a mess of secrecy and unhealthy competition. When it comes to the practical aspects of bringing a commerical product to market competition is the name of the game and only the fittest will (and should) survive.

My current plan is to get involved with areas of research projects that are able to be made very public that can be discussed freely and find ways to build networks of interested parties through simple tools like weblogs and podcasts in the first instance. That is to facilitate new media activities in the top right quadrant of the diagram above.

Wish me luck!

Seyfang - ‘A little less litigation, a little more co-operation please’

*Read/Write Web:
The term I will use when referring to ‘Web2.0, New Media, Digital Literacies, Social Networking etc.’ that is to say anything from blogs and podcasts -> MySpace and YouTube -> ReMix culture.

Fang - Mike Seyfang

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