This Wiki is an invitation to collaborate on building a learning and research environment based on Yochai Benkler’s book, The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom, available under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Sharealike license.
A good idea, and one that tests and amplifies the basic propositions of Benkler’s arguments. But I hope the space will also be used to generate a sustained critical dialogue around the issues raised in the book, as well as to “build a learning and research environment” based on it…
On the plan for ‘growing’ the Wiki
The basic idea is to make this Wiki a place for at least five things:
- Collaborate on writing a summary of the ideas and claims of the book (see Table of Contents)
- Collaborate on writing commentaries and elaborating and refining the presentation
- Provide an easy platform through which to access underlying research materials:
*those used in the book’s notes
*and resources that are useful for further research, refinement, and updating- Describe, link to, and analyze examples of the phenomena the book describes
*The purpose is not to “make the case†for the book or find “gotcha†counter examples. What we are trying to do is provide a real research tool, annotated bibliography, and platform for collaborative learning. Examples and counter-examples should be selected and described with that purpose in mind.- Demonstrate and discover what is valuable in a learning platform
*Through separate pages devoted to ideas and experiments of what can be done with an online book to make it a learning platform, we hope to expand the range of uses to which this Wiki can be available.
*Through creative, systematic and interactive uses of this wiki, we hope to enhance our individual and collective skills & experience in a wiki world
There is a link from the wiki to the Crooked Timber seminar on the book, which was an early site of critical dialogue, including responses from Benkler to the contributions of participants.