Towards the decommodification

of information: Why do we share information in new

media?

BEHLÜL ÇALIŞKANResearch Assistant

Marmara University Communications Faculty / Turkey

behlul.caliskan@marmara.edu.tr

ECREA 2012

4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

04/10/20232

ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

The Networked Information Economy

TWO PARALLEL SHIFTS THE MOST ADVANCED ECONOMIES HAVE MADE1. Economy centered on information and cultural production→ Information (financial services, accounting, software, science) → Culture (films, music)

2. Communications enviroment→ Cheap processors with high computation capabilities→ Interconnection in a pervasive network → Removal of the physical constraints

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Principles of the Networked Information Economy

RADICAL DECENTRALIZATION→ Physical capital widely diffused and owned by end users

NONPROPRIETARY AND NONMARKET PRODUCTION→ Free access to the basic instrumentalities of economic opportunity

and the basic outputs of the information economy→ Peer production and exchange of information and through it of

information-based goods, tools, services, and capabilities

PEER PRODUCTION→ Cooperative and coordinate action through nonmarket

mechanisms that do not depend on proprietary strategies

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Decommodification of Information

KNOWLEDGE SHARING→Wikipedia → Google, Facebook, Twitter

PEER PRODUCTİON AND SHARİNG OF CULTURE→ P2P Networks→ Volentary payment systems

OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARES→ GNU/Linux, Apache Web server→ OpenOffice, Mozilla, Thunderbird

WHY DO WE SHARE INFORMATION IN NEW MEDIA?

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

FOUNDED IN 2006

→ 140,864 total users & 712,429 total posts

MOVİES & TV SERIES

→ 20,279 DivX & 190 DVD Movies & 4,896 HDDVD & Bluray Movies

→ 2,341 TV Series & 674 Animated Movies & 721 Animated TV Series

SOFTWARE

→ 1,708 Softwares

GAMES

→ 1,541 PC, PS2, PSP, Xbox & Wii Games

Sharebus.org6

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Methodology

RESEARCH QUESTIONS→ What are the motivations that encourage Sharebus members

to share?

→ What are the motivating/demotivating factors to share more?→ Why do some members not share and when they would

share?

DATA COLLECTİON→ Online survey – N=86

LIMITATIONS→ Limited sampling and respondent availability→ No interviewer

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Key Findings

→ Average age of participants is 28 and 93% of them are men.→ Almost all participants live in Turkey and 52% of them are

from Marmara area.→ 17% are high school graduate, 61% bachelor and 16%

graduate.→ 24% of participants are students, 58% have a job and 41%

earn monthly less than 1,000 TL.→ 74% of participants use commons, 46% share files in

Sharebus.→ Members on admin levels –the minority– share more and

often in Sharebus.

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SHAREBUS SHARİNGS

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Download Frequency10

A few in a day A few in a week A few in a month A few in a year Less0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

21%

34%

24%

12%10%

Median = 2.00

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Downloaded Files11

Foreign movies

Foreign TV series

Turkish movies

Documentary

Turkish TV series

TV programs

Animation movies

Games

Softwares

Far eastern movies

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

78%

59%

57%

43%

42%

31%

29%

28%

28%

27%

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Download Motivations12

Easy access

Free access

Easy archiving

Non-availability

Destitution

To be against copyright

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

57%

49%

43%

41%

34%

15%

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Sharing Frequency13

A few in a day A few in a week A few in a month A few in a year Less0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

10%

7%6%

16%

7%

Median = 3.50

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Shared Files14

Foreign movies

Turkish movies

Foreign TV series

Turkish TV series

Documentary

TV programs

Animation movies

Far eastern movies

Softwares

Music

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

31%

22%

21%

16%

16%

13%

12%

11%

11%

10%

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Sharing Motivations15

Helping people

Free access

For fun

Encouraging to share

Personal satisfying

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

39%

22%

18%

17%

11%

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Motivating and Demotivating Factors for Sharing

MOTİVATİNG FACTORS

→ Appreciation

→ Sharing

→ Helping people

→ Cooperation

DEMOTİVATİNG FACTORS

→ No appreciation

→ Negative comments

→ Censorship

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Reasons for Not Sharing

WHY DON’T WE SHARE?

→ Lack of original content

→ Time

→ Selfishness

→ Internet speed

→ Copyright issues

WHEN WOULD WE SHARE?

→ Enhancement of sharing platform

→ Supply of original content

→ Time

→ Internet speed

→ Money

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Legal Issues18

File sharing on Sharebus is illegal.

No idea.

Access is denied to Sharebus website.

File sharing on Sharebus is legal.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

57%

21%

15%

6%

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Future of File Sharing19

Disappear Lessen Same Become widespread Dominant economy0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

0%

22%

37%

34%

8%

Median = 3.00

COMMONS USAGE

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Shared Commons21

Film & Music (CD/DVD)

Books & Journals

Food & Drink

Technology

Games

Living place

Education

Skills

Working place

Social money

Parking

Clothing

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

49%

45%

35%

34%

27%

24%

22%

19%

19%

15%

12%

11%

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Sharing Motivatios22

Helping people

Encouraging to share

Sustainable Living

Destitution

Making Friends

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

59%

41%

30%

21%

10%

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Sharing Circle23

Close friends

Contacts

Relatives

Internet friends

Strangers

Sharebus contacts

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

54%

45%

40%

18%

17%

13%

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Motivating and Demotivating Factors for Commons Usage

MOTİVATİNG FACTORS

→ Sharing

→ Appreciation

→ Reciprocity

→ Helping people

DEMOTİVATİNG FACTORS

→ No appreciation

→ Damage

→ Commercial usage

→ Selfishness

→ Careless usage

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Future of Commons Usage25

Disappear Lessen Same Become widespread Dominant economy0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

0%

22%

39%

30%

10%

Median = 3.00

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ECREA 2012 4th European Communication Conference24-27 OCTOBER, Istanbul, TURKEY

Conclusion

WE SHARE BECAUSE:

→ Human are not selfish organisms.

WE SHARE MORE WHEN:

→ Others also share.

→ We are encouraged to share.

WE DON’T SHARE WHEN:

→ We don’t have anything to share.

→ People behave selfish.

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