The emerge of the information space
Since the early 1990s, the internetwork communication between HTTP and
servers has enabled the rapid exchange of information technology. This
interactive system have brought a huge success in technologies, connections,
participations and emotions. This technique has reformed a new starting
point in which the information technologies have revolutionised to break
through time, speed and space in human communication and consciousness.
(Schuller, 2009) Which has also rebuild a network society that offers equal
access to the internet masses. The role of information technology provides
the abilities to public internet user with the means to engage with online
communities within cyber network. At which, the rise of network society
has shaped the characteristic of certain practices of production, distribution
and consumption. (Castells. 2012) It has established the foundation of the
relationship between information, labor, technology, economy, social
management and informatics principles in social interactions and cultural
logics. (Howard. 2006) The emergence of the hyperlink and cyberspace,
which has also distributed online social identities online via multimedia
platforms and institutional frameworks between individuals and corporate
globalisation. Throughout the decades, cyber-network and information
communication technology has been continuously transformed into a new
anthropological space where internetwork data provide the technical
infrastructure for the collective brains. In essence, our collective knowledges,
including our practical skills, experience and intellectual abilities, which are
mutually recognised as the primary source of all other wealth in terms of
collective participation within communities online. (Lévy, 1997) In which,
our knowledge has become the new infrastructure with connection,
communication, creation and curation in our society - a concept proposed by
a French philosopher Pierre Lévy.
The collective intelligence
Lévy brought up a discussion about the existence of Cyberspace in 1997
before the democratisation of cyber network. He questioned “Is it possible to
bring a new human space into existence, which could redefine our social
identity even without a profession?” (Lévy, 1997) In which, his concept of
“knowledge space” refer to the virtual environment where enable peer-topeer
learning. That is, in a space where Internet users participate and
contribute to share their knowledge and learn from each other. Lévy’s theory
consist of scientific, technical and political approaches with the aims to
impulse human intelligence of surpassing in computers command, instead
of accelerate artificial intelligence. The new anthropological space which
should be a system of proximity that is unique to the world of humanity.
(Nguyen. Hoang. Jędrzejowicz. 2012) This will create a new form of learning
that enable human to learn by exploiting the cultural cognitive and our
ubiquitous memory. This is what he so-called the collective intelligence. To
an extend, the participation in peer-to-peer network will continuous to reach
a much higher level of human communication, and that will facilitate a new
form of civilisation and progress.
In essence, Lévy’s idea was mainly considered to bring a space where
assemble collective knowledge to create a system of digital-capitalism. That
is, the participation in peer-to-peer culture will contribute to the creation
that will transmit identifiable information from a new form of cooperative
labor and work. He cited “ Interactive systems and contemporary
innovation networks intersect one another, operating across the enterprise.
The increasing growth of partnerships and alliances is a striking illustration
of this process. New abilities must continuously be imported, produced, and
introduced in all sectors of the economy.” (Lévy, 1997) Fundamentally, the
main idea of the anthropology space could be seen as a new capitalist
network society where encourage collaboration in participatory culture
within communities online. Suggested that peer learning will be the key to
enlarge human intellectual abilities, instead of over-depending on computer
system and artificial intelligence. Collective intelligence will be the weapons
that only belongs to humanity surpassing artificial intelligence. (Kapetanios.
2010)
The function of knowledge space
Based on Lévy’s concept, this research paper will examine the possibilities
and issues of “The Knowledge Space” in regards to the certain new form of
social identities in the digital age. First of all, it is necessary to clarify the
specification in terms of “knowledge space” that Lévy has referred to. At one
point, he advocated that “Video” could be a perfect form in order to present
the ideology of peer network within an online space in cyberculture. (Lévy,
1997) Explained that video could be an appropriate media resources that is
able to convey multiple information directly to the others via visual
communication. He proposed that a video-based platform will offer
multifunctions with full of possibilities for users to take part in diverse
aspects within online communities. (Yang. Yuen. 2010) The idea of “Sharing”
which will promote democratic ideals by lowering the entry of interpersonal
level and cultural barriers in peer communication. Enable by the registration
or sign up the system on this kind of platform, which will provide any user
to create or recreate their new identity online. Regardless of age, nationality,
sexuality or any personal identity in reality. The idea of the participation of
Lévy’s idea of knowledge space suggested not to follow restricted rules.
(Kapetanios. 2010) The idea of this new anthropological space should offer
equal access to every users and members.
To a certain extend, participation in this kind of online platform which will
provide new opportunities for user to learn, to create and to interact via
video online sharing which hosted by individual user. This would also be
possible to move beyond the media regulation in the society of mass
spectators. (Nguyen. Hoang. Jędrzejowicz. 2012) Which means that we have
now entered in the era of “Neoliberalism” in production. That is, the new
emerge technologies have offered everyone the capabilities to engage in
digital consumption and mass media production without the needs of
specific training. (Denzau. Roy. 2005) In here, Lévy’s philosophy is relatively
in regard to the notion of “Digital-Production”. In which, peer-to-peer
culture is characterised by equal participation and self-selection in roles.
This suggested that internet users have now been given the power of choice
to take initiatives to serve online media in order to navigate knowledge in
rapid responses, instead of simply consuming mass media. (A.Buzzetto-
More. 2013) Simultaneously, along with the development of electronic
goods and design software tools. The skill-set and level of mass-media
production including photography and videography have been completely
democratised. Many media users sprang up to exploit this type of resources
designed to create their own content and sharing them through multiple
social media platforms. (Healey. 2011) In which, this prosumer behaviour
enables the transfiguration between consumption and production within the
internet culture. Celebrating neoliberalism where the society network should
be shaped by collaboration in the free digital market.
Digital Prosumerism and Individualism
Lévy’s idea of subjectivity by the means of “new material of expression” for individuals. Which
have suggested that the emerging anthropology space has opened up a new market that play a
vital role in personalisation and individualism. (Lévy. 1997) According to Guattari, the production
of subjectivity could be viewed an individual group machine that accompanies and in some senses
produces this chemical ‘knowledge’ of subjectivity. That is to say individualisation is now the
leading sphere of digital production and industries. (Rahe. 2009) This is because individuals are
now able to fully express themselves through digital media to share their experience, action,
reflection and reviews of anything. Neoliberalism and digital capitalism have opened up the new
form of cultural production in network society. Digital industries and internet culture in which
have given shape to new relationships between consumers, producers and data collectors. The
boundaries between producers and consumers have narrowed down since consumers can now
access to a large amount of information via online resources. (Roberts, Cremin, 2017) Consumers
have the power to bring a huge impact to the companies by examining products based on their
customer's value and experiences through video production. This phenomenon which have
connected multi-channels, cultural sensibilities, and visual aesthetics in contemporary visual
culture. In which, internet users can take ownership of up-skilling themselves by acquiring new
transferable skills in multi-disciplines. This mainly consist of media technologies, such as
photography, videography, editing and creative writing. Nowadays, it can be said that everyone
has the capability to engage in both production and consumption via multiple social media
services. This is what we so-called the “Prosumption" in the digital age. (Olin-Scheller. Wikström.
2010)
The terms “Prosumerism” was originally formed in Agricultural studies according to Alvin
Toffler’s theory of rationalisation in 1980s. (Toffler. 1990) The concept of “Prosumerism” was based
to the idea of survival through trading in the market between the consumers and producers. In
particular, the “prosumer” were suggested to describe people who hunt or reproduce food in order
to make a living in the past. In essence, “Prosumerism” and “Materialism” has bought a huge
impact to the early industrial Labourites throughout the industrial revolution around the late
eighteenth centuries. Especially the invention of engines which was extremely crucial to the early
prosumer market. (Toffler. 1990) At which, thousand and thousand of newly established
companies have imported the engines and created various production technologies through
mechanical reproduction. From this point of view, Alvin suggested the term “Prosumer” to
amalgamate the relationship between producers and consumers. (Morasch. Bandule. 2003) Along
with the significant growth of social media, the market of digital prosumerism has become the
leading sphere of the ICT and creative industry. Technology has become accessible which has given
the rise to the prosumer. The internet provides the public access to internet users to create content
and to share information via the global media sites in seconds. Digital Technology developed an
unlimited source of information, products, and services that will enable every users to examine,
review, or share their informations through peer networks. (Olin-Scheller. Wikström. 2010) Social
networks have given the capabilities to online users to make profits by producing or reproducing
multi-media resources. For instance, come back to the case of Ryan ToyReview, See Figure 1.1.
Ryan’s parents have purchased new toys and electronic goods to film Ryan’s consumer experience
for a video production. Hereafter, they uploaded Ryan’s video on YouTube to make profits by
video monetisation. Rather than simply consuming products, people has now become the voice
and being able to participate in production. This process is known as “Digital prosumerism”.
(Isaias. Carvalho. 2017)
The idea of “Digital Prosumerism” play a significant role in production of subjectivity and peer to
peer culture within the cyber network. In recent years, there is a large increasing number of media
users that they embark themselves working as content creators, online influencers, bloggers or
videographers rather than seeking employment in traditional fields. (Roberts. Cremin. 2017) Such
as the YouTuber. This is perhaps due to the facts that everyone has the capability to produce digital
content simply by using smartphones or any other electronic devices without the need of specific
training. Especially for the young generation, this is such a low cost strategy that will maximise
their profit for an individual entrepreneurial start-up. (Olin-Scheller. Wikström. 2010) This will
help the ambitious young media users to build connection with other communities and be able to
run their own business online all across the world. "These young people are prosumers, a
contraction of the words producer and consumer - young people who produce their own images
from their consumption of popular mass media." Concluded by Toffler in 1980. (Toffler, 1980)
Rather than consuming media directly, these young people participate in cultural exchanges as
producers by examining commodities. Particularly in YouTube, commodities also play a crucial
role in the formation of individual identities. The role of consumers are becoming the core of
products through their involvement on multiple social platforms. This includes the joiners,
spectators, critics and the collectors. They corresponded through individual’s video channel on
YouTube. "Comment" has become a trend for consumers to replicate the content, reviews and
feedback of their usage experience on goods and services online. They share those experience
within online communities with similar tastes. This phenomenon has formed a wide range of
“online prosumer behaviour” working in the age of mechanical reproduction. (Olin-Scheller.
Wikström. 2010)
Key Question The concern in here is that if commercial organisation and authorities has become the leading sphere of YouTube culture. How would this new knowledge space be beneficial to humanity in long term? Referred to Lévy’s approach of anthropology and human intelligence conquered artificial intelligence and technologies. How is this “commercial space” become the new infrastructure that is privilege to humanity? What is the approach of the space in terms of collective intelligence? A space that is full of competition from enterprising and business development? A space where to stimulate economic growth and globalisation? Or else, a space where to encourage users to gathered together and share knowledge, convention, languages, emotion and culture dependent on human technologies?
Lévy in the age of YouTube
Living in the modern era of media, there are multitudinous online spaces
that offer qualities to internet users in collaboration within the network
communities. Such as the Wikipedia and numerous of internet forums.
(Rahman. 2012) Whereas, focus on Lévy’s overall concept of digital
capitalism that we have discussed above. Whereas, YouTubers and the
YouTube community perhaps is the answer in responds to Lévy ideology of
“the knowledge space”. YouTube is an interspace where competing
stakeholders and interests. It is a site that provides entertainment,
collaboration, discussion and education in diverse aspects within a new
anthropological space activated by cooperative interaction. (Snickars. 2009)
The site itself enable users to create, share, watch, and comment through
video production. YouTube excavate a desire for sharing personal expression
with others through the carrier of video and distribution channel.
Furthermore, the YouTube community itself is a constitutive platform that
provides specific affordances and cultural exchange in peer networks.
YouTube offers equal participation by allowing every internet users to
register, upload and interact within the communities. (Park. 2014) They
operates in collaboration with all joiners, spectators, and creators in cocreation.
Enable by this system, there are more and more people engage in
creative activities of social networking and peer participation. (Duffy. Turow.
2009)
Originally, the social core of the YouTube community mainly constituted by
the early users on YouTube who spent time to share and contribute contents
among platform providers, audience Banks and particularly focused in
gaming cultures. All these Internet users from all over the world have
entered this cyberspace where they can exchange ideas, experiences, cultural
values and discourses with a variety of audience. (Ciampa. Moore. Carucci.
Muller. Wescott. 2015) Today, YouTube by far has become one of the most
recognisable visual and communication channels since YouTube co-funded
by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim in 2005. YouTube with a total
of 1,300,000,000 users, including members and visitors, 5 billion videos are
watched daily on YouTube with 300 hours of video uploaded to YouTube per
minute. YouTube has successfully transformed to a network society with the
collective intelligence in globalisation. (YouTube. 2018)
To an extent, YouTube have almost meet all the conditions in which
proposed by Lévy. Its existence have also proofed Lévy’s theory to be
accurate. Indeed, the emerge of YouTube and its communities have offer
equal access to free participation and operate across the enterprise to all
joiners, spectators, and creators. The interactive system and contemporary
innovative networks intersect one another. (Burgess. Green. 2018) This
current trend towards collaboration and participation has led to the new
form of capitalist oriented business. There are wide ranges of cultural
production that are incorporated on the site. Nevertheless, the main issue
regarding the knowledge space and YouTube addressed to be the
relationships and behaviour of actual participants and the authenticity of
information enabled by the system. In addition, YouTube and the
participatory culture have brought a huge impact to youth culture. This has
led to a controversy of morality and bad influences to the young YouTube
spectators. It is necessary to define the existing problems which are
suggested to be impede to the maintenance of our intellectual space.
YouTube as a new anthropology space which has been relatively relevant to
Lévy’s conception of the knowledge space within the cyber network.
Fundamentally, his logic regarding to the knowledge space has been proven
to come true. No matter the formation of video-based cyber network, or the
rise of participation in collaboration towards digital capitalism. (Fuchs. 2015)
In which, YouTube enables monetisation to offer equal access to every users
and partnerships to work in cooperation. Digital labours and specifically the
YouTubers have been given the freedom of choice to associate across the
enterprise and interaction within online communities. (Jepsen. Drahokoupil.
2017) This phenomena in which have also brought up a digital-prosumer
culture in work and labours. However, along with the monetisation system
and digital labours perhaps are the factors in which have influenced user’s
behaviours, and the quality of YouTube networks.
In here, applied the notion of digital prosumerism and YouTube communities to Lévy’s discussion
of new social identities of the knowledge space. “Is it possible to bring a new human space into
existence, which could redefine our social identity even without a profession?” (Lévy. 1997)
Perhaps, the answer could be a yes. It is possible to redefine personal or social identity via cyber
network. (Frayssé. O’Neil. 2013) Despite the person who has their own profession or for whom
that are unemployed. Every users have been offered the choice to redefine their social identity
within cyber network. Such as “YouTuber” as an identity. Applied Lévy’s idea of the collective
intelligence on YouTube as the new anthropology space. YouTube has gradually transformed into a
commercial space. The boundary between our professional life and personal development has
begun to blur in a way that even personal interests and hobbies could also be the sources to make
profits for a living. Specifically on YouTube, “Knowledge” perhaps is no longer the key to achieve
higher level working in the system of digital capitalism. It requires collaboration in co-creation,
and the essential temporality of the economy. (Ciampa. Moore. Carucci. Muller. Wescott. 2015) The
role of the economy of time drives the extension and intensification of production, circulation, and
consumption of more commodities in less time. Which have developed a commercial space where
enable the YouTubers, the consumers, the advertisers and third parties to cooperate in a win-win
situation. The market of collective intelligence focused on the growth of partnership in consumer
culture that based on the development of subjectivity. As Lévy expected that the traditional space
are no longer only satisfied with implementing, developing, and distributing skill and knowledge.
He vaticinated the continuous production of subjectivity will be considered as the major economic
activity throughout the next century. (Lévy. 1997)
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