QotW4: Internet Economies and You…

On the surface, a gift economy might seems a tad idealistic. On further observation, it actually describes a scenario already happening around us. Peter Kollock quoted mainly examples from online communities while Wikipedia showed a large variety of gift economies. I think if I were to participate in a gift economy, I would have more opportunities to shine in online communities. In fact I am already doing it right now.

I notice that when I reply to a forum, I am contributing my wisdom and knowledge to people I have not met, but who desperately need some advice or support. That makes me a gifter. I simply want to share, like I have the biggest heart in the whole world. I have a lot to say, regarding what I know. Because I have gone through so much, I feel like the only way to do it justice is to relive it in stories. I guess that is how folk tales work too.

I cannot agree more that, ”In online communities, exchange relations are oriented to the mobilization and command of information" But note that it says information, not knowledge. I feel a greater need to share especially when the information I am sharing is part of many solutions to a problem. My solutions are often more of knowledge than information simply because it contains a trace of the experience ingredient. If the problems I am facing happen to be ones others are facing too, sharing my solutions make me more committed to solving it. My greatest achievement comes from finding the final solution to a problem and sharing it. When others commented that they have solved the problem with my solution, it is really adding cream to an already delicious pie. If the social dilemma is that what if everybody just takes and do not bother to return becomes a worrying factor in gift economies; well I guess if I really worry about reciprocation, I wouldn't blush at the words "notingless, u r a Super hero [girl] to internet dummy." The recipient mistakenly assumed I was a male. *Ahem.

Perhaps the only basis for such vast establishment of online gift economies is because of the simple fact that ‘one person's "consumption" of the information does not diminish another person's use of it.’ Not because I am selfish enough to think sharing property and goods are not to be shared, but because I have always believed in sharing of knowledge and information freely ad totally. To me, online communities is a true gift economy, because like Peter Kollock said, true reciprocity is hard to define recipients and gifters are simply unknown to each other. In Infoshop. Org, AnarchyAm made a statement that saw all men as good by nature, “There is no such thing as a lazy person, so why worry about "contribution" at all? Every single individual always contributes to themselves and the whole of society consciously and uncounsciously, and such contributions are always an equivalent exchange.” In fact it sounded a bit like what you hear in a religious setting. Indeed, what can be more altruistic than religion?

Wikipedia pointed out that a gift economy can also be represented in a religious setting. I think that is perpetually true. From the work of Marcel Mauss, he proposes a model that "suggests the more complex motivations of religious actors as they meet, associate, sacrifice, struggle, jostle, and contend with each other and God. Manuel Vasquez noted that this “provides a shallow and simplistic, understanding of religious behavior.” When I give in monetary terms to God, I view it as it is the minimum I can do as compared to what he say given me. I do not feel the need for him to reciprocate me. In fact my relationship with God is very extraordinary. It is what is inside me but an outer projection (God) would be useful.


Bibliography
Kollock, Peter (1999). 'The Economies of Online Cooperation; Gifts and Public Goods in Cyberspace" Retrieved February 6, 2007 from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/kollock/papers/economies.htm

Gift Economy (2007). In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retreived on February 7, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gift_economy&oldid=105681971

AnarchyAm. (2006, Nov 20). Gift economy "question and answer session". [Msg 10]. Message posted to http://forums.infoshop.org/viewtopic.php?t=5069&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=f4efc770b809324b1107cead85cfcb3a

Vasquez, M.. Viewpoints from across the Spectrum. Religion in Latin America: Rational Choice Theory. Retrieved February 10, 2007, from http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/rla/discussion/round1religion.html