Virtualnetworks and democracy
Howtheinternet age changedourlives
by Phillip Wilke

Overview:
1. Short history of virtualnetworks
2. Hownetworkswork – somerules
3. Networks, publicsphere and society

Short history of socialnetworks

Short history of socialnetworks
Personal computer (PC)
• Development of
databasedcomputerstartedafterthe 2nd
world war
• First costumercomputer Xerox Altro
(1973), Apple II (1977) and IBM PC (1981)
• The IBM PC clonesmadetheideapopular in
the 80s

Short history of socialnetworks
PLATO
• created1960 bytheUnivesity of Illinois
• A projectto openeducation
• Chat-rooms in usesince 1974

Short history of socialnetworks
Bulletin boardsystem (BBS)
• madetwo way
disscussionusepossibleforeverybody
• connectedpeoplefrom all overtheworld
• Frist private BBS around 1970

Short history of socialnetworks
Internet
• build 1969 fortheUS-armee
• Open 1988 forthepublic
• First web browseraround 1993

Short history of socialnetworks
Chat-rooms
• First chat-room in thePLATO-System
• Famoussincethe www development in
the 90s

Short history of socialnetworks
Instantmessenger
• Technologicalbackgrounddevelopedin the
60s
• Becamepopulararound 2003
• Famousmessenger: MSN, ICQ and Skype

Short history of socialnetworks
Socialnetworkcommunities
• First platform „The Well“ started 1985
• „Classmates.com“ developed 1995
• Web 2.0-hype letthemgrow
• Facebookstarted 2004 in the USA

Short history of socialnetworks
Micro bloggin
• Process just started
• TwitterinventedbyEvan Williams, Biz
Stone, Jack Dorsey in 2006
• Monthly55 millionvisits

Short history of socialnetworks
Technologicalinventions
• Fast and cheephardware
• Fast and cheepsoftware
• Fast and cheepconnection

Short history of socialnetworks
Mobile web
• First ideaswithGMS-net in the 90s
• W@p2.0 created in 2002
• Real internet on mobilesbyUMTS
technology
• iPhonefirstmanageblymobile-websince
2007

Hownetworkswork
Somecollectedrules

Hownetworkswork
Theyare a socialphenomenon!
• Youcan‘tcreatethem
• Whatcanyou do forthem?
• Helpthecommunitymeansbecomepart
of it

Hownetworkswork
Everyvirtualmeis a human!
• No patronising
• No abuse
• No laugh out
• No dominations

Hownetworkswork
No oronly a lowhierarchy!
• People wantto beautonomous
• It‘sthereleisure time
• No observer

Hownetworkswork
Freedom, cooperation and interaction!
• People want to beinvolved in
theprocess – e.g. per opensource
• People what to showtherepersonality
– presentand shareinformations

Hownetworkswork
Theymustbeeasymanagebly!
• Clear layout
• Good inner pagelinking
• Nobody want to waste time

Hownetworkswork
Theymustbefree of easy to pay!
• Paysituationscoast time
• A expensivecommunityissmal – a good
communityishuge
• Thepayprocessmustbepossibleeverywhere

Hownetworkswork
Theymustbeaccessibleeverywhere!
• Applicationsusepossiblewitheverykind
of internetaccessor
• Access mustbeeasy, without a lot of
passwords

Hownetworkswork
Trust andappreciation!
• Thetrusttrianglemustwork –
admintrustpeople, peopletrustadmin
and peopletrustpeople
• Personal datamustbesaved

Networks, publicsphere and
society

Networks, publicsphere and society
Main changes
• Transparent humans
• Individualisedhumans
• Areal distance shrinks
• Reachabilityand accesserverywere

Networks, publicsphere and society
Questions
1. Do youthink a morecomplexnetworksystem will
makesthesocietybetter?
2. Socialcapitalorsocialskillsbecomemoreimportant. Do
youthinktheycanreplacetheoldcurrencysystem andhow
do youfeelaboutthisprocess?
3. Do yousee a problemforoursocietywhenitispartedin
smaleindependent
groupswhichusethereowninteractionways?

Good bye!