Democratizing the information society

Abstract

A global economy needs global public goods – water, health, clean environments, peace, education and, critically, access to information. Instead the commercialization and corporate exploitation of the Internet and other media are eroding our choices, civil liberties and access to vital information. Civic society organizations are being marginalized but there is a way to fight back. Sharing, bartering and cooperating are much better ways for exploiting Metcalfe’s Law and Reed’s Law than going head‐to‐head in competition with money‐based corporate players.