Cultures and Ethics of Sharing International Conference
 University of Innsbruck, Austria
 18 and 19 November 2011
>
> Conference program and registration:
> http://medien.uibk.ac.at/**mwb2011 <http://medien.uibk.ac.at/mwb2011>
>
>
> Sharing has emerged as one of the core cultural values native to the
> networked environment where information has many properties of a classic
> public good, that is, it is non-rivalrous in use and nonexcludable in
> access. As Manuel Castells (2009, p. 126) puts it: "In our society, the
> protocols of communication are not based on the sharing of culture but on
> the culture of sharing." IT-based innovation has increasingly impacted on
> the way individuals share information and recently forced society into a
> discourse about what can, should, must or even must not be shared. Yet, the
> sharing of information has been discussed primarily from the point of view
> of copyright (free licenses, law enforcement, law reforms) and from the
> economic perspective (new modes of production, business models, potential
> to turn around industries, financing the 'first copy').
>
> With this conference, we move beyond these aspects and shift the focus to
> the cultural and normative dimensions of sharing. What are the values
> embedded in this informational 'culture of sharing'? How do they differ
> across various contexts, organizational and social practices? How do these
> relate to, transform, and possibly conflict with other value sets dominant
> in organizations and society? How does the widespread use of online sharing
> platforms affect organizations and society?
>
> Attending the conference is free. Please register at
> http://medien.uibk.ac.at/**mwb2011 <http://medien.uibk.ac.at/mwb2011>
> Enquiries: Dr. Wolfgang Sützl wolfgang.suetzl@uibk.ac.at