demosfera: a laboratory for ecitizenship in sicily
DESCRIPTION
Case study paper presentation at the eChallenges 2004 conference, Vienna (AT), 29 October 2004TRANSCRIPT
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
DEMOsfera: a Laboratory for eCitizenship in Sicily
Jesse B.T. MarshAtelier Studio Associato
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
DEMOsfera Hypotheses
• DEMOsfera: an exemplar of a truly
participative development methodology
• DEMOsfera: an original and effective means
of generating ideas for innovative ISTs
• DEMOsfera: a catalyst of social innovation,
based on stakeholder cost/benefit exchanges
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
Background
• Rise of citizen movements since 2002– In Sicily, link with historical anti-mafia groups
• Primary election experiment in Palermo– Innovative Web+people–based service
– Reported at eChallenges 2003
• Enthusiastic but chaotic use of basic ISTs– Mail lists, Web pages, scanned invitations…
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
The eCitizenship DivideIssue Technical culture Political culture
Awareness of IST potential
Enthusiasm for latest, most sophisticated tools
Aware of widely diffused tools, critical view on rest
Empasis of interest What technology makes theoretically possible
Technology as a cure for political apathy
Emphasis of practice Conformity of behaviour to norms and standards
Inclusion of the technically less aware
View of information Expressiveness of multimedia
Importance of editorial validation of knowledge
View of communication Idealised peer-to-peer interaction
Diffusion of own ideas
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
Limits of Free Services
• Bandwidth differential– Home/office divide, discontinuous workstyles
• Email address glut– Full mailboxes, unused addresses– Corresponding to groups or people?
• Closed systems– Social groups conceived as bounded and unique– Impossible to access/modify functionalities
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
The DEMOsfera Scenario
• Collective laboratory open to all– Meeting place for the technical and the political
• Unite short-term and long-term thinking– Solve practical problems ad-hoc– Specify robust solutions, e.g. XML/RSS
• Experiment new services together– Promote what’s possible, define what’s needed– Promote dialogue between different actors
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
Architecture
MESSAGING•Authentication•Mail•Conferencing
BASIC WEB•Firewall•Home page•Links
SERVICES•Blogging•XML indexing•RSS
MICROSOFT•FrontPage•FP extensions•ASP pages
DEMOsfera
HOSTING
FREE EXTERNAL
FREEWARE•XML•RSS feeds•Experiments
DEMOsfera
STREAMING•Audio•Video•Laboratory
DEMOsfera
www.demosfera.net
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
Services• Shared calendar• Mail list database (multi-directory)• Forums and conferencing
– Permissions by user groups– Decentralised administration
• Ad-hoc services– Ready-made, e.g. petitions, opinion polls– Freeware service environments for
experimentation
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
First Experiments
• DEMOnews– Weekly relay service of documents, events…– Over 2,000 addresses in Sicily
• DEMOdai– Networked fund-raising system– Applicable for referendum signatures?
• DEMOfesta– Extended participation in political events
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
Business case?
Stakeholder Currency Perceived costs Benefits seeked
Political activist Power Learning Citizen consensus
Association leader
Social mobilisation Sharing Increased reach
Active citizen Participation Increased involvement Increased impact
Platform provider
Quality system usage
Facilitation, assistance Enhanced offer
Developer / integrator
Hacker-type prestige
Dealing with politicians Widespread usage
Big solution provider Market share Dealing with ad-
hocism Innovative solutions
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
Lessons learned
• Political: participation requires trust– Citizens are tired being commoditised– Active groups have distinct constituencies– Politicians are wary of un-accountable groups
• Technical: technology is not a-political– The ethics of practice as political action– The technology is never really understood– “Solutions” can never be neutral
Session 10f, 29 October 2004 eChallenges e-2004 Copyleft 2004 Atelier Studio Associato
Further research• Formalisation of laboratory approach
– Applicability across cultural and regional differences
• Further development of an e-demXML– Linking bottom-up experimentation with top-
down analysis
• “Co-operation survival plan”– Working alternatives to the “business plan”
concept for the civic sphere