#FAIL: What we learn from failed tech projects

Alison Powell, London School of Economics

a.powell@lse.ac.ukTwitter: @postdocal

http://www.alisonpowell.ca

'Failure' and 'Success' in citizen technology projects

Defining Failure

– Systemic vs Partial Failure

– Transparent vs Opaque Failure

– Stated vs Unstated Goals Policy contributions of 'failed' networks New taxonomy?

The Vision of the Open Internet

“Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather.”

Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace, John Perry Barlow

The Reality of the Black Box

Community Wireless Networks (2000-2008)

Great Expectations:

Some Frameworks for citizen technology

projects

Citizen EngagementEmpowermentParticipation

• Alternative Technology• Policy Challenge/Governance

• Enterprise and business

Types of FailureSystemic vs Partial Failure (Heeks, 2005)

– Easier to understand systemic failure– Partial failure requires recognition of

subjectivity

Transparent Failure (Kuhn, 1963)– Contributes to future learning or

progress– Includes planned obsolescence

– Generative vs disruptive

Opaque Failure– Unclear what has failed or how

– Perhaps the result of undeclared goals at odds with policy/legal frames

CWN Policy Expectations

Innovation Policy– CWNs can model demand for broadband– CWNs can create new organizational

forms

Social Policy– CWNs can bridge the digital divide

Communication Policy– CWNs can create P2P alternatives

(mesh networks)

Community Typology of Network Types

commerce net: develops new services or business models culture net:showcases art, culture and community or is viewed as an artistic projectdemo net: demonstrates proof of concept of a technology or mode of organization equiNet: promotes community wireless as a means of addressing the digital divide political-Net: draws attention to political issues and the politics of access to communicationspicnic net: brings together a social group

Some notable failures

Political Nets (Berlin and Portland, OR)– CWN in Berlin built mesh network to highlight

redlining of East Berlin. Network functions poorly

– In Portland, CWN replaced by corporate network. Community monitored commercial network's

performance

Equi-Nets (France, various)– Replaced by commercial networks

– Drove campaign for public access to spectrum

Picnic-Nets (Serbia and Athens)– Significant innovation – often illegal

– Social relations more important than technical innovation

Today's project: a new taxonomy of failures

Project

Stated Goals

Unstated Goals

Short term outcomes

Long term outcomes

Policy implications (intended or not)

Structures of participation (elite, grassroots, techie, scale)

?

Redefining Failure

Policy (and law) posit transparent relations between goals and outcomes

Yet legally marginal actions have outcomes of public benefit

So too do 'failed' projects

Is it possible to develop policy to encourage unstated goals?

Learning from Failure

Design methods Iteration

Effective useCritique of power

Context