The Pre-Web Internet-Usenet

In COM430z, I was assigned to read “The Pre-Web Internet-Use Net” in the book Managing the Virtual Common: Cooperation and conflict in computer communities. This article discusses the problems of cooperation and social dilemmas in cyberspace, especially with Usenet. This includes the free-rider problem and not using bandwidth wisely.

According to Kollack, “Usenet is on of the largest computer-mediated communication systems in existence. It is similar in many ways to conferencing systems and e-mail distribution lists.” In the reading, it talks about how Usenet has a number of newsgroups that contain requests for information, replies to requests, discussions of the validity and accuracy of replies, and other further questions brought up by the discussion and members involved.

Although Usenet provides a great environment for people to give and exchange information, I read in the reading that there are many conflicts that make it incapable to provide collective goods to everyone. Bandwidth is a key resource on Usenet. The term bandwidth refers to “the volume of information per unit time that a computer, person, or transmission can handle.” Basically it means the amount of information that can be carried and stored to its members. According to the reading, there are great concerns on Usenet of overusing bandwidth which include: the posting of extremely long articles, not summarizing previous posts and instead reproducing long sections, posting articles that are off-topic, and posting the same message to many newsgroups, as appose to just one.

Also in the reading, there is the problem of free riding: asking questions but not answering them; gathering information but not allocating it out to other people, or just simply reading discussions but not contributing or adding information to them. By providing several thousand different types of topics, Usenet allows individuals with common interests to find and interact with each other. According to the reading, this helps the success of a newsgroup. In the reading it states how there has also been designs to have successful communities. They include decreasing group sizes, having set rules and institutions, and monitoring and sanctioning of people’s behaviors.

I believe that the free-rider problem and abusing bandwidth are two huge problems that affect cyberspace. I know that I have been in a forum and reading people’s post even on Blackboard and had people post unnecessary and irrelevant information. When one person disrupts ongoing conversation like that, it can potentially ruin the whole persona of the discussion. The ways that Usenet is trying to eliminate the problems are cost effective and hopefully can work. However, cyberspace has a double edge. Kollack concludes with monitoring people’s behavior but sanctioning behavior does not. Communication costs of large groups are decreased, but free-riding is increased. Lastly, having several thousand newsgroups that have interests that people exchange information make it easier for people who want to disrupt them do so.

Kollack, Peter & Smith, Marc. (1996)