Crowdsourcing is an online, distributed problem-solving and production model that has emerged in recent years. Notable examples of the model include Threadless, iStockphoto, Inno-

In the closing weeks of 2002, video games were featured in various popular American news publications and media outlets such as Wired, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek and Time Magazine. It is becoming increasingly apparent that video games are no longer child’s play, but rather that they are poised to become a major entertainment form for the twenty-first century. Social analysts and media scholars must begin to formulate an understanding of this emerging mass-consumer phenomenon because it will increasingly impact social and economic structures of post-industrial societies. Part of the tremendous value generated by the American video-game industry is tied into broad global economic shifts that have created a space where services and ephemeral products, such as software, can be created and cheaply distributed. The predominance of ‘high-tech ’ production, the rise of the Internet, and the cultural capital associated with computerization all have contributed to the rise of hobbyist software developers that currently tinker with commercial video games and

Through use of social worlds theory and qualitative research methods, this thesis explores hackers ’ practices and their relationships with the computing world and the wider society from a socio-technical perspective. The hacker social world comprises actors from diverse social-technical backgrounds who share a constellation of im/material practices, namely open source practices (OSPs). Through engaging with these collective practices, actors and actants communicate, negotiate, and shape each other’s identities, practices and understandings of the innovation structure and system in various aspects. In examining the diverse articulations and performances in which hacker culture and hacker identity are both reflected and constructed, the thesis tries to contextualise and deconstruct the ICT architecture we take for granted, as well as the innovations made possible by this architecture. The major findings of my research are: 1) As a community of open source practices, the FLOSS social world allows diverse actors to engage in the

Building on resource mobilization theory, we explore three distinct rewards for individuals to engage in innovative collective action, namely open source software development. The three rewards, which we term communal resources, are reputation, control over technology, and learning opportunities. The collective action (the open source software development project) produces the communal resources in parallel with the actual product (software) and mobilizes programmers to spend time and effort, and contribute their knowledge to the project. Communal resources appear as a byproduct to the production process and represent a public good of second order. We show that they increase in value for individuals along with their involvement in the community. Empirical data from Freenet, an open source software project for peer-to-peer software, illustrates both the levels of involvement and the communal resources.

Cultural factors are often identified as a crucial influence on the success or failure of information systems in general or computer-mediated communication (CMC) in particular. Several authors have suggested ways in which management can accommodate these factors or solve the problem they pose. This paper attempts to go one step beyond management measures and ask whether there is a theoretical foundation on which one can base the mutual influence of culture and CMC. In order to find such a theoretical basis the paper discusses the question whether there are aspects of culture that are universal or whether culture is always particular. In the course of this discussion the concept of culture is defined and its relationship with technology is analysed. As a solution the paper suggests a Habermasian approach to culture which sees a universal background to particular cultures in the structure of communication which creates and sustains culture. The paper then tries to give an outlook how such a Habermasian theory of culture can enable designers and users of CMC to reflect on their activity and improve the quality and reach of CMC.

creativity. Subject area: Internet studies, new media studies, Russian studies, history, ethnography, creativity theory. The study investigates manifestations of creativity in the history of the Russian Internet. It seeks to discover internal logic of the development of creative forms, to identify the factors that account for change and to analyse the relationship between Internet creativity and wider sociocultural contexts. Creativity is defined as production and communication of cultural value. On this basis an operational concept of Internet creativity is developed which allows identifying regularities in the phenomena which have been usually studied separately. Case studies concern the evolution of Russian online media, the virtual persona as an artistic genre, the Russian community on LiveJournal and Jokes from Russia web site. The theoretical issues include the role of cultural identity and social context as a shaping force of Internet culture; motivation for creativity; user contribution, collaboration and the interplay between personal and collective creativity; the opposition between official and non-official spheres in Russian culture; issues of censorship and free speech. The study develops theories which challenge or expand concepts established in research literature and provide a model for further research. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Certificate of acceptance i

This dissertation analyses two different paradigms used for the development of a software product, Operating Systems. The targets of research are two groups that operate in very different ways, Microsoft Corporation and the Linux Community. Through the observation of the strategies and methodologies used by these actors in their work, and taking into account the constraints to which they are subject, assesses, from a dynamic perspective, the relative strengths and weaknesses of their competing paradigms. In the dissertation I will analyse the efficiency of the development processes that they have adopted for the design, improvement and enhancement of their products. A theoretical model based on Giovanni Dosis "Technological Paradigms" framework, incorporating institutional, industrial, social and cultural aspects, is constructed and specifically adapted to the software industry case. The private management of technology issues considered during the analysis of the development processes inside different organisations are linked to questions having to do with the evolution of high technology, networked, markets. This analysis lends to assessment of some rationales and potential strategies for public intervention in the Operating Systems industry, taking into account some relevant concerns that have been raised about competitive issues and dominant position in this market, one of strategic importance for the future development of the Information Society

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Volunteer motivation has been a central theme in Free/Libre/Open Source Software (FLOSS) literature. This research has been largely dominated by economists who rely in their surveys on the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and the ‘hacker ethic ’ – for profit juxtaposition. The paper argues that survey-based analytical frameworks and research designs have led to a focus on some motivational attributions at the expense of others. It then presents a case study that explores dynamic, nonindividualistic and content-sensitive aspects of motivations. The approach is based on socio-cultural psychology and the author’s observations of a hybrid firm-community FLOSS project, OpenOffice.org. Instead of separating intrinsic motivations from extrinsic ones, it is argued that complex and changing patterns of motivations are tied to changing objects and personal histories prior to and during participation. The boundary between work and hobby in an individual’s participation path is blurred and shifting. Keywords: Free/Libre Open Source Software, Motivation, Activity Theory, OpenOffice.org With the emergence of new forms of Internet and volunteer based peer production communities (see von Hippel, 2006; Benkler 2006; Tapscott & Williams

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