Peer production facts for kids

Peer production (also called mass collaboration) is a way of making things or providing services. It relies on groups of people who organize themselves. In these groups, many individuals work together to reach a shared goal.

What is Peer Production?

Peer production uses the power of the internet to let many people work together. It has become a very common way to create things.

Some great examples are free and open source software. These are computer programs that anyone can use, change, and share. Open source hardware is similar, but for physical objects.

One of the first examples of people working together online was Project Gutenberg. Volunteers there put old books that are no longer protected by copyright online for everyone to read.

Other examples you might know include:

• Wikipedia, a huge online encyclopedia. Many people call it a perfect example of peer production.
• Linux, a computer operating system, like Windows or macOS.
• Mozilla, which makes the Firefox web browser.

Even some businesses use parts of peer production. Websites like Etsy (where people sell handmade goods) or Tripadvisor (where people share travel reviews) let users create content.

Commons-based peer production is a special type of peer production. It focuses on projects that are not made for profit.

Peer production happens in a system where thousands of people can work together. They create something that everyone can use. This is called open collaboration. People can join or leave these projects whenever they want. These efforts are usually informal, meaning there aren't strict rules or bosses like in a regular company.

There are no limits to how much discussion or how many changes can be made. However, on big projects like Wikipedia, a small number of very dedicated people do most of the work.

From an organization's point of view, peer production has very few bosses or strict rules. Some projects even try to avoid having any leaders at all.

How Peer Production is Used

Peer production isn't just for making software or writing encyclopedias. It's also used for making physical things.

For example, there are open-source 3-D printers that run on solar power. These can be used in places without electricity. This is part of open source appropriate technology, which means creating useful tools that are easy to make and use.

Peer production also helps create Open Educational Resources (OERs). These are free learning materials. For instance, Writing Commons started as a textbook and became a huge online resource for students around the world. It was built by many different people.

Massive open online course (MOOC) platforms also use peer production. These are online courses where many people can learn together. The Cultivating Change Community (CCMOOC) at the University of Minnesota is an example. In just 10 weeks, 150 authors wrote over 50 chapters for their online book! The Peer to Peer University uses these ideas for online learning groups.

Bitcoin is a good example of peer production for digital services. It's a network where many different people (like "miners" and developers) work together. They provide a very secure way to exchange digital tokens around the world. Some people see Bitcoin as a way to store value, while others see it as a type of money.

Bitcoin's technology, called blockchain, has led to new forms of peer production, like DAOs. These are organizations run by computer code and many users, not by a central authority. The success of Bitcoin shows that peer production can create very high-quality and long-lasting services.

Things to Think About (Criticism)

Not everyone thinks peer production is perfect. Some people have concerns about it.

Some critics, like Daniel Kreiss, Megan Finn, and Fred Turner, say that the idea of peer production is too optimistic. They argue that traditional systems, like bureaucracy (where things are run by rules and departments), are better at solving big social problems. They believe peer production might not be sustainable. They also worry that it can blur the lines between people's work and private lives.

Other critics worry about the quality of information. They say that because anyone can contribute, there might be misinformation or lower-quality products.

In his book The Cult of the Amateur, Andrew Keen says that peer-produced content on the internet can be misleading. He believes that letting anyone post information freely can lead to people copying ideas or changing original thoughts. This can make it hard to know what information is true.

Jaron Lanier also points to Wikipedia as an example. He warns that relying too much on mass collaboration can lead to information that is unreliable or biased. He thinks that websites like Wikipedia make people believe that the "group" knows everything. He feels this goes against the idea of democracy, where different views are important.

Some critics also say that peer production works better for some things than others. Paul Duguid suggests it's less efficient outside of software development. He thinks that if we keep relying on it for other types of information, we'll need new ways to ensure quality. Yochai Benkler agrees, saying that peer production might be better at creating useful things like encyclopedias than creative works.

Even with its great potential, some people still question whether extensive collaboration can always produce the best results.

See also