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Open Source Activism Self Activating, Self Organising Activism That Crosses the Boundary Between the Internet and the Streets

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Open Source Activism Self Activating, Self Organising Activism That Crosses the Boundary Between the Internet and the Streets OPEN SOURCE ACTIVISM SELF ACTIVATING, SELF ORGANISING ACTIVISM THAT CROSSES THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE INTERNET AND THE STREETS By Dieuwertje Albertine Roosmarijn Bijker DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF COMMUNICATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT AT THE HOGESCHOOL VAN UTRECHT UTRECHT, June 7, 2010 Abstract This dissertation examines three cases of 'Open source activism' – activism where people rose up to take action without having been externally motivated or organised, and each activist acted according to their own abilities and insights to further a common goal. In these three cases the activism came into existence spontaneously, gathered momentum, and successfully crossed the boundary from online action to offline activism. This dissertation examines the commonalities and the differences between the movements, and uses theory of animal models of self organisation (Jaap van Ginneken) and the Motivaction Mentality model (Motivaction) to draw conclusions about how this phenomenon works, and its significance to communicators. At present we find that the application of open source activism as a communication tool is limited; it cannot be created, though if circumstances are already existing, it could be encouraged to come into existence, as in the presidential campaign of president Obama. Even then it is an unpredictable process and most organisations will find that in most situations, open source activism could sooner be a risk than an asset to their communication strategy. However as organisations and communication styles move ever more toward the principles of co-creation and other forms of interactive producer - user relationships, it is likely that open source activism will become more common, and that organisations will develop means to communicate with activists and make use of the creative energy present in such campaigns. For these reasons open source activism is relevant to communicators; it can be both an asset to an organisation and a danger, and in both cases it is vital that organisations know how to react to such activism and how not to adopt a siege mentality but to keep communication lines with activists open. 2 Open Source Activism - D.A.R. Bijker Table of contents ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................................ 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................ 3 TABLE OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................ 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 6 1.A: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 6 1.B: RESEARCH QUESTION ............................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 2: THEORY ......................................................................................................................... 9 2.A: JAAP VAN GINNEKEN 'S ANIMAL MODELS OF SELF -ORGANISATION ................................................... 9 2.B: MOTIVACTION ....................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 3: CASE ANONYMOUS VS. SCIENTOLOGY ................................................................ 15 3.A SOURCES ................................................................................................................................ 15 3.B ORIGINE .................................................................................................................................. 16 3.C EVOLUTION .............................................................................................................................. 17 3.D SELF ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................ 18 3.E INTERNAL COMMUNICATION CONVENTIONS OF THE MOVEMENT .................................................... 19 3.F COMMUNICATION PATHS ............................................................................................................ 22 3.G EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION CONVENTIONS OF THE MOVEMENT ................................................... 23 CHAPTER 4: CASE OBAMA CAMPAIGN ......................................................................................... 24 4.A: SOURCES ................................................................................................................................. 24 4.B: START /ORIGINE ......................................................................................................................... 24 4.C LIFE CYCLE ............................................................................................................................... 25 4.D INTERNAL COMMUNICATION CONVENTIONS OF THE MOVEMENT ..................................................... 26 4.E COMMUNICATION PATHS ............................................................................................................ 28 4.F EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION CONVENTIONS OF THE MOVEMENT .................................................... 29 CHAPTER 5: CASE CHRISTMAS CHARTS CAMPAIGN .................................................................. 31 5.A: SOURCES ................................................................................................................................ 31 5.B ORIGINS OF THE MOVEMENT ..................................................................................................... 31 5.C LIFESPAN OF THE MOVEMENT .................................................................................................... 32 5.D INTERNAL COMMUNICATION CONVENTIONS OF THE MOVEMENT .................................................... 32 5.E COMMUNICATION PATHS ........................................................................................................... 34 5.F EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION CONVENTIONS OF THE MOVEMENT .................................................... 34 CHAPTER 6: PROCESS REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................................... 35 1) SELF ACTIVATING / SELF SELECTING PARTICIPANTS .............................................................................. 35 2) SELF ORGANISING ACTIVISM ............................................................................................................... 36 3) BOTH ONLINE AND OFFLINE ACTIVISM .................................................................................................. 36 CHAPTER 7 COMMON FACTORS IN OPEN SOURCE ACTIVISTS ................................................ 39 7.A THE INTERNET GENERATION ...................................................................................................... 39 7.B THE INTERNET EVOLVES - WEB 2.0 ............................................................................................ 40 7.C INTERNET TO OFFLINE PRECEDENTS ........................................................................................... 41 7.D SHARED COMMON CONSCIOUSNESS . .......................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER 8. COMMON FACTORS IN OPEN SOURCE ACTIVISM MOVEMENTS ......................... 46 CHAPTER 9 WHERE DO THE CASES DIFFER? .............................................................................. 54 CHAPTER 10 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 61 10.A WHAT ARE THE CRUCIAL FACTORS THAT MAKE OPEN SOURCE ACTIVISM HAPPEN ? ........................ 61 10.B CAN THOSE FIVE CIRCUMSTANCES BE CREATED ? ........................................................................ 64 3 Open Source Activism - D.A.R. Bijker 10.C IF OPEN SOURCE ACTIVISM CAN BE CREATED , IS THIS ACTUALLY DESIRABLE ? ............................... 64 10.D IN WHICH SITUATIONS IS OPEN SOURCE ACTIVISM IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM APPLICABLE ? .................. 66 10.E HOW COULD OPEN SOURCE ACTIVISM BE ADAPTED TO MAKE IT MORE USEFUL TO COMMUNICATORS , OR , WHICH ELEMENTS OF OPEN SOURCE ACTIVISM CAN BE ADOPTED BY COMMUNICATORS ? .......... 66 10.F HOW COULD OPEN SOURCE ACTIVISM BE A DANGER TO ORGANISATIONS ? .................................... 69 10.G ANSWERING THE RESEARCH QUESTION : ..................................................................................... 70 CHAPTER 11: RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................. 72 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................................... 74 Table of figures Figure 1: Dutch model. Source: www.en.motivaction.nl 13 Figure 2: International Model source: www.en.motivaction.nl 14 Figure 3: iconic image from the film 'V for Vendetta' 44 Figure 4: Diagram of the differences in the three movements 54 Figure 5: Venn diagram of coinciding circumstances 63 4 Open Source Activism - D.A.R. Bijker Acknowledgements I'd like
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