Chapter 11 at a Glance

This chapter looks at some of the social implications of peer technologies, and includes comments drawn from the experience and reflection of others.

Peer Community explores the social implications highlighted by p2p and relates some of the current commentary on these matters.

• Technology Acceptance is found to be a crucial factor in determining the success of a technology.

• In the Social Criteria of P2P, we take this analysis further by examining the different assumptions manifested in software as cultural expression.

• The Content Control Wars shows how diverging software cultures have come to be in conflict concerning control of digital content.

• The Legal Challenge outlines the current legislative mess surrounding copyright as applied to digital format usage.

• From the Micropayment Solution discussion, it seems clear that a micropayment infrastructure is the only viable way to effectively implement pay-for-use fees on digital content.

• Free and Legal provides a contrasting view, where digital content can both be free and be rewarding to the creators.

Visions of Sugarplum summarizes where we appear to stand in 2001/2002, after the fevered hype of the preceding years.