LOOKING INTO THE GIFT HORSE'S MOUTH

What makes a successful social netwroking site? If the interface is unproblematic and user-friendly the main selling point is the number of users, so ultimately users of specific networking applications congregate together, as they have done on Facebook and MySpace. Time and again we see that, in information and communication technologies, monopolies are often inevitable, even desirable - computers are frustrating enough without having to try ten different search sites, we are glad that Google is often good enough, and we are grateful for the convenience of the software compatibity that ubiquitous operating systems and applications allow.

But is it right that any private individual or corporation should own such a resource? This is why all web-services offering access to information should be collectively owned co-operative services based on open-source technology - developed by the people, for the people and owned by the people. They are not just another commodity to be exploited by fatcats, they are an extension of human consciousness, and this needs to be understood and recognised in international law.

GLOBALISE OWNERSHIP OF THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION

In addition to the obscene discrepancies in wealth that these inevitable monopolies perpetuate there is the question of who holds the data that is collected and how it is used and by whom - individuals are increasingly losing control over the data that is collected about them, they realise that they are doing this, but have no alternative if they want to use many of the emergent information and communication technologies. They are reluctantly prepared to sacrifice control of their personal data in order to keep in touch with their friends and contribute to the global meta-conversation. It is essential that we explore means to return an individual's control over their personal data, I am sure that technological alternatives can be found that would not compromise the functionality of the applications from the perspective of the end-user. We can phone any other phone in the world from our telephone, we can post a letter anywhere in the world from a postbox - if Facebook, for example, were to approach this level of saturation, it would be very worrying that so much data was held by a single privately owned business. We need to find ways to restore control of the data to the users, remembering that the data and the applications are discrete, while still ensuring standards and protocols are homogenised to maximise interoperability.

THEY WANT TO OWN MY INFORMATION AND USE IT AS A COMMODITY

AT THE END OF TIME ALL INTELLECTUIAL PROPERTY WILL BE THEFT

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