Week 4 Reading Guide

Tuesday: From the Tragedy of the Commons to the Comedy of the Commons

David Bollier, “Introduction,” in Viral Spiral: How the Commoners Built a New Republic of Their Own (New York: W.W. Norton, 2008), p. 1-20.

1. What is "free culture"? What is the "viral spiral"?
2. What is a "commons"? What is the relationship between a "commons" and other terms like "social production," the "wisdom of the crowds," and "crowdsourcing"? How does copyright law undermine or threaten the commons?
3. How does the idea of the "Creative Commons" problematize the romantic notion of a "genius" author? How does the idea of "remix" similarly complicate our understandings of authorship and ownership?

Thursday: Situating Ourselves to Improve the Commons

Keith & Lundberg, “Rhetoric and the Audience” and “Situations and Speech Types,” p. 11-32.

1. Identify the basic components of the "sender-receiver" model of communication (on p. 11). What are the two audience-centered characteristics that distinguish this model of communication from rhetoric?
2. Are audiences made or found? What is the second persona?
3. What are unique characteristics of "publics"? What is a public sphere?
4. What are elements that rhetors might consider in adapting their address to a public?
5. What are come ethical principles that rhetors ought to use when addressing publics?