Uploading

Background: Uploading has converted individuals into producers rather than just consumers. Uploading allows individuals or groups to produce complex things with much less hierarchy and money than ever before. There are three main forms of uploading: Major distringuishing characteristics:
 * The community-developed software
 * Wikipedia: Community-uploaded Content
 * Blogging and Podcasting

 ·  The community-developed software- Community developed software is also known as “open source,” and is when companies or a collection of individuals provide online source code of software for free. This allows anyone to download the program for free, but it also allows for individuals to contribute to the code. The idea is derived from the fact that if everyone contributes to the code it will be vastly improved. These communities allow any of the contributors to use the code for commercial products as long as they give the community credit. The free software movement is an example of community-developed software, except it was created because the creators believed that software should be free and available to all, and it relies on open-source collaboration to help it produce the best software for free. Linux is an example of the free software movement that challenged Microsoft and some other global software companies. Apache is another example that was even used by IBM. IBM contributed to it by paying engineers to develop the code. Mozilla Firefox is a web browser that is a open source software. By many it is considered to be better than Microsoft Internet Explorer and it is free.  ·  Blogging- Another form of uploading which is basically an open-source newsroom on any topic. Blogging has allowed for individuals to compete against large media corporations like CBS or The New York Times. Blogs are online news sources with no barriers to enter. Individuals that had no connection to any media source were able to get Dan Rather fired through blogging. Even BBC has opened itself to bloggers because they asked viewers to send them images of the London underground bombings, and as a result they received 1,000 images and 20 videos. Bloggers also share audio and video files. Audio blogging is known as podcasting and YouTube is an example of video-sharing.  ·  Wikipedia “the People’s Encyclopedia”- Wikipedia is an open-source encyclopedia that allows anyone to edit its content and add new information. “Wikipedia works by consensus, with users adding and modifying content while trying to reach common ground along the way. While Wikpedia tries hard to provide unbiased and valid information it does not always have success overseeing thousands of different articles. “Your enemies can use it as a global poster board to smear your name if they want, and it can take time to rot out.” Ultimate significance:
 * “Uploading, by individuals or communities, is already a huge flattener. It is spreading because the flat-world platform that makes it possible is spreading and because uploading responds to a very deep human longing for individuals to participate and make their own voice heard.” Uploading allows individuals to enter industries that previously prevented the individual from competing because of the entry barriers. **