Validation, the User-created Environment, and Open Systems

Three Questions

  1. Both "Acid-Free Bits" and our Head Start HTML textbook encourage readers to validate code. How does validating code maximize the product's effectiveness and thus benefit both the users and the creator(s)?
  2. In "Digital Materiality: Preserving Access to Computers as Complete Environments," Kirschenbaum et al. echoes McLuhan when he claims that computers and even work spaces "function as extensions of self" because as we integrate them into our lives, they "become the site for managing multiple aspects of our lives" (111). Why do scholars find the user-created environment meaningful?
  3. One of the four principles for creating long-lasting digital work listed in "Acid-Free Bits" is "prefer open systems to closed systems." Why do open systems produce longer-lasting work than closed systems?

Response

"Why do open systems produce longer-lasting work than closed systems?"

An open system makes its work publicly available, while closed systems keep their work private. Both systems have their benefits: Open systems encourage innovative collaboration, while keeping work private can prevent intellectual theft ("plagiarism"). But the collaboration in open systems also encourages user participation and fosters a more personal relationship between the company and the customer.

Most importantly, user participation allows companies to maximize the effectiveness of their systems because users give constructive feedback: they make their specifications clear and point out problems during product development. Their feedback allows companies to provide more accurate solutions and thus best serve their customers. This is what Nick Montfort and Noah Wardrip-Fruin mean when they explain that open systems allow easier migration and emulation than closed systems.

Red Hat is an example of a company that uses the user feedback from its open forums to effectively serve its customers. The system has allowed the company to become the first to earn over a billion dollars this year via open source software . And Google is using community collaboration to increase Chrome's effectiveness and bolster Google's success by offering rewards to anyone who can hack its Chrome browser at the CanSecWest security conference next week. The Google Chrome Security Team even stated that the contest provides "a big learning opportunity" and ultimately enables them to better protect users by revealing bugs and providing information about hacking techniques.

References

Montfort, Nick, and Noak Dardrip-Fruin. "Acid-Free Bits: Recommendations for Long-Lasting Electronic Literature." The Electronic Literature Organization. 14 June 2004. Web. Accessed 28 February 2012.

Brodkin, Jon. "How Red Hat killed its core product—and became a billion-dollar business." Ars Technica. 2012. Web. Accessed 28 February 2012.

Vaas, Lisa. "Google offers $1 million in exploit rewards for Chrome hacks." Sophos Ltd. 28 February 2012. Web. Accessed 28 February 2012.