MIT Media Lab December, 2005 Carrierless Communications
Open Source Open CommsOpen Knowledge Linux Wiki Skype Open Organization
Open Source Open CommsOpen Knowledge Linux Wiki Skype Open Organization
Scalable Incremental Contributory Viral Innovation Viral systems are innovative through modularity and distribution of capability -- the intelligence is at the ends e.g.: Internet, (fax machines)
Viral Growth Viral radio is scalable, incremental, and value-adding. Intelligence is at the edges, costs are low, systems are agile.
Spreadsheet: More users => more applications Napster: More users => more music Skype: More users => bigger exchange Viral Examples
Education: The learners are the innovators, infrastructure makes the system rigid Communications: The intelligence is now in the phones, will the carriers be marginalized? Healthcare: Patients as a group already are more up-to-date than their physician; the average psychologist reads no more than one journal per month Viral Possibilities
Cells Without Towers How far can we go with no infrastructure?
Past Mesh Inherent Broadcast Access M3M3 M2M2 M4M4 M1M1 R2R2 R3R3 R1R1 ? !
Propagation The world is not free space
Cooperative Propagation Access M3M3 M2M2 M4M4 M1M1 R2R2 ?
Digital Radio = Intelligent Radio Interference is a legal idea, not a physical one More radios means more communications, not less More radios mean less power, not more Buildings and barriers help, rather than hurt Transmitting costs less than receiving Function costs is near-zero Digital radio reverses 85 years of engineering
Viral Growth Viral radio is scalable, incremental, and value-adding. Intelligence is at the edges, costs are low, systems are agile.
Radio Magic
Podcasting
2004: Peers Protocol 2005: Expat TV Lippman, Reed, Bletsas, Christakos, Vyzovitis, Cooley, Li Vid-Torrent
Same Things Better vs Utterly New Being Digital (1995) HDTV Digital Broadcast DBS TiVo Scalable Video Metadata Open Arch breeds changes
Being Wireless (2002) PCS Satellite Radio M2M Open Services P2P Pentland, Maes Same Things Better vs Utterly New
Being Viral (2005) Centralized Vertical (Rigid) Slow Scalable Incremental Value-adding Transparent Same Things Better vs Utterly New
Legitimate: Economic Centralized (Scalable) Viral: Innovative Low risk Agility Charles Fine, 2001 Going Legitimate
The magic is when technology is in sync with society Going Legitimate Viral: Innovative Low risk Agility When? Base Techs Legitimate: Economic Centralized (Scalable)
Licensed v Unlicensed Golf courses rather than beachfront Favors property owner over license holder Comes online quickly Grows organically We could do it right!
Growth of the Tail Number of programs Number of Viewers HBO Food Echo Nest
Skype Peer-to-peer VoIP application First released October 2003 7 million users after one year, 25 million today IM, Conferencing, voic , etc Open API; viral operation Skype-out, 2004; Skype-in, 2005, … $2.5/4.1 Billion acquisition by Ebay (9/05) X 50 Viral, but closed
Wiki Contributory encyclopedia, Jimmy Wales, K articles in English, 2.3million globally 180 languages, 75 with > 1000 entries Wiktionary, news, etc. Hierarchical yet open non-profit
Wiki updates
Mashups Kosher Food in Boston NYTimes Oct 21, 2005
Looking deeper Open Hardware