Central questions for this essay:
Do you agree or disagree with Astra Taylor’s ideas for reform of the existing internet? Based on your research, what proposals for reform of the internet are you making?
Detailed Description of Assignment
For this assignment, use Astra Taylor’s concluding manifesto, “In Defense of the Commons,” in The People’s Platform, for an analysis on the topic of reform of the existing internet. This paper will also develop into a discussion of your own thoughts on how the internet should or should not change. Begin by carefully reading and taking notes on her argument.
Taylor approaches the subject of internet reforms by way of a concept she calls “sustainable culture” (Taylor 214) a concept she derives from the ethical consumption and sustainable food movements; “sustainable culture” develops from the way she analyzes the significance of copyright and internet commercialization in her book as a whole. Here is a list of some of the main elements in her internet reform agenda
She calls for more regulation of the service providers and major platforms.
She calls for improved broadband provision, so that more people and communities have access to high-speed internet.
She wants the introduction of a kind of Glass–Steagall of new media, to force a separation of content creation from communication or distribution; this is an idea she adopts from Tim Wu (he calls it the “separations principle”).
She calls for the levying of a tax on the advertising industry.
She wants to pressure Silicon Valley to pay tax at higher rates.
She calls for more public spending on the ‘cultural commons’, the arts and public broadcasting
Elements of the essay
- Personal Preface: write a short preface to the essay (one paragraph) where you discuss what it was like to think about and do research on this topic.
- Body of the paper: this is the main section of the essay and it must be 4-5 full pages of written text.
- Works cited page: find at least two outside sources to include in this essay.
Introduction
This section of your essay must mention the author by name and the book and its manifesto by titles. You should provide an overview of your essay as a whole. You need a clear thesis where you indicate your agreement or disagreement with Taylor’s internet reforms. You also need to mention some of the things you will be advocating for in your conclusion.
Body of the Essay
Work with some of the elements in the above list of reforms proposed by Taylor. Explain what she is proposing while you quote Taylor’s text and go into some detail. You are aiming for a thorough reconstruction and analysis of the overall argument of the conclusion; you are also trying to respond to the work and present an independent perspective on the concluding text or concept of the work: the reform of the existing internet.
Conclusion of the Essay
First, do you agree with Astra Taylor’s ideas of reforms? Why do you agree with her? If you disagree, please explain what you think about the shortcomings of her proposals. You can also offer a nuanced perspective that might both agree and disagree with elements of her proposals for internet reforms. Second, you must propose some changes to the existing internet and defend them in this final part of the essay. If you propose no changes to the internet (its structure, regulation, and ownership), then you must discuss what works well about the existing internet and what should be preserved in it. The conclusion could be a place to include outside research.