[Sharing is a challenge] #6 The naivety we need to outgrow by Dorothy Laubscher

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This is the title of our series of blog posts: ‘Sharing is a challenge’. It may seem easy, but in reality, it is not for everyone. Dorothy Laubscher explains here that viewing sharing as something simple can be naive.

After listing the difficulties that those who share may face, Dorothy offers key ideas for adopting a ‘less naive approach’ to sharing, including viewing sharing as a ‘collective responsibility’ or ‘normalising reciprocity’. With this in mind, Dorothy is optimistic: ‘the trend can change’.

And to contribute to changing this trend, let’s follow Dorothy’s invitation: ‘If you’ve been a silent downloader, become a visible participant’.

The naivety we need to outgrow by Dorothy Laubscher

Must one be naive to share? That is the initial question that motivates the contribution of Dorothy Laubscher, from North-West University in South Africa. Her field experience in South Africa is put to good use: it is far away… and yet universal. And also, a beautiful enthusiasm that brings hope.

Read the article:

This article nicely summarises our series of articles. Many of the issues raised here by Dorothy are explored in greater depth in other articles, either already published or forthcoming.

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I have to share Dorothy’s optimism, for as Churchill said (I think) there’'s not much use in being anything else.

But I do question the label that someone is naive about sharing, to me it sounds like placing responsibility on them; by connotation in stories, naive characters are rather pitiful. It seems to more more that people not ready to share are unaward of all the issues Dorothy outlined or also, inexperienced in the acts.

I draw upon experience I had quite some time ago teaching classes in web based media creation and remixing. I would make the impassioned case for using Creative Commons licensed materials for both use and their own sharing. Students would mildly nod along because Teacher Was Declaring This Was a a Good Thing.

So I changed my approach with an activity where they could experience sharing and attributing. Now I am fuzzy on it, but ti was something like they all submitted 5 images/photos that had created/made to a common pool, and the assignment was to use someone else’s media to make a story. When they wrote up their projects, while it was not required, a good number gave redit to their classmates-- because they knew them. And then they could experience that positive experience oif seeing their media used in someone else’s work.

I found that it was better after that kind of experience to talk about licenses and attribution. Otherwise, it was me lecturing what was the right thing to do.

It was also more important in my classes for students to narrate their creation process, the drafts as Dorothy suggest, describe where their idea came from, what influenced it, how they made it. We focus on the end product a bit much.

I very much appreciate Dorothy’s drawing attention to awareness of challenges of connectivity, file forms, etc. And quite often one of the best formats to consider is old fashioned printed on paper.

Lack of awareness can be diminished, it’s what we do.

Thank you @erwan_louerat for making the call to be a visible participant here. Showing up, event to click a like button, is one way.