What does “sharing” mean in the context of internet culture?
central part of online interaction — how users connect, exchange information, and build communities.
Posting a meme, retweeting a news story, or uploading a YouTube video
Sharing vs Renting, Selling, Trading
Sharing: giving or letting someone use something, not for money (ex: lending a soccer ball).
Renting: pay to use something (apartment, DVD).
Selling: exchange for money, permanent.
Trading: exchange one good/service for another.
Sometimes the line blurs (e.g., car-sharing = basically renting but called sharing to sound friendly).
What does John argue caused the rise of “sharing” online?
It wasn’t technology itself but cultural and ideological framing that made “sharing” a valued concept in Internet culture.
sharing and the Internet are naturally linked is a social construction, not a technological inevitability.
How did hacker culture influence the idea of sharing online?
Hacker communities emphasized time-sharing systems, file-sharing, and open exchange of information, promoting collaboration and openness.
What is “Zuckerberg’s Law”?
The idea that people will share twice as much information online every year.
Facebook users went from posting text updates to sharing photos, videos, and live streams, increasing personal data visibility.
Three Rhetorical Trends
Fuzzy Objects
“Sharing” refers to both tangible and intangible things.
Tangible: files, photos, links
Intangible: feelings, experiences, worldviews
→ Blurs the line between information exchange and emotional connection.
Three Rhetorical Trends
“Share” with No Object
Platforms encourage users to simply “Share” without specifying what is being shared.
→ Suggests sharing is inherently good, regardless of content.
The Facebook “Share” button normalizes the act itself as positive.
Three Rhetorical Trends
New Contexts
“Sharing” expanded beyond technology into everyday life, identity, and relationships.
→ Sharing becomes a way of expressing care, belonging, and authenticity.
“I’m sharing my story” connects emotional openness with digital participation.
How has the meaning of “sharing” expanded according to Nicholas John?
It now extends beyond tech to include identity, emotions, and social relationships.
What does Nicholas John mean by “wasn’t sharing, now it is”?
Many online actions (posting, writing, messaging, creating) are now framed as sharing, even though they weren’t originally described that way.
What does Nicholas John mean by the mystification of sharing?
Social media platforms mystify (hide) their commercial motives by using the language of “sharing.”
What are José van Dijck’s two meanings of sharing?
Connectivity: Sharing posts, photos, or updates on Instagram or TikTok — promoted by the platform’s design.
Connectedness: The genuine emotional exchange between friends, like sending a private message to check in.
Liking a friend’s post (connectivity) vs. calling them to talk about their post (connectedness).
What are Nicholas John’s three kinds of sharing?
- Communication: Sharing stories, memes, or thoughts with friends.
→ Example: Posting a birthday message on someone’s wall. - Constitutive Activity: Sharing defines what it means to “use” social media.
→ Example: On Instagram, if you’re not posting or sharing, you’re seen as inactive. - Economic Model: Sharing user data fuels profit through advertising.
→ Example: When TikTok uses your engagement data to target ads.
What did “sharing economy” originally mean according to Lawrence Lessig (2008)?
It referred to non-monetary, collaborative projects built through community effort rather than profit.
Wikipedia and Linux rely on volunteers who contribute knowledge and code without payment.
How does Nicholas John describe the modern “sharing economy”?
many so-called sharing economy companies misuse the term “sharing” to sound ethical or social while actually engaging in renting or short-term labor markets — a practice known as sharewashing.
Airbnb calls itself a “sharing” platform, but it’s really a system for renting out property for profit.
key questions do Schor & Attwood-Charles raise about the “sharing economy”?
They ask if these platforms:
- Fairly compensate workers
- Increase housing shortages
- Shift risk onto workers
- Reinforce inequalities
Uber drivers are often classified as independent contractors, losing access to benefits like health insurance or job protection.
How do companies positively frame the “sharing economy”?
They claim it uses idle resources, boosts efficiency, creates income, helps the environment, and builds trust between users.
Airbnb promotes renting unused rooms as an eco-friendly way to “meet people” and “share your space.”
What are the main criticisms of the “sharing economy” model?
It often leads to labour exploitation, surveillance, and power imbalance, while shifting risk and costs to workers and eroding labour protections.
Uber drivers cover all expenses (gas, repairs) but receive no benefits since they’re labeled “independent contractors.”
How does race affect earnings and treatment on sharing economy platforms?
Black hosts or African-American users often earn less, face penalties, and experience longer wait times or ride cancellations.
A Black Airbnb host receives a lower nightly rate than a non-Black host for a similar listing.
How do sharing economy platforms reinforce class-based inequalities?
Low-income users have less access to desirable homes or vehicles, while middle-income users often supplement income and displace traditional lower-education jobs.
A middle-income driver with a well-maintained car can earn more on Uber than a lower-income neighbor with an older car.
Modern Sharing Economy Issues
- Control Over Workers:
Apps monitor workers and can punish them for bad metrics.
Workers can be deactivated with no chance to appeal. - Asymmetrical Power:
Companies see all data; workers don’t know why they’re penalized. - Externalized Costs:
Workers pay for gas, maintenance, phone, insurance — often making less than they think. - Lack of Worker Protections:
Treated as “independent contractors,” so no EI, benefits, or job security.
