From ‘Big Tech’ to ‘Small Tech’: Values, Norm-Building, and Open-Source

This discussion on “From ‘Big Tech’ to ‘Small Tech’: Values, Norm-Building, and Open-Source” is part of the discussion series “Exploring Platform Alternatives: Shaping a Responsible Future”. It will be held online-only via Zoom and in English language. If you would like to participate, please register using the form at the bottom of the page.

Discussion
From ‘Big Tech’ to ‘Small Tech’: Values, Norm-Building, and Open-Source
Thursday, 12 October 2023 | 5 pm – 6 pm (CET)
Christina Dinar, Martin Kenney & Alina Kontareva

Online platforms are shaping various aspects of our social, political, and economic lives and have become not only integral to our daily routines but also ignited critical discussions. As the focus shifts towards making platforms more socially responsible and accountable, we find ourselves at the crossroads of innovation and responsibility. 

In our first discussion, Christina Dinar and Martin Kenney will open up a conversation about platform alternatives to global monopolists and discuss how open-source could be used as a competitive strategy.

About the discussion series “Exploring Platform Alternatives: Shaping a Responsible Future”

“Exploring Platform Alternatives” is a discussion series that intends to bring together scholars and practitioners who explore the potential of platform alternatives and the multitude of dimensions they encompass. We will address a range of questions: What exactly do we mean by “platform alternatives,” and what do these alternatives aim to replace or improve? Who holds the reins for steering the transition towards “platform alternatives”? What roles do the state, corporations, and society play? What novel ways of thinking and understanding must we adopt to grasp the essence of firms and organizations in today’s dynamic landscape? How can innovation be reimagined and channeled through alternative platforms? With these questions in mind, we seek to contribute to the conversation that aims to reshape the platform economy.

This event is part of the INCA project.

Speakers

Christina Dinar is a Junior Researcher for Platform Governance at Leibniz Institut for Media Research|Hans Bredow Institut and specializes in community-involved content moderation practices and user participation perspectives. She will present the outcomes of her research project on small platforms and user courts.

Martin Kenney is a Distinguished Professor of Community and Regional Development at the University of California, Davis, and a Senior Project Director at the Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy. Martin’s scholarly interests are in the interplay between technology, academic institutions, finance, and competition in capitalist economies and how these dynamics affect people and places. Martin has written extensively on platform economy, platform entrepreneurship, and competition.

Moderator

Alina Kontareva will be moderating the discussion. She is a senior researcher in the Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Society research group at the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) and co-lead of the INCA research project at HIIG. Alina’s research focuses on online platforms and particularly on national platform alternatives, their competitive strategies, and the role of the state in competition and innovation.

Bookings

To participate in the event, please register using the form below. You will receive the login details on the day of the event.

Bookings