Module 5

Ecology of Information:

Ecology, or ecological science, is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and how the distribution and abundance are affected by interactions between the organisms and their environment. The environment of an organism includes both physical properties, which can be described as the sum of local abiotic factors such as solar insolation, climate and geology, as well as the other organisms that share its habitat
The two elements that seem to be important in describing an ecology are the behavior of a body within its environment and the influence or interaction it has on its external environment.

Behavior: The internet has evolved from a technological tool to communicate between academics into a huge interrelated network of computers that create the framework or environment in which other components i.e. software can be developed and distributed anywhere within the internet. The internal environment it has created has led to the development of the World Wide Web and other applications for any purpose or utility that we can think of (e.g. education, commercial profit, scientific research, leisure, astronomy etc.).

The other additional component that the internet incorporates is the user who, when “connected” to the functions of the internet, becomes part of its operation and influence. The user of the internet is not an identity in him/ herself but any individual, who at any time, interacts with the internet and flow of information within it.

Interaction: The second element of an ecology is its effect on the external environment in which it exists (its habitat). The internet exists in a society that thrives on accumulating and controlling information. There is almost a symbiotic relationship between the internet and society; the internet relies on the flow of information to sustain its existence and enable it to grow and we use the internet to maintain our society and make it grow.

In this broader definition of hardware and software and people then the internet has some of the characteristics of an organism that acts and reacts to the flow of information and communication between its different parts. The influence of the internet on the social and ethical behavior on its external environment is the issue debated by (Capurro, R.) who views information technology as an opportunity to change the inadequacies of society pre-information technology. The suggestion that society should reassess its motives for controlling the access of information to promote a greater balance of information flow, cultural diversity, moral values and share of wealth is a strong indication that the internet has a major influence on its external environment.

Reflection: When I connect to the internet, am I part of the internet’s external or internal environment? I used to think that the distance between the keyboard and me was the separation line. However, when my wife used “Facebook” recently I noticed that at the bottom of the screen that the counter said that over 10 million people were using that program at the same time she was. The participation and influence of that user community on the internet would not be regarded as part of the external environment but part of the internet.

This has changed my awareness of the society that exists at any given time within the internet environment and appreciate the potential influence it has on its external world.

How are the concepts ‘information’ and ‘communication’ understood within the framework of an ‘information ecology’?


The ecosystem concept:
A central principle of ecology is that each living organism has an ongoing and continual relationship with every other element that makes up its environment. The sum total of interacting living organisms (the biocoenosis) and their non-living environment (the biotope) in an area is termed an ecosystem. Studies of ecosystems usually focus on the movement of energy and matter through the system.

From the free encyclopedia Retrieved from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecology, August 26th, 2008.

If we consider the aspect of relationships between elements within an ecology and note that the interaction between the elements focus on the “movement of energy and matter through the system” (Wikipedia) then we can associate the central elements in the information ecology of information and communication creating a synergy that is greater than there individual value. (Stadler) states that the elements of communication and information are interdependent: communication is the process which connects the pathways to carry the data. The interaction of this data with different bits of data and as it travels through the internet it is enriched through its combining with otherwise meaningless bits of data. The result of the combination between communication and information is the information ecology.

Why don’t we talk of a ‘communication ecology’?

The concept of a ‘communication ecology’ isn’t refuted as a concept but it would be superfluous to try and describe communication to the exclusion of knowledge when the two elements are combined to create information.

Aren’t we talking about the characteristics and dynamics of information? Using the internet as an example, communication technology exists to transmit data and the product, which is information, exists because of its ability to be channeled through communication technology. The particular outcome of this process requires the input of communication and data combining to produce information. This is the sum total of the interacting organisms within their ecosystem.

Stadler, Felix “information Technology” A position paper (version 1.0) McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology, FIS, UofT, 1997.