Transparency
= considered as form of Openness
Transparency in P2P - Introduction
Transparency leads to innumerable positive outcomes in peer-to-peer systems. In much of todays fast paced world the default position is to close access to the outside, and to hide information from those who don't need it. In a P2P Network these behaviors can lead to a complete breakdown in trust and collaboration. Transparency leads a network of peers towards a wider understanding of the goals of individuals in the network, and aids each individual in taking actions that are useful to the creation and maintenance of the network commons. In some very rare cases privacy is important, but by and large the rule is openness and transparency.
Description
West and O’Mahony:
“Transparency meant that the code was publicly available, that most of the software production process was discussed on public mailing lists or discussion boards, and that the software release cycle and goals were also provided on the community website.”
“The second type of openness sponsors considered when designing a sponsored community was the degree of accessibility — the amount of control sponsors would relinquish to the community. An accessible community not only provides visibility, but allows some outsiders to gain access to either the project’s code repository, community planning processes, or strategic decision-making.” (http://www.joelwest.org/Papers/WestOMahony2008-WP.pdf)
Transparency in a P2P Politics
Transparency as a concept covers a broad range of disclosure. When applied to a P2P Politics concept there are a number of immediately relevant implications. Because most P2P networks rely on disclosure of personal efforts within a network, we already have a form of transparency of interest. This means that we are working with an assumption of transparency that is potentially non-obvious to participants as a peer network becomes political.