A Critique of Popular Political Economies of Knowledge in Cyberspace, An Alternative Political Economy of Cyberspace Knowledge, and A Demonstration of the Applicability of the Alternative to Study of Free/Libre and Open Source Software in the Malay World

The general social science issue addressed by this article is whether social formations change very much as they take on the characteristics popularly associated with “cyberspace”—that is, as their reproduction is heavily mediated by automated information and communication technologies (AICTs). It also inquires as to the extent to which the changes associated with cyberspace are a consequence of changes in knowledge. The article begins with an extended critique of influential scholarly ideas about the relationship between AICTs, knowledge and social formation reproduction, dem onstrating how they all share a capital theory of value masquerading as a knowledge theory of value. An alternative, “real” knowledge theory of value is developed and argued for in relation to potential changes in reproduction dynamics that can be connected to AICTs. Finally, the alternative is evaluated in relation to the author’s current research, on advocacy for and development of Free/Libre and Open Source Software, in the Malay World and more generally. The ultimate aim of the theory developed is to help make studies of AICTs’ cultural correlates more comparative.

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