Initial thoughts about existence in the Web Philoweb 2011 Thessaloniki, 5/10/2011 Michalis Vafopoulos vafopoulos.org

Preface Web needs science & philosophy Science should “pay back” the Web This Not a philosopher’s approach 2

Main issues Discussing existence in the Web through a simple framework more complex reality Web-centric abstractions Linking, virtualization networks, URI (work in progress, few things fixed, comments are welcome) 3

Outline ① The easy part: criticism ② The hard part: build concepts & models ③ The Being-Query framework: network inside! ④ Introducing the Web: Web Beings ⑤ The Being – Query framework expanded ⑥ How can this framework be useful? – Understand & compare diverse models – Expand existing & create new concepts – Initiate interesting questions 4

The easy part: criticism “Web … resource” economic and ecological connotations –h–human, natural, renewable etc. –l–land, labor, and capital –1–12 appearances in Economics classification (JEL) –h– not a single word about Internet or Web thing” Not descriptive, too general, multiple meanings 5

The hard part: build concepts Step 1: definition & assumptions A Being exists if and only if there is a communication channel linking to it. (possible update based on HH) A Query is the phrasing of a question by a Being, usually in terms of a code. The questions are messages expressed as sequences of symbols in the query language. Beings have Queries that address them to other Beings. up to now: an abstract model that could be described by a weighted network of Beings (not very useful!) 6

… and models Step 2: building the framework Users, are Beings that can “consciously” form Queries. Queries are organized in Topics (tractable and processable). 7 Topics Querie s Querie s Users Users Beings Beings

The Being-Query framework: network inside! A quad network: contraction of 4 interconnected networks 8 Querie s Querie s Beings Beings Topics Users Users

Introducing the Web: Web Beings Beings that can be communicated through the Web. URI: The minimal description of invariant elements in communication through the Web. Directly connected to existence (birth, access, navigate, edit & death of a Web being) Other characteristics of Web beings may change in time. A change in URI means the death of existing & birth of a new WB. 9

The Being – Query framework expanded “Teleportation”, Search Engines, relevance feedback, … Search Engine: get as inputs Queries and produce collections of Web beings 10 Topics Queries Queries Web Queries Users Users Web Users Beings Beings Web Beings “teleportation” Search engine

How can this framework be useful? Networks facilitate understanding, measuring, modeling, comparing, deciding & forming policy when connections matter and today matter more than ever… A.Understand & compare existing models B. Expand existing & create new concepts C. Initiate interesting questions 11

A. Understand & compare existing models ① Computer science [e.g. User models, TF (single: Web) ] ② Network science [e.g. Barabasi (single: Web) ] ③ Economic modeling (e.g.) – Stegeman (dual: Users-Web) – Papadimitriou et al (triad: Users-Queries, Topics, Web) – Katona-Sarvary (triad: Navigators-Users, Editors-Web, Topics) – Not yet published (quad-network models) Possible extensions in DSS, ERP, Bus. Intelligence 12

B. Expand existing & create new concepts Existing: e.g. Digital economy, ICT4D, internet of things,… New: e.g. Web goods Web beings with economic value Web Users Web economy 13

Web Users and economy 14

C. Initiate interesting questions Incorporates directly the relation and co- evolution between online and physical world What is the quality & quantity of this relation? Rethink influential concepts under the proposed framework: Embodiment, artifactualization, network individualism, privatised spaces and peer production. 15

Thank you! ? Michalis Vafopoulos vafopoulos.org 16

Supplement 17

Web Science Subject Categorization 18 A.General B.Web History and Methodology C.Web Technologies D.Web Analysis E.Web Society

Web economy 19

Web users 20