Domination and Criticism in Online Collaborative Projects

Special Report: Activist Networking
By Mathieu O’Neil
English

Participants in online collaborative projects adopt a moral attitude as they strive to eliminate any form of exploitation and domination. In this light, under what conditions can they accept decisions, which, though necessary for sound administration, are restrictive? This article defines legitimate domination in these projects as a form of resistance to critique. In the field of knowledge, the individualizing and charismatic authority of the founders who know the project better than anyone withstands the critique of technocracy, of expertise from above. In the field of justice the collective and procedural authority of administrators who apply the decisions of the community withstands the critique of tyranny, of opaque deliberations and decisions. These critiques can be generalized, thus challenging the social order, but their effectiveness depends on what is known of the participants’ identity.

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