5. The Social Environment

Every society, whether modern or traditional, technical or physical, has a social environment. This chapter links the arcane role of society to modern technology. It presents Enron and the credit meltdown as social environment errors at the information level. In the following, bear in mind that a social system is always people interacting with people, regardless of the base architecture. Social implementations tried in the physical world, like communism or capitalism, can be tried online, and those tried online can be applied offline, as the Arab spring illustrates.                    Next

5.1 Homo Economicus

5.2 Homo Sociologicus

5.3 The Prisoner’s Dilemma

5.4 The Tragedy of the Commons

5.5 Social Synergy

5.6 Social Defection

5.7 Social Dilemmas are Common

5.8 The Zero-sum Barrier

5.9 The Social Environment

5.10 Social Order

5.11 Social Hijack

5.12 Social Inventions

5.13 Social Health

5.14 Communism and Capitalism

5.15 Social Inflation

5.16 Higher Social Levels

5.17 The Golden Rule

5.18 Free-Giving

5.19 Profit and the Internet

5.20 Beyond Profit

Chapter 5. Key Terms

Chapter 5. Discussion Questions

Chapter 5. References