For as long as I have had a digital presence more often than not when I think what it is about I think about responsibility. Responsibility in terms of my content — the quality of the content I generate, the quantity of my contributions, and where I disseminate. Responsibility towards others — whose content I re-share, how I re-share it, where I re-share it, how I start, conduct, and end (if) conversations. And last but not least is responsibility towards myself —  protecting my private information, making sure I copyleft my work, weeding the Google garden if possible.

Truthfully though, I actually think the life digital is based less on citizenship and more on anarchism (in my case maybe a “responsible” anarchism 🙂 ). Is the Internet not a bunch of “self-governed societies based on voluntary institutions”? For some reason the idea of the Internet as civil state sounds more threatening to me than “law and freedom without force.” I also don’t think it’s a provocative idea. Most of the enduring communities on the internet are self-organized and self-governed. The two biggest ones that come right of the top of my head are Deviant art and Etsy. Both started as an alternative spaces to the “traditional” art gallery establishments by people who often were marginalized as crafts people and not art people. Both have evolved and succeeded beyond just passionate sharing of work. For many being a part of these communities is a way of making a living as well. I guess what I am maybe trying to say in this ranty way is that digital citizenship also involves being a passionate person, open to a collectivist environment, generous in supporting others and a bit of a rebel.