DAO & DIGITAL SOCIALISM contd.

DIGITAL SOCIALISM??contd.

?The historical context of Feudalism & Digital Neo-Feudalism:

?Feudalism is a system of social organization in which land is owned by a small number of people, called lords, who grant it to others, called vassals, in exchange for services, typically military service. Vassals may then sub-grant land to their own vassals, and so on, creating a hierarchy of landholding. It was basically the interplay of protectionism and the exercise of authority. Whereas digital neo-feudalism is the interplay of forced participation to garner services.

?Feudalism developed in Europe during the Middle Ages, as a way of organizing society after the fall of the Roman Empire. It was a way of providing for the defense of the realm, as well as a way of ensuring that the land was worked and that taxes were collected.

?Feudalism was based on the idea of mutual obligation. Lords owed their vassals protection and support, while vassals owed their lords loyalty and service. This system worked well for a time, but it eventually broke down as the power of the lords became too great and the peasants became too poor and oppressed.

?Historians define the stages of feudalism in a variety of ways, but there are some general trends that can be observed. The first stage of feudalism is typically characterized by the breakdown of centralized authority and the rise of local lords. These lords would provide protection and military service to their followers in exchange for land and other resources. The second stage of feudalism is marked by the development of a more complex social hierarchy, with the nobility at the top and the peasants at the bottom. The third stage of feudalism is characterized by the growth of trade and commerce, which leads to a more urbanized society. The fourth and final stage of feudalism is marked by the decline of the feudal system and the rise of new forms of government.

?Here is a more detailed look at each stage of feudalism:

Early Feudalism

Early feudalism is typically dated from the 5th to the 9th centuries. During this time, the Roman Empire had collapsed and there was a great deal of political instability in Europe. As a result, local lords began to assert their power and establish their own domains. These lords would provide protection and military service to their followers in exchange for land and other resources.

High Feudalism

High feudalism is typically dated from the 10th to the 13th centuries. During this time, the feudal system became more formalized and complex. The nobility at the top of the social hierarchy was granted land and titles by the king, and they in turn granted land and titles to their followers. This system of landholding and service created a network of obligations and loyalties that helped to keep society stable.

Late Feudalism

Late feudalism is typically dated from the 14th to the 16th centuries. During this time, the feudal system began to decline. The growth of trade and commerce led to a more urbanized society, and the rise of new forms of government, such as the nation-state, challenged the power of the nobility. As a result, the feudal system gradually broke down and was replaced by new forms of social and political organization.

?Here are some examples of feudalism:

·????????The system of landholding in medieval Europe was feudal.

·????????The Japanese feudal system was based on the relationship between the shogun (military leader) and the daimyo (feudal lords).

·????????The Ethiopian feudal system was based on the relationship between the emperor and the nobility.

·????????The relationship between employers and employees in some industries can be seen as feudal, with employers having a great deal of power over their employees.

?It is important to note that these are just general trends, and the specific details of feudalism varied from place to place. In some regions, feudalism lasted for centuries; in others, it was a relatively short-lived phenomenon. Nevertheless, feudalism played an important role in the development of European society, and its legacy can still be seen today.

Feudalism is still seen in some parts of the world today, such as Japan and Ethiopia. It is also seen in some aspects of modern society, such as the relationship between employers and employees.

?The 4 levels of feudalism are as follows:

Monarchs.

Nobles.

Knights.

Peasants/Serf.

?End of Feudalism

The Black Death left in its wake a period of defiance and turmoil between the upper classes and the peasantry.?The dispute regarding wages led to the peasants' triumph over the manorial economic system and ultimately ended in the breakdown of feudalism in England. It thus got substituted by Capitalism.

Digital neo-feudalism is a term used to describe the emerging social and economic order in which access to technology is increasingly stratified, with a small number of wealthy and powerful individuals and groups controlling the vast majority of resources. This trend is being driven by a number of factors, including the rise of big data, the increasing concentration of power in the tech industry, and the growing importance of digital technologies in all aspects of our lives.

The digital illustration of different tiers in technology can be used to visualize this emerging social and economic order. The illustrations can help us to understand how access to technology is being used to create and maintain social and economic inequality. They can also help us to think about how we can challenge this trend and build a more equitable and just society.

Here are some examples and illustrations of different tiers in technology:

• An illustration of a pyramid, with the top tier representing the wealthy and powerful, the middle tier representing the middle class, and the bottom tier representing the poor and working class.
• An illustration of a network, with the nodes representing different individuals or groups, and the connections between nodes representing the flow of information and power.
• An illustration of a map, with different areas representing different levels of access to technology.
• An illustration of a timeline, with different points in time representing different technological developments.
• An illustration of a person, with different parts of their body representing different aspects of their digital identity.

?These writers and their illustrative books highlighted the feudal trends in technology.

• The New Digital Feudalism: Who Owns the Data, and How to Take It Back?by Shoshana Zuboff
• The Stack: The Deep History of the Internet?by Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams
• The Internet of Ownership: How to Take Back Control of Your Data?by Cory Doctorow
• The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads?by Tim Wu
• The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You?by Eli Pariser

?Digital neo-feudalism is a participative servitude where our participation is forced so that we can get the services. Participation creates big data. This is the economic indicator of digital neo-feudalism – control over personal DATA.

?The levels of servitude are:

Platform creator

Service provider (may be same or different)

Subscriber/User or shopper of commodity/ information/ knowledge/ power/ economic gains.

Payment provider.

Data storage providers

Data protection providers

Digital neo-feudalism is a term used to describe the way in which some technology companies can exert a great deal of control over their users. This is because they own the data that users generate, and they can use this data to target users with advertising or to manipulate their behavior.

?Some people argue that digital neo-feudalism is a threat to democracy, as it allows technology companies to influence public opinion and elections. Others argue that digital feudalism is simply a new form of capitalism and that it has the potential to benefit society in many ways.

?Will WEB 3 be able to break these powers in alignment with the decentralization forces? Only time will tell how digital neo-feudalism will develop. However, it is important to be aware of the potential dangers of this new form of power and to take steps to protect our privacy and our freedom.

?In the brave new world of today, we experience the same traits which we can safely define as Digital Neo-Feudalism. It is very easy to say that the era of digital neo-feudalism met its nadir in the wake of the global economic collapse in 2008. There has been a phenomenal growth of Digital Capitalism. But we are still in the transition, where digital neo-feudalism is transforming itself into digital capitalism.

?

To be continued.