Why/how information?

My research question, again, is: To what extent do DIY online communities offer a viable alternative to ‘capital’ exchange of services/goods/information?

To answer the question of what difference an information perspective makes, it may be most simple to try to frame question outside this field.  From a strictly political economy perspective, my question could be answered by 1) a theoretical reading informed first by Marx and moving progressively through history to current critical ‘capital’ studies, and/or 2) by an economic measuring of displacement/loss of capital exchange by DIY online activity (i.e. $$ of capital displaced by online knitting communities in manufactured clothing purchased).  In other words, measuring dollars and cents and extrapolating accordingly.

Within the information field, a new set of derivative questions is possible.  Does the infrastructure of DIY communities impact their ability to operate outside ‘capital’ exchange (i.e. if the community is on facebook, are they opening a new kind of capital activity whilst forgoing another)?  Does engagement in online space create ‘work’ and if not, what produces capital (i.e. ads on facebook – are we outputting labour for our use of the service?  If not, what)?  Is there a net loss/gain in labour market activity due to the presence of online networks? 

These questions are inchoate and will be explored over this semester!