Photography 2.0: Photos on the Loose

Abstract

The distribution of digital information across the internet has taken many forms, and has effected some major cultural shifts. The downloading of MP3 music files through peer-to-peer sites has offered free access to music, decentralised the music distribution business, defied copyright regulation and transformed the music industry and — to a large extent — the social role of the musician. Yet music files are only one form of digital information coursing across the internet. Digital photographs are another; the status, impact and social significance of photographs have also altered with the advent of networking.