Structure of the Demoscene

The demoscene is a phenomenon in terms of management, and this certainly requires more research. It is characterized by no official structures and a weak hierarchy. Cultural production in the field of digital media has existed for several decades despite the lack of any registration in the courts and the possibility of generating revenue or obtaining grants. According to traditional economic approaches, the demoscene as a field of cultural production has no right to exist, because, as its participant rdx stipulates, “there is no central management (hierarchy), no hired experts, and no money involved (except for the ongoing delivery part).

The demoscene can be perceived as well-organized anarchy characterized by the fact that it produces a lot of valuable symbolic and social capital, in the form of new works and friendship networks respectively. Many sceners perceive friendship or a friendly attitude as the basis for its existence. Alone Coder claims that the scene ends where anarchy begins. The strategy of the existence of the demoscene is based on the rules of the “economics of free.” The term used by Chris Anderson in the book Free: The Future of a Radical Price (2009) lent itself to describing the great phenomena of modern digital life such as Wikipedia, which is based on the gift economy and community participation. And while Anderson's term could be used to understand the phenomenon of the demoscene, it should be remembered that it was used to describe later phenomena. Therefore, it can be said that the dictionary has not kept up with the reality which it is meant to describe. The words of the elite quoted in the previous chapter find further confirmation: “If people feel like they do things for a purpose, things happen and sometimes better than in centrally managed organizations” (rdx).

Russian scener Alone Coder does not exaggerate when he describes the phenomenon of the demoscene: