Date archives "October 2006"

Lawrence Lessig on true vs. fake sharing: how P2P is Web 2.0?

Very interesting post by Lawrence Lessig, which highlight another dimension than the monopoly of corporate monetization that many of these participatory websites are based on. So we are arriving at a more fuller P2P critique of the Web 2.0 sites, which has five elements. (are we forgetting something?, please do let us know!): – where… Continue reading

The Top 10 Categories at the P2P Foundation wiki … and the winner is …

I compiled a list of visitor numbers from the topical and resource categories (that excludes the general introductory material in the left column, as well as country and language pages, and individual entries). The most popular tool is the Encyclopedia, however, thanks the really extraordinary efforts by Valentin Spirik, and this after only just a… Continue reading

Kevin Carson defends the LETS menace

In a recent vigorous debate with a corporate libertarian, Kevin Carson has some eloquent paragraphs defending the importance of local exchange trading systems: “LETS systems and other alternative currencies are an instrument of individual freedom, a tool for economic independence from the unholy alliance of the centralized state and the centralized corporate economy. Things like… Continue reading

Book of the Week: Unbounded Freedom, by Rosemary Bechler

Counterpoint, an organization formed by the British Council and partners, has published an important new book and report, on how Creative Commons culture is a godsend for cultural development, and especially for cultural organizations. Today, we are simply introducing the blog by referring to the introduction by Counterpoint itself; the next post will be selections… Continue reading

YouTube, Video Blogs, EU regulations and “offers you can not refuse”

YouTube Could Be Hit By European TV Rules by Pete Cashmore on the Mashable! blog reported this week: YouTube and other video-sharing sites may have to be licensed like TV if a European Commission proposal isn’t stopped. Even worse: video bloggers posting clips to their personal sites may have to seek a license to operate… Continue reading

Nicholas Renville on why RSS is better for a truly participative online videosphere: conclusion

Here are the concluding recommendations on what is required for an open video infrastructure. Nicholas Reville is Executive Director of the Participatory Culture Foundation, which makes the Democracy Platform. Contact: nicholas-at-pculture.org. For more, read the Democracy Blog. Nicholas Renville: “Viewers: try a video RSS application like Democracy Player or FireANT. Both have BitTorrent support, can… Continue reading

Nicholas Renville on why RSS is better for a truly participative online videosphere, part two

We continue with excerpts on Nicholas Renville’s views on what is needed for an open video infrastructure. Here he argues that online feeds are better than websites. Nicholas Renville: How do you avoid a world where YouTube is the arbiter of all video content? You do it by centering the video experience around viewers rather… Continue reading

Nicholas Renville on what is needed for a truly participative online videosphere, part one

Nicholas Renville of the Participatory Culture Foundation, and one of the co-makers of the Democracy Player, has published an important contribution on the future of open video infrastructures. Because of its key importance, I’m republishing it in several installments. Nicholas Renville: QUESTION 1: Will internet video viewing be primarily web-page based or will it be… Continue reading