In the New Statesman, Peter Bradwell of the UK think thank Demos explains why we need an explicit declaration of digital human rights. Here is the excerpt with his argumentation. Peter Bradwell: “Without it, we will lose collective and individual purchase on them, ceding more power to other people, governments and organisations to determine the… Continue reading
Date archives "December 2008"
The best presentation on Peak Credit and its Open Capital alternative
I really really recommend watching this video presentation by Chris Cook. First of all, because it really explains the dynamics behind the financial meltdown, and why injecting new credit into the system won’t work to restore the old logic that operated before the crisis. Second, because it then explains Chris Cook’s alternative Open Capital scheme,… Continue reading
P2P and Human Evolution
For those new to P2P Theory, the basic essay I recommend is still the one at CTheory. But the main, book-length, manuscript, is P2P and Human Evolution, which exists in various iterations which had been downloaded about 30,000 times when I checked it last time around 6 month ago. The first, and shortest, essay version… Continue reading
A conversational summary of peer to peer theory
Commons advocate David Bollier attended one of my lectures recently, in Amherst, Massachusetts, and made a great summary with commentary of my presentation, which I think is very readable and does justice to what I said. It’s great to have an audience like David, who readily understands what I’m trying to convey. As background, he… Continue reading
Eric Hunting reviews Hyperhabitat
I asked our p2p architecture expert Eric Hunting to review the “internet of things” project called HyperHabitat, which you can find here. Here are his comments: “This Hyperhabitat project is compelling, but also a little confusing. It’s a valiant attempt at demonstrating the concept of an ‘internet of things’ as characterized by computer science theorists… Continue reading
A critique of the market as optimal system, and remedies for the meltdown
Why is it that: “The need for a pervasive, permanent role of government in directing investment also emerges from more recent studies of economic development. As documented in the research of Alice Amsden, Ha-Joon Chang, Dani Rodrik, and others, the countries that have grown fastest have ignored the advice of the World Bank, IMF, and… Continue reading
The rights of nature
Via OpenDemocracy: What has generated the most debate in the referendum in Ecuador which was approved by 65% of the electorate in September, is a short section in the referendum entitled The Rights of Nature (RoN), a bill aimed to grant nature the kind of inalienable rights ordinarily reserved for citizens. Jessica Loudis explains: “Here’s… Continue reading
Reality Sandwich’s Perspectives on the Next Age
I’m personally not a big fan of new age interpretations such as the big wait for 2012, purported date for a big change in the fortunes of humanity. Yet the work of Daniel Pinchbeck, and his Reality Sandwich site, does not use 2012 to create utopian fatalism, but rather as a chaotic attractor for positive… Continue reading
Will human editors from Google editorialize search results?
Google is moving into new territory: not only making arbitrary, editorial choices – really no different to Fox News, say, or any other media organization. It’s now in the business of validating and manufacturing consent: not only reporting what people say, but how you should think. Can the above possibly be true? According to Andrew… Continue reading
New Chapter in the Ethical Economy Book.
Ch 2. The Ethical Economy is Already Here: This chapter analyses a number of pertinent contemporary phenomena, like knowledge and brand management, the problem of ‘intangibles’ and the increasing recourse to user led innovation and other forms of Open Business, to argue that, at least in this cutting edge manifestations, the contemporary information economy is… Continue reading
How to Bypass Internet Censorship
Book: How to Bypass Internet Censorship. FLOSS Manuals, 2009 An important new book from the FLOSS Manuals project, where it can also be downloaded for free. Here’s the announcement: “A new book released by FLOSS Manuals, How to Bypass Internet Censorship, describes circumvention tools and explains why you might want to use them, and honestly… Continue reading
The community credit movement in Brazil
Via Bernard Lietaer: 3 minute, english-subtitled video on a community credit and local currency project in the northeast of Brazil. The video contains many local testimonies on how the project has revived their community. The Banco Palmas, which has now 10 years of experience in the poorest part of Foraleza, is now in the process… Continue reading
Report from the free software movement in Kerala
Three days ago, I spend a much too short time at a Free Software, Free Society conference in Kerala, which was quite an enthusiastic gathering. Equally present was Stefan Merten of Project Oekonux, who has published a report in Keimform, which I’m partially reproducing below. (see also added comments by co-organizer V. Sasi Kumar) What… Continue reading
Us Now: new documentary about participatory governance
Below is a clip announcing a new documentary about how the internet may alter government and democracy, based on real life case studies of some of the less well-known p2p projects. Here is a list of reviews. The short summary: “Us Now is a documentary film project about the power of mass collaboration, government and… Continue reading
Douglas Rushkoff on Obama and bottom-up politics
Listen to the podcast here. The UK blog, Right where you are sitting now, has an extensive interview with Douglas Rushkoff, which covers, besides Obama, a variety of topics: “This week we talk to one of my all time favourite writers and thinkers Douglas Rushkoff. In this episode we discuss, Obama’s potential to tap into… Continue reading
Book Review: Cyber Conflict and Global Politics
If you’re seriously interested in the political implications of network organization, you need to read this book. Book: Athina Karatzogianni, ed. Cyber Conflict and Global Politics (London and New York: Routledge, 2009). Review via Kevin Carson: Kevin Carson: “Athina Karatzogianni’s work first came to my attention through her participation in the P2P Research email list…. Continue reading