Inclusiva-net the research branch of MediaLab Prado is a dedicated platform for research, documentation, and circulation of network culture theory. “Its main study and documentation areas are the processes of social and cultural inclusion of telecommunication networks and their effects in the development of new artistic practices and critical knowledge production.” The website http://medialab-prado.es/inclusiva-net is… Continue reading
Date archives "June 2010"
Andres Duany on neighborhood-based and funded Agricultural Urbanism
Fast transitions to resilient communities that offer energy independence, food security, and thriving local economies will require a new approach. Resilient communities need to be sold as an investment (there’s tens of trillions in investment capital currently on the sidelines). An investment package that makes it more attractive than the alternatives. That shouldn’t be hard,… Continue reading
Internet Utopians vs. Internet Populists
In a review of Clay Shirky’s new book, Cognitive Surplus, Evgeny Morozov makes an important distinction between cyber utopianism and internet populism. (I’m guessing we belong to the latter, though I would sharply differ with Clay Shirky’s easy going optimism which is quite different from the hard constructive work we are attempting through the P2P… Continue reading
How cooperation and collaboration may be “gamed”…
In a recent discussion with Venessa Miemis, Venessa asked me whether I thought cooperation can be “gamed” or not. While it could be true that it is tough to game a mutual rating system (example: ebay rating system), there are known examples of ebay ratings being “gamed” by way of groups of people pretending to… Continue reading
Stavros Stavrides on the politics of the Commons
The following is from the same special issue of e-flux on the post-capitalist self: On the Commons: A Public Interview with Massimo De Angelis and Stavros Stavrides, carried out by Architectur magazine. It’s an occasion to present a clear-headed Greek thinker we are not yet familiar with. Excerpts: An Architektur: Stavros, what is your approach… Continue reading
Open source activism and individual targeting
Obviously, this thought experiment by John Robb poses all kinds of ethical questions (excerpt): “Traditional non-violent protest is dead as a means of reversing bad organizational behavior. It’s so easily ignored in a media saturated environment and the methods of controlling and marginalizing it have become easy and widely practiced (from “free speech zones” to… Continue reading
Policy book: The future control of food
‘This is the best single summary of the political choices facing food and agriculture policymakers that has been written in this decade.’ – Pat Mooney, Executive Director, the ETC Group Book: The Future Control of Food. A Guide to International Negotiations and Rules on Intellectual Property, Biodiversity and Food Security. Edited By Geoff Tansey and… Continue reading
John Robb on open source wars, hollow states and local resiliency
Produce everything you can locally. Virtualize everything else. The value of your home will be based on the ability of your community to offer energy independence, food security, economic vitality, and protection. Survivalist stockpiles and zero footprint frugality are pathways to failure. Think in terms of vibrant local economic ecosystems that are exceedingly efficient, productive,… Continue reading
Distributed microgeneration of energy not yet good for the environment?
Just to clarify, I fundamentally believe microgeneration is a good thing. However, given the current antiquated state of the grid in many countries, the disconnect between generation and demand profiles for wind particularly, and the lack of decent energy storage technologies, the environmental benefits of microgeneration are far from straightforward. This will change as energy… Continue reading
Kopirajt: Exhibiting free culture in Hungary
A film about an exhibition on the alternatives to the All-Rights-Reserved approach in copyright organised at the Open Society Archives in Budapest on occasion of the 300th anniversary of the entry into force of the Statute of Anne. The exhibition was opened on 10 April 2010. Stefan Marsiske writes: “There’s now a very nice video… Continue reading
Interview with Massimo De Angelis: The Commons, Marxism and Capitalism
The special issue of e-flux on the post-capitalist self carries an article: On the Commons: A Public Interview with Massimo De Angelis and Stavros Stavrides, carried out by Architectur magazine. This issue of e-flux is excellent and I recommend the editorial on the post-capitalist self by Marion von Osten, as well as the book review… Continue reading
What really is, sustainability? An economy modeled as an open thermodynamic system!
After establishing a series of clear principles defning sustainability, Eric Zencey, ina Primer, “Theses on Sustainability”, published in the May/June 2010 issue of Orion magazine, discusses the real meaning of sustainability, beyond ideological obfuscations making the term meaningless. Eric Zencey: “HUMAN CIVILIZATION has been built on the exploitation of the stored solar energy found in… Continue reading
Chow: urban farming in Oakland, California
Inspiring local story: OBSESSIVES: Urban Farmer – on CHOW.com from CHOW.com on Vimeo. Via: “”I take the sort of state of anarchy of our neighborhood to my advantage.” That’s Novella Carpenter, author of the book Farm City, talking about her urban farm in Oakland. This delightful and inspiring documentary short was produced by the food… Continue reading
How Different Is Your Bow-tie?
Michel Bauwens asked me to discuss bow-tie structures in relation to John Robb’s ongoing use of them on his “Global Guerillas” blog. There is so much to say about bow-tie structures and the ways in which the concept is deployed. This article will give a brief background, take a closer look, and end with a… Continue reading
Open Science Summit July 29-31 Berkeley
This summer, scientists, hackers, students, patients, and activists will convene to discuss the future of our science/technology paradigm. Topics include: Synthetic Biology, Gene Patents, Open Data, Open Access Publishing, Microfinance for Science, DIY Biology, Open Source Drug Discovery, Patent Pools, Patient Advocacy for Innovation, and more Ready for a rapid, radical reboot of the global… Continue reading
Chinese workers use of digital organizing tools
Excerpted from a report from the New York Times: “The 1,700 workers who went on strike at the Honda Lock auto parts factory here are mostly poor migrants with middle-school educations. But they are surprisingly tech-savvy. Hours into a strike that began last week, they started posting detailed accounts of the walkout online, spreading word… Continue reading