Website: http://www.common-welfare-economy.org Description “The pursuit of common welfare will not only become the new legal goal of all (private) business, but also the new meaning of entrepreneurial success. The CWE places the human being and all living entities as well as fulfilling interpersonal relationships at the center of economic activity. It transposes standards that bolster… Continue reading
Date archives "May 2012"
Why conservatism is bad for the commons
Excerpted from Jay Walljasper, who warns that slashing government budgets and making people precarious, is NOT good for encouraging the commons and volunteering: The Tea Party, libertarians and other so-called conservatives devoted to slashing all government spending not related to the military, prisons and highways have an easy answer when asked what happens to people… Continue reading
Chapter One. The Stigmergic Revolution (Second Excerpt)
[This is the second of a series of excerpts from my book-in-progress, Desktop Regulatory State (free online version of manuscript to date at the link)] V. Stigmergy Networked organization is based on a principle known as stigmergy. “Stigmergy” is a term coined by biologist Pierre-Paul Grasse in the 1950s to describe the process by which… Continue reading
Towards a European Charter of the Commons
Responding to the current wave of privatisations, European Alternatives together with the International University College and its Institute for the Study of Political Economy and Law together with the Municipality of Naples, and the Institut international D’etudes et recherches sur les biens communsare launching a process of forums and metings throughout Europe to draft a European… Continue reading
Book of the Day: Misunderstanding the Internet
Misunderstanding the Internet. James Curran, Natalie Fenton, Des Freedman. Routledge. 2012 Overview The growth of the internet has been spectacular. There are now more 1.5 billion internet users across the globe, about one quarter of the world’s population. This is certainly a new phenomenon that is of enormous significance for the economic, political and social… Continue reading
Megaupload Prosecution Is Lawless and Unconstitutional, Law Professor Says
Source: TorrentFreak Yet another law expert has slammed the US Government’s decision to launch a criminal case against Megaupload. Law Professor Eric Goldman argues that the Megaupload prosecution is a “depressing display of abuse of government authority” that ignores basic constitutional rights in order to protect private commercial interests. In recent months many people have… Continue reading
Project of the Day: Mapping for Change
Website: http://www.mappingforchange.org.uk/ London-based social enterprise which uses online maps as tools for communication and action on sustainable development. Description From the London Citizen Cyberscience Summit, held at the Royal Geographical Society and University College London. By Sam Geall: “Mapping for Change, a London-based social enterprise founded by Muki Haklay, a professor of geographic information science,… Continue reading
New book: “Commons – Für eine neue Politik jenseits von Markt und Staat”
A new german book called “Commons – Für eine neue Politik jenseits von Markt und Staat” was published recently. It includes articles from members of the P2P Foundation. The index of the book is available and also the PDF version of it. An english version of this same book will appear later this year, in… Continue reading
The commons as an economics of replenishment
Political Economy and the Inclusive Commons House of Commons Portcullis House London, 8 May 2012 James B. Quilligan It is an honor to be a guest in this august body, the House of Commons. I’m sure that you don’t need a outsider to come in here and tell you about English history, but I would… Continue reading
2012 Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest
December 15-17, 2012 – FGV Law School – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil We are pleased to announce the Second Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest. The theme for this year’s Congress will be “Setting the positive agenda in motion.” This note invites applications to attend the Congress, including proposals to chair workshops… Continue reading
Chapter One. The Stigmergic Revolution (First Excerpt)
[This is the first of a series of excerpts from my book-in-progress, tentatively titled Desktop Regulatory State (click the link for a free online version of the latest manuscript] II. Distributed Infrastructure and Ephemeralization The larger and more hierarchical institutions become, and the more centralized the economic system, the larger the total share of production… Continue reading
Book of the Day: Digital Vertigo
Digital Vertigo: How Today’s Online Social Revolution Is Dividing, Diminishing, and Disorienting Us. Andrew Keen. 2012. Overview In Digital Vertigo, Andrew Keen presents today’s social media revolution as the most wrenching cultural transformation since the Industrial Revolution. Fusing a fast-paced historical narrative with front-line stories from today’s online networking revolution and critiques of “social” companies… Continue reading
Project of the Day: Patriots of the Digital Revolution
Invest in and acquire more torrent websites and cyberlockers from people who feel that they can no longer fight, and want out of the scene, but don’t want to abandon their website. Travis McCrea: “Patriots of the Digital Revolution (Digital Patriots) has been successful so far by saving two websites: TUEBL (The Ultimate Ebook Library)… Continue reading
3D printers could create customised drugs on demand
Source: BBC Scientists are pioneering the use of 3D printers to create drugs and other chemicals at the University of Glasgow. Researchers have used a £1,250 system to create a range of organic compounds and inorganic clusters – some of which are used to create cancer treatments. Longer term, the scientists say the process could… Continue reading
Young Lawyers Lower the Bar to Sharing Economy
10 Lessons from a Sharing Economy Organizer
Source: Mira Luna – Shareable I frequently talk with amazing social innovators that have great ideas, but don’t know how to implement them through community organizing. It’s something that you learn by doing and takes years of on the ground experience, self-reflection and feedback. I also studied community organizing in school and with groups who… Continue reading