Peercoin is a cryptocurrency inspired by Bitcoin and built on the same concept, but with some important differences. According to a Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peercoin Peercoin is less wasteful than Bitcoin in its energy usage, to calculate and agree on who transacted what with whom. Bitcoin is based on the “proof of work” principle, which means… Continue reading
Date archives "December 2013"
New Garden Cities will inspire co-operative communities
Via Pat Conaty: The report’s PDF version is at this link: http://www.uk.coop/commonssense “New garden cities are needed to tackle the UK’s housing crisis, create sustainable communities and help young people get on the housing ladder, a new report, ‘Commons Sense’ from Co-operatives UK argues. With 1.7m people waiting for social housing and half a million… Continue reading
Why the Mode of Production Needs to Preceed the Revolution
The following is precisely the same as the key argument of P2P Theory, but I add an important corrollary, that the emergent proto-mode of peer production is the missing piece in the phase transition process. The authors below are still looking for it. Excerpted from Gavin Mendel-Gleason and James O’Brien: ” The political aim of… Continue reading
Working on a definition of the sharing economy
Video from the recent fourth Ouishare Summit in Brussels. How can we define the sharing economy:
(Greek) Project of the day: Social kitchens and food distribution
Greece might have seriously been criticised for a lack of competiveness and a market that does not catalyse innovation; however, the country is arguably a “social innovation paradise”. The Social Kitchens is one more example of this “social innovation paradise” neoliberals have inadvertently succeeded in creating. According to the Greek project “Solidarity for All“: “In the… Continue reading
Civil Society Tactics to Cultivate Commons and Construct Food Sovereignty in the United States
* Paper: Occupy the Farm: A Study of Civil Society Tactics to Cultivate Commons and Construct Food Sovereignty in the United States. Antonio Roman-Alcalá. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE YALE UNIVERSITY, SEPTEMBER 14-15, 2013. Food Sovereignty: A Critical Dialogue. Conference Paper #75 URL = http://www.yale.edu/agrarianstudies/foodsovereignty/pprs/75_Roman_Alcala_2013.pdf [edit]Abstract “Using the case study of the 2012 illegal occupation of farmland owned… Continue reading
What do we need to achieve Internet Justice ?
Excerpted from Michael Gurstein: “We are all now citizens of an Internet-enabled world whether we are “users” or not. And as citizens of an Internet-enabled world we have interests and perspectives on how the Internet is deployed and managed now and well into the future; and those need to be expressed and articulated as demands… Continue reading
Humberto Maturana on Peer Relationality
Recommended by Daryl Taylor: An interview with Humberto Maturana, biologist and philosopher. August 21, 2009, conducted by Ward Mailliard Watch the video here:
(Greek) Project of the day: Athens Wireless Metropolitan Network
Greece might have seriously been criticised for a lack of competiveness and a market that does not catalyse innovation; however, the country is arguably a “social innovation paradise”. The Athens Wireless Metropolitan Network (AWMN) is one more example of this “social innovation paradise” neoliberals have inadvertently succeeded in creating. Started in 2002 in Athens, Greece,… Continue reading
C-Realm Podcast – Ephemeralization and Freedom
Last weeks C-Realm podcast features an interview with Kevin Carson, following up on themes of ephemeralization and freedom which Carson has recently written on. KMO welcomes Kevin A. Carson, “free market anti-capitalist” and the author of The Homebrew Industrial Revolution: A Low-Overhead Manifesto to the C-Realm to talk about economics, technology, natural and artificial property… Continue reading
How Important is the Role of Technology in Social Change
Thoughtful observations excerpted from Rob Lucas: “In addition to McLuhan, Mumford’s Technics and Civilization was an influence here. For Mumford as for McLuhan, technological developments marked out transformations of humanity itself, enhancing our faculties but altering them in the process. In this argument, what Carr termed ‘intellectual technologies’ in particular—map, clock, typewriter—both augmented our mental… Continue reading
Essay of the Day: Open APIs and News Organizations
* Article: Aitamurto, Tanja, & Lewis, Seth C. (2011). Open APIs and news organizations: A study of open innovation in online journalism. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Online Journalism, Austin, TX, April 1, 2011. Abstract: “This paper examines how and why news organizations are deploying open Application Programming Interfaces (so-called “open APIs”) as… Continue reading
Video: P2P Accomodation and The Future of Travel
Via OuiShareTV: “People now expect more authentic experiences when they travel. All around the world, locals have just started to open their homes to strangers. P2P accommodation and home swapping are leading examples of how sharing is redefining the travel industry. In this panel, we will discuss the challenges faced by this booming industry and… Continue reading
(Greek) Project of the day: Social clinics and pharmacies
“During the last few years the Greek health system has almost collapsed. Many medical centres and hospitals have been closed or merged, and the cuts in funding of public hospitals have resulted in basic shortages. In response to this situation several social clinics and pharmacies have emerged. These initiatives were set up by doctors, nurses… Continue reading
Pat Conaty on the History and the Rediscovery of the Cooperative Commonwealth
Watch this interesting video presentation here: Content details: “Solidarity Co-operatives have been developed as a unique multi-stakeholder Co-operative system since the 1980s. They are unique because co-production members include paid workers, volunteers, service users and social investors. In Italy they provide social care, health services and educational services for local communities. There are now over… Continue reading
Project of the Day: KeyRing, a UK initiative for social care
“We know how public service innovators like the charity Keyring are opening up the care system for vulnerable adults in ways that are crucial for the future of our public services – creating volunteer-led neighbourhood networks that enable skills sharing and resource sharing between vulnerable adults and the wider community” – Joost Beunderman* Keyring is… Continue reading