Date archives "May 2014"

Survey on Value in Commons-­Based Peer Production (CBPP)

Hello, The  P2Pvalue project is undertaking research on commons-­based peer production (CBPP) communities around the world. The goal of this research project is to develop a software platform to support sustainable models of value generation in commons-based peer production. As part of this work, the P2P Foundation is interested in understanding more about how value… Continue reading

MediaLab Prado’s Manifesto

Continuing our campaign supporting MediaLab Prado in the face of a possible private enclosure, today we’re republishing their Manifesto regarding the takeover. Please read and share. Manifesto in support of MediaLab Prado Medialabs are a crucial element in societies, they foster innovation, participation and knowledge dissemination. MedialabPrado (Madrid) has proven to be a successful model… Continue reading

Podcast of the Day/C-Realm: David Bollier on taking back the language of the Commons

Here’s a treat. KMO of the C-Realm podcast has a fast-paced, dynamic conversation with author David Bollier about the Commons, discussing both its historical and present contexts. Here’s the original post on the C-Realm website. From the shownotes to the episode: KMO welcomes independent research and writer, David Bollier, to the C-Realm to discus the themes in his… Continue reading

Occupy the Commons

Translated from an original text in Italian by Dante Cruciani. It discusses various commons issues and refers to the work and ideas of the P2P Foundation – http://www.quinternalab.org/teleriunioni/aprile-2014/287-occupy-the-commons Occupy the Commons

Helene Finidori on FLOK Society and the Commons

Here’s an excellent summary, written by our good friend Helene Finidori from the Commons Abundance Network, on FLOK Society’s historical significance for the Commons and P2P movements. The article was originally published in STIR magazine and Helene has kindly given us permission to republish it here. This column was published in STIR’s spring issue and is available… Continue reading

Recursions: a new book series in media & cultural theory

Source – http://jussiparikka.net/2014/04/30/recursions-a-new-book-series-in-media-cultural-theory/ “We are proud to announce the launch of a new book series titled Recursions: Theories of Media, Materiality and Cultural Techniques. Placed with Amsterdam University Press, a publisher known for its strong track-record in film and media studies, the series will publish fresh, exciting and important books in media theory.” “The new… Continue reading

The Sharing Economy: Capitalism’s Last Stand?

Timely reflections from Arthur de Grave, originally published at Ouishare’s site. I’m glad to see Ouishare’s coverage going beyond mainstream approaches to the monetised mutualization of resources. They appear to be expanding  to include explicit critiques of capitalism, and to be actively contemplating the sharing movement, in which they are positioned as a bridge to a… Continue reading

Netflix researching “large-scale peer-to-peer technology” for streaming

Source: arstechnica.com. As  the allegedly illegal (and apparently now defunct) PopcornTime app showed, it is possible to combine streaming video and P2P torrent-style downloading. In fact despite the demise of the original app, others inspired by it have started to appear. So given that such a hybrid technology is possible, why should a copyright-respecting company… Continue reading

Will Bitcoin and Other Insurgent Currencies Reinvent Commerce?

Source : http://bollier.org/blog/will-bitcoin-and-other-insurgent-currencies-reinvent-commerce This and other questions are addressed in “The Weightless Marketplace:  Coming to Terms with Innovative Payment Systems, Digital Currencies and Online Labor Markets,” a just-released report that I wrote for the Aspen Institute’s Communications and Society Program. The report distills the more salient points raised at a three-day conference last August that… Continue reading

When hackers and farmers join forces

Michel Bauwens suggested this short piece to Guerrilla Translation. It’s an interview with Philippe Langlois, in which he discusses the world of hackerspaces and the physical application of the open-source, collaborative mentality, applied to practical problem-solving in rural settings. Originally published in Transrural Initiatives – a collaborative magazine on the rural world – and republished… Continue reading