DEMOCRATIC MONEY AND CAPITAL FOR THE COMMONS Strategies for Transforming Neoliberal Finance Through Commons-Based Alternatives By David Bollier and Pat Conaty. A Report on a Commons Strategies Group Workshop in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation. Berlin, Germany / September 8-10, 2015 Download this Executive Summary as a PDF. “Democratic Money and Capital for the… Continue reading
Despite everything the academic power structure and its allies in the U.S. Justice Department could do to Aaron Swartz — including driving him to suicide — the enemies of information freedom in academia have been in steady retreat ever since. Back in 2011, in his Guerrilla Open Access Manifesto, Swartz defined his revolutionary goal as… Continue reading
Extracted from The Big Think, Simon Oxenham tells “…The tale of how one researcher has made nearly every scientific paper ever published available for free to anyone, anywhere in the world.” “On September 5th, 2011, Alexandra Elbakyan, a researcher from Kazakhstan, created Sci-Hub, a website that bypasses journal paywalls, illegally providing access to nearly every… Continue reading
In the wake of early 2010s upheavals such as the Arab Spring, Spain’s indignados, or the global Occupy movement, many commentators were quick to either invoke the presumed tech-savvy of ‘digital natives’ or the purported ‘cyber-utopianism’ of net freedom advocates who supported the protests. But what role have internet freedom activists – or ‘freedom technologists’… Continue reading
The so-called “sharing economy” is sometimes also called the “gig economy” — arguably a more accurate term, because “sharing economy” carries overtones of cooperation and mutuality that are (to say the least) grossly misleading. In the case of ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft it’s misleading because it suggests the direct sharing of rides between… Continue reading
The recent revelations by Edward Snowden and other whistle-blowers about the American empire’s megalomanic scheme to spy upon every inhabitant of the planet have discredited the West’s self-identification as the global champion of human rights. Richard Barbrook writes shares his thoughts on Digital Citizenship. Originally published in CyberSalon. Digital Citizenship: From Liberal Privilege to Democratic Emancipation Government… Continue reading