“empowering innovation” that expands access to technological innovations in waves, to new segments of society. My argument at this point is exactly this: open source hardware (open source in general) or more properly an innovation that is actually based on the commons can have this role today, that of giving us the opportunity to extend… Continue reading
A look at the Antigonish Movement
I discovered this thanks to my friend John Restakis, great knower of the history of the cooperative movement. A piece of Canadian social history. Worth watching to realize where we are coming from. Watch the video here:
Essay of the Day: Imagining a Self-Organised Classroom
* Article: Imagining a Self-Organised Classroom – Some of Gilles Deleuze’s conceptualisations. Giorgio Bertini. Abstract: “This paper uses complexity theory as a means towards clarifying some of Gilles Deleuze’s conceptualisations in communication and the philosophy of language. His neologisms and post-structuralist tropes are often complicated and appear to be merely metaphorical. Howevertheir meanings may be… Continue reading
Resilient Agro-Food Consumption in Sant Cugat del Vallès
Details in the article: * Agro-food consumption patterns to favour social and economical resilience. The case of Sant Cugat del Vallès. By Pere Losantos and Ricard Espelt. Abstract: “Currently, we can distinguish two different approaches to agro-food consumption. The main model follows the value chain nutrition rules and it is focused on establishing the quality… Continue reading
Project of the Day: Commons in a Box
Commons in a Box = a free, distributable, easy-to-install package to create a (digital) commons site ; “each component of CBOX contributes to an organizational “Commons”. “Commons In A Box (CBOX) is a free software project aimed at turning the infrastructure that successfully powers the CUNY Academic Commons into a free, distributable, easy-to-install package. Commons In… Continue reading
Leon Krier: Architecture in the Age of Austerity
This lecture by Leon Krier is one of the most informative I’ve ever watched on the field of architecture, each minute is a flash of insight. Great architecture is just so simple, maybe this is why it is so difficult to achieve for modern man? We are born with the language of architecture, it’s universal,… Continue reading
The Economist on the growing anger at the ruthless netarchical capitalists
Geeks have turned out to be some of the most ruthless capitalists around Excerpted from Adrian Wooldridge: “A few years ago the new economy was a wide-open frontier. Today it is dominated by a handful of tightly held oligopolies. Google and Apple provide over 90% of the operating systems for smartphones. Facebook counts more than… Continue reading
Hacktivist Jeremy Hammond sentenced to 10 years
Anonymous Hacktivist Jeremy Hammond has received the maximum sentence of 10 years for an act of Civil Disobedience, hacking into the networks of the private intelligence firm Stratfor. The data from the hack was subsequently released in February 2012 by Wikileaks as the Global Intelligence Files http://wikileaks.org/the-gifiles.html While Hammond plead guilty to the charges, the… Continue reading
In Hamburg, Germany: Municipal Buy-Back of the Power Grid
Excerpted from Giles Parkinson: “One intriguing result of the election included a referendum in the state of Hamburg to buy back the lower power grid from Vattenfall, and turn it into a local municipal-based public utility. The proposal gained a majority, despite active campaigning and a lavish budget against it by most major parties, including… Continue reading
Project of the Day: Data Commons Cooperative
Data Commons Cooperative “People everywhere have been organizing a more ethical economy, but they work in relative isolation, fragmented by geography, sector, and even organizational form. Many organizations collect information about a small piece of these efforts. In every situation, there is another organization for which that information overlaps. In every case there is an… Continue reading