The following essay was written by our colleague Guido Smorto. It will be published in the forthcoming Cambridge Handbook on the Law and Regulation of the Sharing Economy but Guido has kindly allowed us to upload the essay and publish an extract. You can download the whole text here. Guido Smorto: Known by many names – platform,… Continue reading
This article was first published on 3 January 2014 and last modified on 8 January 2018 ……………………………………………………………. NOTE: Before 2017 SENSORICA used the expression ”value accounting system”. The current expression in use is ”contribution accounting system”. See more on the OVN wiki. The origin of this modification is a redefinition of value, inspired by Tibi’s essay ”Scale… Continue reading
You are not likely to encounter a more welcoming set of texts and infographics to introduce the commons and peer production than the Commons Transition Primer website. The new site features four types of materials suited different levels of interest: short Q&A-style articles with illustrations; longer, in-depth articles for the more serious reader; a library… Continue reading
Readers of our blog and wiki will have noted various references to the labour mutual SMart. We find this an important movement and mutualistic solution for the autonomous workers that are becoming more and more numerous, but also ever more precarious, in our western societies. SMart membership converts income into wages, and thus into access… Continue reading
This is a very exciting project! Connecting agriculture and finance in this new way is cutting edge and you are really breaking ground with this. My one caution for you is that in emphasizing the rejuvenation of the carbon cycle, you are marginalizing the rejuvenation of the hydrological cycle and the nitrogen cycle. While you… Continue reading
Nobody cares about how we got here. They just want solutions for how to get out of the trap. CEOs are struggling to create value for corporations programmed only to accumulate more capital, drain local economies, and externalize the costs. So I’ve been ending my talks with specific, actionable suggestions for how companies of all… Continue reading
It is very clear that power in our societies is changing. After the financialization of our economies under neoliberal globalization, we have a new layer of corporate power emerging from the platform economy. This process is very well described by Frank Pascuale in the recommended text we excerpt below, under the concept of Functional Governance…. Continue reading
Brian Tokar: Since the 1960s, the theory and praxis of social ecology have helped guide efforts to articulate a radical, counter-systemic ecological outlook with a goal of transforming society’s relationship to non-human nature. For many decades, social ecologists have articulated a fundamental ecological critique of capitalism and the state, and proposed an alternative vision of empowered… Continue reading
Written by Stacco Troncoso and Ann Marie Utratel: One of the most difficult systems to reimagine is global manufacturing. If we are producing offshore and at scale, ravaging the planet for short-term profits, what are the available alternatives? A movement combining digital and physical production points toward a new possibility: Produce within our communities, democratically and… Continue reading
To Catch the Rain is a book of inspiring stories of communities coming together to harvest the rain, and how you can do it too. Go to the project’s Kickstarter page to support the publication of this exciting book. What’s To Catch the Rain all about? To Catch the Rain is a book of inspiring stories of communities… Continue reading
Playing for Team Human today is Stacco Troncoso of the P2P Foundation. Stacco brings with him deep knowledge and enthusiasm for the power of the commons. Stacco and the Commons Transition team put their faith in people, believing in the potential of diverse, empowered communities to address complex problems. Far from a utopian fantasy, P2P offers a wealth of… Continue reading
Cross-posted from Shareable. Hugo Guyader and Julian Agyeman: Analysis: The sharing economy is often lauded with offering a number of opportunities, from access to cheaper and more convenient consumption alternatives to new revenue streams for on-demand services. Next to the economic benefits are promises of sustainability and social inclusion. Unfortunately, not everybody stands equal in… Continue reading
An encouraging article which, among other things, mentions Platform Coops. Let’s hope that in 2018 we can speak about strides, rather than steps. The article was originally published in
Writing for Boing Boing, Cory Doctorow summarizes the conclusions of a standout interview with Stanford Law expert Ryan Singel and International Studies expert Didi Kuo about the meaning of the post-neutrality web. Cory Doctorow: Stanford’s Futurity interviews Stanford Law expert Ryan Singel and International Studies expert Didi Kuo about the meaning of a non-Neutral internet,… Continue reading
Marcos García: Through its workshops, collaborative teams, classes and public events, Medialab has enabled the development of open design hives for urban beekeeping,1 sponsored collaborative translations of books,2 and assisted development of experimental video games.3 It has invited anyone who is interested to help develop a new data visualization for air quality in Madrid4 and a… Continue reading
Our colleague Sharon Ede hipped us to this beautiful project. The following is reposted from northcottinnovation.com.au: We’re working with AbilityMate, UTS and Northcott on a global first project to give people with disability the opportunity to learn about 3D printing and create their own assistive technology. We want people with disability to be active creators… Continue reading