“The network’s establishment of national headquarters in S˜ao Paulo, and its need to reach out to musicians who gained visibility prior to their participation in Fora do Eixo, reveals the limitations of this method, both in terms of the generation of taste, as well as in terms of the reach of the network. Fora do… Continue reading
Rich get Richer effect empirically observed in Bitcoin’s evolution
Excerpted from Technology Review, which reviews a arxiv published study: “In 2011, however, BitCoin began to get significant media coverage which attracted many more users. The currency also became more attractive after an exchange was set up that allowed bitcoins to be traded for dollars. During this second phase, bitcoins started to function as a… Continue reading
The Parody of the Commons
A new essay titled “The Parody of the Commons” and written by P2P Lab collaborators has just been published at the open access journal TripleC: This essay builds on the idea that Commons-based peer production is a social advancement within capitalism but with various post-capitalistic aspects, in need of protection, enforcement, stimulation and connection with… Continue reading
Project of the Day: Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science
Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science = Public Lab is a community where you can learn how to investigate environmental concerns. Using inexpensive DIY techniques, we seek to change how people see the world in environmental, social, and political terms. For more information: 1. “The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science (Public Lab)… Continue reading
Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri on the Felicitious Encounter in the Urban Commons
Excerpted from Gabriel Murgar: “In Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri’s recent book, “Commonwealth” the authors focus on the idea of the city as a location where the disenfranchised are able to organize and take what they have to contend their marginalized position. In other words, the authors look at the common resources available to people… Continue reading
Video: Roman Krznaric on Moving from the Age of Introspection to the Age of Outrospection
Gabriel Murgar introduces the topic: “This video is of philosopher Roman Krznaric talking about how social change is contingent upon individuals being able to empathize with others. His premise ties in nicely with Beauregard’s belief that the political struggles of today are not about the recognition of power, but the recognition of peoples needs. Beauregard… Continue reading
Ivan Illich and the Commons
This is the text of a lecture Text by David Bollier, “The Quiet Realization of Ivan Illich’s Ideas in the Contemporary Commons Movement“, for the conference, “After the Crisis: The Thought of Ivan Illich today,” in Oakland, California, at the Oakland School for the Arts. David Bollier: “I come here today as an ambassador of… Continue reading
Solidarity for All – Greece
Solidarity for all is Greek project to identify and support the manyfold “social solidarity” initiatives unfolding in Greece. http://solidarity4all.gr/ “The situation (in Greece) is explosive and this is why the campaign “Solidarity for All” tries to intervene by facilitating and organising, hopefully, the solidarity networks in a more effective way, and by urging the large… Continue reading
From the Andes: Wisdom Dialogues with Indigenous Knowledge
Learning to Value Mother Earth – Indigenous Knowledge The the book ‘New World of Indigenous Resistance’ various indigenous thinkers from the Americas dialogue with linguist, philosopher and activist, Noam Chomsky on their perspectives on the world. They argue from varying epistemologies (how we gain knowledge), showing a fair degree of understanding of Western epistemology. In the… Continue reading
Selected Citations on P2P-driven Agriculture and Food Production
Find the full sources here: …everything old is new again. The resurgent interest in local foods and home-scale preservation—from canning, jamming, freezing, brewing, fermenting, and otherwise experimenting with food—is happening coast to coast. Taking up the pot and the pan, the cheesecloth and strainer, the canning jar and the wine bottle, homesteaders are beginning to… Continue reading