How to deal with elite knowledge, without reverting to Elitism, Celebrity and Oligarchy? The following is excerpted from another brilliant contribution on the development of a peer governance practice and theory, by “Georgie BC” (Heather Marsh). Key thesis: “The key to preventing elite knowledge from becoming a tyrannical oligarchy is to maintain control by the… Continue reading
The emerging gig economy and the scenario of distributed capitalism
“Tina Brown, editor of The Daily Beast, recently christened today’s job market as the “gig economy.” Her point is that fewer people seem to have full-time jobs; instead they have contract gigs. Being a freelancer or contract worker may actually be a practical way to survive this recession. It could also lead to new entrepreneurial… Continue reading
Talking on the Collaborative Economy at the Mutinerie in Paris
Coworking is one of the manifestations of the mutualization of infrastructures, which is one of the hallmarks of the collaborative economy. According to a recent article in El Periodico, a city like Barcelona counts over 50 coworking centers, and the article discloses that the P2P Foundation is their primary philosophical influence, which of courses, makes… Continue reading
Book of the Day: Cypherpunks on Freedom and the Future of the Internet
* Book: Cypherpunks: Freedom and the Future of the Internet. by Julian Assange with Jacob Appelbaum, Andy Müller-Maguhn and Jérémie Zimmermann. OR Books, New York, 2012, Excerpted from a review by Cryptome: “This is a highly informative book, perhaps the best published on the substance of WikiLeaks, its technology, philosophy, origin and purpose, rooted in… Continue reading
Who built the internet: the corporation or the state?
Dale Carrico alerted me to this important essay: “Adam Fish helpfully summarizes libertechian, technoprogressive, Great Man, and peer-to-peer narratives of the creation of the internet.” Adam Fish indeed discusses the issue and an ongoing debate in the U.S. about ‘who’ created the internet. The different theories reflect different political ideologies he concludes. In this installment,… Continue reading
Bill McKibben Looks to the Commons as the Solution to Global Climate Disruption
Republished from Bill McKibben: “I’ve spent most of my life as a writer—and one of the sweetest parts of that job is knowing that whatever I produce ends up in a library, an institution dedicated to the idea that we can share things easily. There are innumerable other examples of sharing all around—and they are… Continue reading
Video of the Day: Open Access in Science
“What is open access? Nick Shockey and Jonathan Eisen take us through the world of open access publishing and explain just what it’s all about.” Watch the video here:
Greek Commons Activists Aim to Protect Their Water From Privatization
Republished from On The Commons, by Daniel Moss: (original has links) “Greece knows a thing or two about democracy. And as an increasingly arid nation, good water management is fundamental to its future, both political and physical. The recent financial crisis hasn’t only tested Greek democracy, but its water as well. “You can tell if… Continue reading
Protecting Marine Diversity Through Local Fisheries and Ocean Commons
Profile and interview with Niaz Dorry on her work on the marine commons. Jessica Conrad in On The Commons: “Based in Gloucester, MA, the oldest settled fishing port in the U.S., local fisheries champion Niaz Dorry finds herself in a hotbed of resource management issues: while she and a growing community of fishermen consider themselves… Continue reading
Video of the Day: Shift Change, the re-emerging world of cooperative work
“Shift Change, a new movie from filmmakers Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin, looks at the world of worker cooperatives, where reasonable salaries, job security, and general work satisfaction prevail.” Watch the video here: SHIFT CHANGE – preview from Mark Dworkin on Vimeo. The following is excerpted from a interview of Melissa Young conducted by Ariel… Continue reading