David Ronfeldt has posted not just his own table comparing four forms of governance, but a host of other tables from other scholars who have attempted similar typologies, making this entry a very useful resource. I’m posting David’s table and comments below, but please go to the original page for the complete text with all… Continue reading
Special issue of JCOM on User-led, P2P Science
The Call for Articles on the above topic, for the Journal of Science Communication, has been extended to June 1st. Summary: “Science is increasingly being produced, discussed and deliberated with cooperative tools by web users and without the istitutionalized presence of scientists. “Popular science” or “Citizen science” are two of the traditional ways of defining… Continue reading
The staggering cost of the meltdown
From a long contribution in the progressive magazine Tikkun, it’s good to remind ourselves of these figures, and what a fraction of that money could have done to solve a number of grave social problems. John Sanbonmatsu: “Since last summer, in fact, the governments of the leading industrialized countries have been engaged in an epic… Continue reading
For a Technology Bill of Rights
Via Slashdot: “Paul Venezia argues in favor of the creation of a Technology Bill of Rights to protect individuals against malfeasance, tyranny, and exploitation in an increasingly technological age. Venezia’s initial six proposed articles center on anonymity rights, net neutrality, the open-sourcing of law enforcement software and hardware, and the like.” Here are the six… Continue reading
Emergence and world-changing
Republished from our archive in January 2007: The following is from a remarkable essay by Margaret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze, which I consider a must read. It is entitled: Using Emergence to Take Social Innovation to Scale The starting quote is right of the mark: “Despite current ads and slogans, the world doesn’t change one… Continue reading
Update on Ubuntu/Canonical
An update on the controversy regarding the use by Canonical of the Ubuntu name for a closed proprietary project. Both contributions are from the Autonomo.us mailing list Bradley Kuhn wants to put the critique in perspective: “Most software companies produce mostly proprietary software, and sometimes a little bit of Free Software. Many of these companies… Continue reading
Marco Fioretti: Is universal internet access really a good idea?
A contribution from Marco Fioretti, reacting to an earlier post: “I would like to share some thoughts and doubts I’ve had for years about the “fast, universal Net access for everybody” dogma. I deliberately focus on what is actually doable, good and necessary today (0 to ~30 years), not on how life could be or… Continue reading
Peer Governance and community production at Free BSD
Christian Siefkes continues (and concludes) his excellent series of reports on the fourth Oekonux conference. You can find the links to the earlier 3 reports at the bottom of this article, from which I’m only excerpting the material on FreeBSD, based on the presentation of George Dafermos, a leading peer governance researcher at the TU… Continue reading
Open legislation in Italy
Via Marco Fioretti: “Two senators of the Italian Democratic party, Vincenzo Vita and Luigi Vimercati, have written a law proposal which defends Net Neutrality and promotes non proprietary formats and software in public administrations and Universities. What is good, regardless of one’s political opinions, is the method: they put the whole text online on a… Continue reading
What Would Google Do?
Review of Jeff Jarvis’s book ‘What Would Google Do?’ It suggests that it would have been more accurate to call it ‘What Would p2p Do?’.
An experiment in open blog-based peer review
Via Paola Dimaio: “Publishing in scientific and technical journals, as most academics know, is a lengthy and sometimes painful process carried out by reviewers, most often anonymously and ‘authoritatively’. The most progressive members of academia have been thinking how to improve, and speed up, the peer review process and an answer may be coming from… Continue reading
Mark Pesce: how the power of the cloud affects the cloud of power
When the hierarchy comes into contact with an energized cloud, the ‘discharge’ from the cloud to the hierarchy can completely overload the hierarchy. That’s the power of hyperconnectivity. Excerpts from a very stimulating meditation by Mark Pesce, examining the effects of the cloud on power relationships. This is a must read text. The original, which… Continue reading
UbuntoOne creates storm in free software movement
A conflict is brewing because Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu free software Linux desktop, is using the name for a closed private network as well, i.e. UbuntoOne. Autonomo.us, the blog of the free network services movement, is reporting on it here. An excerpt from Greg Grossmeier (go to the original for the links): ”… Continue reading
Vancouver enters the age of the open city
David Eaves posted this on his blog vancouver enters the age of the open city A few hours ago, Vancouver’s city government posted the agenda to a council meeting next week in which this motion will be read: MOTION ON NOTICE Open Data, Open Standards and Open Source MOVER: Councillor Andrea Reimer SECONDER: Councillor WHEREAS… Continue reading
Filesharing: the cultural flat rate as European solution for funding creatives
While the corporate and legal attacks against filesharing stack up and accelerate, delaying and complicating real solutions that can satisfy both artists and the sharing communities, there seem to be congruent developments pointing to a solution, especially accelerating in Europe. First, I would like to recommend Kevin Carson’s overview article on the issue of intellectual… Continue reading
Video:”Us Now” – How might participation change the way countries are governed?
Us Now from Banyak Films on Vimeo. A great bloke i know called Ivo Gormley made this amazing film in his spare time. I don’t how he managed to make this on weekends, but it’s an accomplished production. Film Synopsis: The founding principles of [the projects in this documentary] — transparency, self-selection, open participation —… Continue reading