April 2011 - P2P-Foundation - lists.ourproject.org

presenting a new zeitgeist-type of documentary to our blog
by Michel Bauwens 06 Apr '11

06 Apr '11

I'm hoping to find a volunteer to present this one, seems worth watching: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2em1x2j9-o -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens

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Why Fukushima made me stop worrying and love nuclear power
by M. Fioretti 06 Apr '11

06 Apr '11

Greetings, Please have a look at the article with that title: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/21/pro-nuclear-japan-fukus… I'm not entirely convinced about it myself. However, I think that it is very good food for thought, and above all would like to hear the opinion of those list members who have had many more occasions than me to study the most recent pros and cons of "local energy" about how Monbiot deals with it in that piece. TIA, Marco -- Online Course for Digital Citizens, because your rights depend on how software is used *around* you: http://mfioretti.com/node/129

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European Copyright Law: Collusion for the Control of the Net
by Michel Bauwens 06 Apr '11

06 Apr '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: La Quadrature du Net <jz(a)laquadrature.net> Date: Tue, Apr 5, 2011 at 8:55 PM Subject: [opennetcoalition] La Quadrature du Net - For immediate release To: opennetcoalition(a)laquadrature.net (please forward to your contacts in the European Commission) La Quadrature du Net - For immediate release Permanent link: http://www.laquadrature.net/en/european-copyright-law-collusion-for-the-con… European Copyright Law: Collusion for the Control of the Net *** Tomorrow, a college meeting of the European Commissioners will take place to decide the future of European copyright policy. This revision takes place in conditions that raise severe concerns from a democratic perspective and put fundamental rights at risk, especially when it comes to the Internet. *** The "Internal Market" General Directorate, under the responsibility of French Commissioner Michel Barnier, just completed a public consultation process. This consultation took the form of comments on a report purporting to be an “impact assessment” of the European copyright enforcement policy, and of the 2004/48/CE “IPRED” directive, also known as the Fourtou directive [1]. In reality, this document recycles arguments and proposals directly fed by the entertainment industry: that culture is on the verge of demise due to on-line piracy, and that the only solution lies in more repressive measures specifically targeting the Internet. This obsession with repression is clear when one also considers that the Commission secretly negotiated the ACTA anti-counterfeiting agreement over a three-year period with 12 other countries. Disguised as a basic trade agreement, ACTA actually compels its signatories to create criminal sanctions for copyright and patent infringements, again with a particular focus on activities taking place on the Internet. After the failure of mass-repression against online file-sharers, these same interest groups are now attempting to put repressive policies at the core of the network. By turning technical intermediaries (access providers, online service providers) into a private copyright police, these intermediaries would then be compelled to censor their networks and services by filtering their users' communications to prevent potential infringements. Such a reversal of the legal framework would inevitably cause severe harm to fundamental freedoms, and in particular the right to privacy and to freedom of expression. By encouraging the circumvention of judicial authorities in order to set up direct blocking and filtering of the Internet and its services, European decision-makers would be laying the ground for a censorship infrastructure similar to that used for political purposes in authoritarian regimes. Such a policy would run decisively contrary to our democratic values and the rule of law. It can only be explained by the blindness – if not the laziness – of European policy-makers listening solely to those segments of the entertainment industry whose economic models are still based on controlling copies. The Commission continues for instance to relay industry-originated figures that the U. S. Government Accountability Office has described in a recent report [2] as mere fantasy. Any consideration of the fact that file-sharing could be beneficial for culture, its diversity or its economy, is systematically set aside. A growing number of independent studies nonetheless show that the largest file-sharers are also the largest consumers of commercial offerings [3] – in the same way that lending library users are avid book buyers. Non-market use and commercial use are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary. In much the same way, innovative models for financing creation based on the legalisation of sharing, such as "Kulturflatrate" or "Creative Contribution" supported in France by the Création-Public-Internet [4] coalition, are systematically ignored by European decision-makers. The toxic influence of the entertainment industry on the European law-making process is now reaching new extremes with the appointment of Maria Martin-Prat, previously in charge of legal and institutional matters with the musical majors lobby IFPI, as head of the copyright unit in the Internal Market DG of the European Commission. European citizens and their representatives must adamantly oppose this unhealthy collusion threatening fundamental freedoms and the Internet's very infrastructure. It is unforgivable that the Commission has chosen to encourage the implementation of an Internet control and censorship infrastructure, rather than initiate the long overdue reform of copyright laws unadapted to new uses and technology. Jérémie Zimmermann and Philippe Aigrain, co-founders, La Quadrature du Net * Références * 1. It was adopted in first reading with Ms. Janelly Fourtou acting as rapporteur for the European Parliament, while her husband was then CEO of Vivendi-Universal and presided the International Chamber of Commerce that engaged in a global lobbying effort today embodied in the BASCAP lobby. 2. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/04/us-government-finally-admit… 3. A non exhaustive list of such studies (governmental, academic, or even from the French three-strike HADOPI authority!) may be found at the following address: http://lqdn.fr/p2pstudies 4. http://www.creationpublicinternet ** About la Quadrature du Net ** La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that promotes the rights and freedoms of citizens on the Internet. More specifically, it advocates for the adaptation of French and European legislations to respect the founding principles of the Internet, most notably the free circulation of knowledge. In addition to its advocacy work, the group also aims to foster a better understanding of legislative processes among citizens. Through specific and pertinent information and tools, La Quadrature du Net hopes to encourage citizens' participation in the public debate on rights and freedoms in the digital age. La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, European and international NGOs including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society Institute and Privacy International. List of supporting organisations : http://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-squaring-net-la-quadrature-du-n… ** Press contact and press room ** Jérémie Zimmermann, jz(a)laquadrature.net, +33 (0)615 940 675 http://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room _______________________________________________ Opennetcoalition mailing list Opennetcoalition(a)laquadrature.net http://laquadrature.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/opennetcoalition -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens

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Fwd: [opennetcoalition] Voting For a Free and Open Wireless Internet
by Michel Bauwens 06 Apr '11

06 Apr '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: La Quadrature du Net <jz(a)laquadrature.net> Date: Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 12:10 AM Subject: [opennetcoalition] Voting For a Free and Open Wireless Internet To: opennetcoalition(a)laquadrature.net Permanent link: http://www.laquadrature.net/en/voting-for-a-free-and-open-wireless-internet Voting For a Free and Open Wireless Internet *** Next Tuesday, April 12th, the EU Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) will hold a major vote for the future of wireless communications in the European Union. By amending the radio spectrum policy programme proposed by the European Commission, Members of the Parliament have an opportunity to boost wireless Internet access. By encouraging shared and unlicensed uses of the spectrum, they can create the next generation of WiFi networks that will improve access to the Internet in urban as well as rural communities, and launch the next wave of innovation in mobile communications. But the risk is for Europe to give in to media or telecoms corporations who would like to control the airwaves – a public resource. La Quadrature calls on EU citizens and NGOs to step into this important debate on the future of our communications system, which forms the structure of our democratic societies. *** In Europe, the debate on Net neutrality is still unsettled, but policy-makers are already considering a legislative proposal that could have far-reaching consequences. A few months ago, the Commission proposed the first European radio spectrum policy programme. The goal is to adopt a EU-wide framework to decide how airwaves should be used in our increasingly digital world. Spectrum (the whole range of radio-electric frequencies available for wireless communications) is a resource that digital technology has rendered relatively abundant. Yet, some interest groups would like to keep it artificially scarce, by reserving it for the broadcasters' few-to-many [1] approach or the inefficient but controlled mobile telecommunications networks [2]. At this point, EU lawmakers are keen on expanding uses for electronic communications operated by telcos (3G and 4G mobile networks), while allowing media broadcasters (TV and radio channels) to sell their licenses to use airwaves. For now, public debate has been shaped by the positions of telecoms operators and broadcasters. The voice of the public interest must be heard. A third way must be encouraged. In order to push for the development of very fast and decentralized Internet wireless networks, more spectrum must be shared among all users so as to create a free and open wireless Internet, as opposed to airwaves managed by one entity, be it a media broadcaster or a telecoms operator. Such unlicensed uses could lead to city or village-wide public networks, allowing any citizen or business to communicate through the Internet in order to send and receive the content, applications and services of their choice, without risking being slowed down or blocked by any operator. Such deployments would be key to connecting remote or rural areas and bridging the “digital divide”. To boost access to inclusive communications and foster innovation, the EU must expand new shared and unlicensed uses of the spectrum. La Quadrature has started analyzing the amendments tabled on the proposals by the Members of the ITRE committee. Some are very good [3], encouraging the use of so-called “white spaces”, that is to say frequencies attributed to broadcasters but that are left unused and can be used to build super-WiFi networks (amendments 233, 251). This is particularly important for EU competitiveness: as the United-States moves towards opening white-spaces to unlicensed uses to create a new generation of wireless networks4, Europe runs the risk of lagging behind if it does not follow the same path. Other amendments call on exploring smart wireless technologies, which also allows for the construction of highly decentralized meshed networks, thus giving Internet access to citizens and businesses in rural or remote areas, that are often neglected – if not abandoned – by telecoms operators (amendments 33, 271, 395) . Help us analyze the amendements and step in the debate by getting in touch with representatives in the ITRE committee! Help them understand the benefits of free airwaves for democracy and innovation. For more background on this new form of spectrum management, see: Yochai Benkler, 2002, “Some Economics of Wireless Communications”, Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, vol. 16. Address: http://www.benkler.org/Pub.html#Spectrum. * Références * 1. As opposed to a "many-to-many" communications system, such as the Internet 2. Note that most mobile operators' current "“wireless Internet access” offers patently violate the principle of Net neutralityNote that most mobile operators' current "“wireless Internet access” offers patently violate the principle of Net neutrality 3. The best amendments are the following: Amendment 33: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 75: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 122: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 233: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 245: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 251: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 254: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 256: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 271: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 341 and 342: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 357: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 373: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… Amendment 395: http://www.laquadrature.net/wiki/Spectrum_Policy_Programme_Amendments#Amend… ** About la Quadrature du Net ** La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that promotes the rights and freedoms of citizens on the Internet. More specifically, it advocates for the adaptation of French and European legislations to respect the founding principles of the Internet, most notably the free circulation of knowledge. In addition to its advocacy work, the group also aims to foster a better understanding of legislative processes among citizens. Through specific and pertinent information and tools, La Quadrature du Net hopes to encourage citizens' participation in the public debate on rights and freedoms in the digital age. La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, European and international NGOs including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society Institute and Privacy International. List of supporting organisations : http://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-squaring-net-la-quadrature-du-n… ** Press contact and press room ** Jérémie Zimmermann, jz(a)laquadrature.net, +33 (0)615 940 675 http://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room _______________________________________________ Opennetcoalition mailing list Opennetcoalition(a)laquadrature.net http://laquadrature.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/opennetcoalition -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens

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Fwd: state of FLOSS for open currencies in 2010
by Michel Bauwens 06 Apr '11

06 Apr '11

the interview below, an updated assessment of free softwaref or open money, will be published on the 13th, Michel Q: Matthew, about 9 months ago you wrote an overview of the state of free software programs dedicated to open money projects ( http://matslats.net/ijccr-software-review) and complementary currencies, which carried a number of critical conclusions. In this interview, I'd like to represent some of your salient conclusions, and let you elaborate on whether the situation has improved or not. And what do you think would be prioritary actions right now. > >> First conclusion: Cc activists are trawling the net trying to work out >> what each software package does, how they compare, and which is best for >> them. The only information available to them is in the form of a few poorly >> maintained lists on the web with no review and no attempts at balanced >> comparisons. Implementers find themselves sifting through lists including >> dead projects, ready rolled services, and hard-core applications and there >> is very little actual information from users' perspectives. > > >> This is still the situation. In fact software is only one of the needs of >> people looking to start CCs. The real problem is that there's no real centre >> to the movement except perhaps the man himself, Bernard Lietaer. Successful >> complementary currency projects are subtle and difficult, and there is much >> knowledge to share about them. The same mistakes are being made time and >> again. Newcomers to the movement need to be usshered towards a community of >> implementers who have the knowledge and experience of software and currency >> design and the plethora of other processes involved. This is called a >> 'Community of Practice'. There's an initiative I'm involved with now (though >> as ever we are working with zero resources) to rebuild >> complementarycurrency.org as a 'Community of Practice' web site, but >> until then, the only real focal point is a permanent Skype chat run by 'King >> of Ning' Les Squires. This is why I took up the <a href="http://ccmag.net">CC >> Magazine</a>. Back to the question, I've not yet seen or successfully >> solicited a comparative review between the major open source complementary >> currency accounting packages. I mean Cyclos, CES, Drupal, and GETS. I can't >> write one myself because my conclusion that Drupal is the best might be >> prejudiced by the fact that I'm the developer. > > Right now, to share knowledge and build coherence in the movement, we >> need:<ul> > > <li>a volunteer who will build that Community of Practice site, and someone >> with suitable experience then to cultivate it</li> > > <li>more attention paid to the production and promotion of the CC Mag (I'm >> not the best person to edit it)</li> > > <li>more practitioners writing for the CC Mag</li></ul> > > >> Second conclusion: One of the major barriers to achieving scale in a >> decentralised mutual credit economy is the fundamental inability of members >> of currency groups to exchange value between groups. however it is critical >> for the usefulness of the network that members be able to trade outside >> their local groups. > > >> This is still very much the case. Some people think that local currencies >> should stay local, and I agree, insofar as there is a local economy for the >> currency to denominate. In the developed world, however, the local economy >> is completely marginal. As we have seen time and again, compared to a >> national currency, a currency that can only be spent locally is not very >> useful or compelling, except to idealists. There are many ways this could >> play out, but I see every locality having a medium of exchange mutual credit >> currency like a LETS or a timebanks, but denominated in the universal and >> egalitarian measure of time; those currencies will be interchangable with >> time-currencies from other areas. This is not the same as having a unified >> time currency because each locality will have to maintain a balance of >> trade. CES is already doing this, and I'm working with them and Community >> Forge to make 'intertrading' open to other projects. Participation will >> involve meeting some kind of currency integrity standards. > > Right now, to make digital local currencies more useful and portable we >> need:<ul> > > <li>A developer with an understanding of web APIs and perhaps some >> knowledge of Drupal</li> > > <li>Manpower to help build CES from the ground up</li> > > </ul> > > >> Third conclusion: there is almost zero investment in software itself, any >> investment is always directed at implementations, and most of the software >> is built by busy people in their spare time. The movement is hardly >> organised enough to use its own issued money for funding (hat tip to CES), >> yet it needs highly professional skills to advance. ... Almost all the >> software under discussion is still dependent on the altruist who initiated >> it, and has been unable to professionalise. No investment means no staff, no >> reliability, no guarantees for the future. A viable business model needs to >> be established for a CC software project. > > >> I no longer bow to the prevailing dictates that every roadsign and >> hospital bed must pay for itself. Financial infrastructure should be a >> service provided by government. (When I say government, I don't mean the >> overpaid lackeys that serve the financial elites today, rather I mean that >> the economy should be kept in check by an electorate versed in financial >> literacy.) So I'm no longer thinking about a business model because any >> profit incentive would pervert the work that I think needs to be done. In my >> opinion. > > So saying, while in USA I met with Xchange Stewards, who are working to >> remodel the Business to Business (B2B) barter industry. They are investing >> everything up front, but they at least plan a viable business once the >> software is salable. > > Transition Towns, working with New Economics Foundation in UK have put out >> a tender for a large contract to implement transition currencies. They were >> almost ready to invest in new software, but they also needed to deploy >> soon, so they're playing it safe with Cyclos, though the cost of adding >> bells and whistles later will be large. > > I made the point above because I need to live while I do this work. I am >> now scraping by almost entirely from grass roots donations from Community >> For<li>ge communities, which is great, but while I'm still programming >> alone, and I'm running to stand still. <strong>Community Forge is actively >> seeking no strings cash and in-kind donations that can be used to >> accommodate and feed volunteer software developers to work new grass roots >> monetary tools</strong>. > > I step back and I find it incredible that, of all the things that money is >> spent on, next to nothing is being invested on developing workable, just >> sustainable alternatives to this 'worst of all possible' designs* we take so >> for granted, even as it is falling down around us. The few people calling >> for, and investing in real alternatives and real innovation, are absolutely >> on the margins of the discussion. All the talk and the investment, is in a >> zombie that died in 2008. > > Right now, to enable any community to reduce their reliance on scarce and >> damaging commercially produced debt-money:<ul> > > <li>Community Forge needs to replicate its work with the LETS in South >> Belgium, by going to other countries and building relationships with the >> activists there.</li> > > <li>We also need to get intertrading working better so the movement can >> better channel its own resources</li> > > </ul> > > > > Fourth conclusion: > > There is much talk about 'virtual' currencies. These may broadly fit the >> definition of complementary currencies, but they offer none of the benefits >> which we are concerned with. Some are direct proxies for hard currencies >> which are paid for in advance, and then spent on virtual objects in social >> networks and games. Virtual currency tools such as the Opensocial API could >> be used build a CC ecosystem. Facebook makes an obvious platform for a >> complementary currency. One proposal on my back burner is a mutual credit >> bank, which would offer secure hosting of many currencies via an API. > > >> The big banks understand what P2P technologies mean for their business >> model and they are investing to understand and control the Next Thing, >> whatever it is. They know that the developed economies are about to drown in >> debt, that more democratic and sustainable alternatives are within reach, >> and that they need to act if they are to retain their choke-hold on the >> other 99%. The real cost of digital money transfer is almost zero. There is >> a load of venture captial going into new payment systems and online wallets >> and virtual gold. [Link to DGC mag] A lot of people are trying to make a lot >> of money by positioning themselves in the next paradigm. Facebook (working >> with Goldman Sachs) is clearly trying to carve themselves out a piece. I >> agree that global social network is an ideal platform but no informed >> consciencious person would partner with a tool like Mark Zuckerberg! I would >> love to see investment in Diaspora as a monetary platform, but I have no >> resources with which to speculate on a project which isn't even launched. > > Regarding the mutual credit bank, I'm working towards this slowly, with >> version 3 of my Drupal module. The accounting can be done into a remote >> database, which means that Community Forge, or whoever, could provide a >> service, via an open API, to host transaction logs with high security and >> availability. When any web application can be given read or write access to >> those logs, then you don't have to log into to one particular site to record >> transactions. Each member could have their own payment widgets on their own >> sites. At present rates it will be a while before we get to that. > > Right now, in order to distinguish P2P money from devious and extractive >> new instruments, we need</li> > > <li>to talk ad nauseam in public about debt money, commodity money, and >> mutual credit, about centralised authority and P2P trust networks</li> > > <li>to stand up for the Liberty Dollar, whose founder just got 15 years on >> incorrect counterfeit charges and vague 'terrorism' fears</li> > > <li>to work with our local communities to start mutual credit systems - >> that's free money as against money we pay interest for. > > >> In conclusion, the largest changes since I wrote that paper have been in >> my own knowledge and understanding. I stand by all I said before. It is >> frustrating for me, seeing clearly how almost all the world's problems boil >> down to the design and the pervasiveness money, and seeing this point so >> often missed and overlooked by economists politicians and commentators, none >> of whom are offering solutions. The problem of money is still not being >> communicated. Despite proven successes, complementary currencies have a >> patchy history, and governments regard them with suspicion everywhere except >> South America. Through Community Forge I'm able to reach and help some of >> the grass roots organisations that do understand, but it seems so little >> when whole countries are sinking underwater. Many organisations are coming >> to us for help, but few people are coming to offer help. And when they do, >> we don't even have time to manage them. The movement is growing, but not as >> fast as the economy is diving, and not as fast, I fear, as the money addicts >> are finding new ways to part us from it. > > -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens

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Re: [P2P-F] FW: New Book: The Philosophy of Software: Code and Mediation in the Digital Age
by Michel Bauwens 06 Apr '11

06 Apr '11

thanks Phoebe! On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 4:18 PM, Phoebe Moore <P.Moore(a)salford.ac.uk> wrote: > Hi Michel > > This looks interesting!! > > Phoebe > > Dr. Phoebe Moore > Lecturer in International Relations & International Political Economy > Programme Leader, MA in International Relations and Globalisation > MA coursefinder: http://www.salford.ac.uk/course-finder/course/1779 < > http://www.salford.ac.uk/course-finder/course/1779> > Profile: http://www.espach.salford.ac.uk/page/Phoebe_Moore < > http://www.espach.salford.ac.uk/page/Phoebe_Moore> > http://www.seek.salford.ac.uk/publishProfile.do < > http://www.seek.salford.ac.uk/publishProfile.do> > > ________________________________ > > From: Media, Communications and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA) on > behalf of David Berry > Sent: Mon 04/04/2011 4:12 PM > To: MECCSA(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK > Subject: New Book: The Philosophy of Software: Code and Mediation in the > Digital Age > > > > > Colleagues, > > I would just like to take this opportunity to let you know that my new > monograph is available called The Philosophy of Software: Code and Mediation > in the Digital Age (Palgrave Macmillan), ISBN 9780230244184, 216 pages. > > http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=395958 > > See below for further information. > > Best regards > > David Berry > > --- > > Contents > > Acknowledgements > 1. The Idea of Code > 2. What is Code? > 3. Reading and Writing Code > 4. Running Code > 5. Towards a Phenomenology of Computation > 6. Real-Time Streams > Bibliography > Index > > Review > > 'This is a beautifully written book that pulls off the difficult task of > introducing the subject of software and the workings of code to the non > specialist whilst also providing an original take of the philosophical and > the cultural importance of Code in contemporary culture.' > - Michael Bull, University of Sussex, UK > > Product Description > > The Philosophy of Software is a critical introduction to the subject of > code and software, and develops an understanding of its social and > philosophical implications in the digital age. The book has been written > specifically for people interested in the subject from a non-technical > background and provides a lively and interesting analysis of these new media > forms. The book argues that software is a tangle, a knot, which ties > together the physical and the ephemeral, the material and the ethereal, into > a complete system that can be controlled and directed. However, software > exceeds our ability to place limits on its entanglement, for it has in the > past decade entered the everyday home through electronic augmentation that > has replaced the mechanical world of the twentieth century. From washing > machines to central heating systems, children's toys to television and > video; the old electro-magnetic and servo-mechanical world is being > revolutionised by the silent logic of virtual devices. It is time, > therefore, to examine our virtual situation. > > > http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0230244181/ref=kinw_rke_rti_1 > > > > > --- > > Dr. David M. Berry > Department of Political and Cultural Studies > Room JC015 > James Callaghan Building > Swansea University > Singleton Campus > Swansea > SA2 8PP > > Tel: 01792 602633 > > http://www.swan.ac.uk/staff/academic/ArtsHumanities/berryd/ > > -------------------------------------------------------- > MeCCSA mailing list > -------------------------------------------------------- > To manage your subscription or unsubscribe from the MECCSA list, please > visit: > https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=MECCSA&A=1 > ------------------------------------------------------- > MeCCSA is the subject association for the field of media, communication and > cultural studies in UK Higher Education. Membership is open to all who teach > and research these subjects in HE institutions, via either institutional or > individual membership. The field includes film and TV production, > journalism, radio, photography, creative writing, publishing, interactive > media and the web; and it includes higher education for media practice as > well as for media studies. > > This mailing list is a free service from MeCCSA and is not restricted to > members. > > For further information, please visit: http://www.meccsa.org.uk/ > -------------------------------------------------------- > -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens

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Fwd: Participatory Studies.Com
by Michel Bauwens 06 Apr '11

06 Apr '11

Check this web site (www.participatorystudies.com) recently launched by Zayin Neumann, an advanced doctoral students at CIIS writing a participatory dissertation. If you want to correct anything or send him staff, please contact him directly at zayin(a)freedomtoinhabit.com. -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens

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OKCon 2011: Call for Participation
by Daniel Dietrich 05 Apr '11

05 Apr '11

Dear all, As you might know, we're busily preparing the schedule for this year's Open Knowledge Conference - OKCon, which is going to be in Berlin on the 31st June and 1st July. We're really excited about this year's event - so much has happened in the last 12 months! Also, it would be *fantastic* to have presentations, workshops, discussions or lightening talks from people on this list - there's so much activity in the field, it would be great to get a bit of a taster of all your work. I've attached a short PDF version of the Call for Participation, and if you haven't already seen it you can check out the full version at http://okcon.org/2011/cfp/ The submissions form is at http://okcon.org/2011/submit/ Looking forward to meeting lots of you in Berlin! Please get in touch with us at okcon(a)okfn.org if you have any questions or suggestions. Registration is open at: registration: http://okcon2011.eventbrite.com/ All the best Daniel -- Daniel Dietrich The Open Knowledge Foundation Promoting Open Knowledge in a Digital Age www.okfn.org - www.opendefinition.org Mail: daniel.dietrich(a)okfn.org Mobil: +49 171 780 870 3 Skype: ddie22 Twitter: @ddie

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Fwd: Call for Applications - Eco-Chic Conference
by Michel Bauwens 05 Apr '11

05 Apr '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: European Science Foundation <conferences-info(a)esf.org> Date: Tue, Apr 5, 2011 at 3:16 PM Subject: Call for Applications - Eco-Chic Conference To: Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004(a)gmail.com> Eco-Chic: Connecting Ethical, Sustainable and Elite Consumption Researchers from the Social Sciences and Humanities are invited to participate in the *Eco-Chic: Connecting Ethical, Sustainable and Elite Consumption* Conference. This conference is organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF) in partnership with the Linköping University. The conference will take place on *10 - 14 October 2011* at Scandic Linköping Vast, Linköping, Sweden. Submission Deadline: *30 June 2011* *Grants for Young and Early Stage Researchers available.* Further information can be found below and at: www.esf.org/conferences/11361<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/2930e64dd8383fa7ed90dbe49724c89f?pa=3305277…> [image: 2011-361img] *Eco-Chic: Connecting Ethical, Sustainable and Elite Consumption* 10 - 14 October 2011 *Chaired by:* *Dr. Rivke Jaffe*, Leiden University, NL *Dr. Bart Barendregt*, Leiden University, NL * Programme* This conference analyses the recent emergence, in Europe and beyond, of new forms of ethical, sustainable and elite consumption and the associated social movements, identity politics and processes of commodification. It approaches these shifts as an emerging cultural complex termed ‘eco-chic’. Eco-chic is both the product of and a move against globalization processes. It is a set of practices, an ideological frame and a marketing strategy, that have emerged in a wide range of socio-geographical loci. This conference addresses the following questions: - What forms does eco-chic assume in Western and non-Western contexts, and to what extent does form rely on the specific local context? - Why is it now, at this particular moment in advanced capitalism, that eco-chic become so popular in the formulation of new identities? - Can eco-chic, with its mix of consumption and idealism, make a genuine contribution to solving the main problems of our time? In other words, does it contribute to sustainable development or will it remain limited to consumerist identity politics? [More]<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/7f3350462948bc6eb9135ba7f9962386?pa=3305277…> *Invited speakers will include* *Robert Foster*- University of Rochester, US Shaking the global commodity chain? Coca-Cola® and the politics of consumer citizenship *Michele Micheletti* - Stockholm University, SE The Eco-chicness of sustainable citizenship *Gert Spaargaren* - Wageningen University, NL The chic and the ordinary: On the cultural dimension of sustainable consumption *Martin Mowforth* - Plymouth University, UK Fair trade and other fashion-conscious labels in tourism *Mike Goodman* - King’s College London, UK iSustainability: Defining politics in a 'post-greenwash' era *Stefano Ponte* - Danish Institute for International Studies, DK From conscious to compassionate consumption: Labels, celebrities and everyday "heroic shopping" *Ivonne Vizcarra Bordi* - Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, MX Nostalgia welfare consumption in Mexico: The return of native maize in a globalized world * How to Participate* Attendance is possible only after successful application. Full conference programme and application form accessible from www.esf.org/conferences/11361<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/2930e64dd8383fa7ed90dbe49724c89f?pa=3305277…> A certain number of grants are available for students and early stage researchers to cover the conference fee and possibly part of the travel costs. Closing date for applications: *30 June 2011* * Sponsor a Conference* This conference will be providing the opportunity for leading scientists and young researchers to meet for discussions on the most recent developments in their fields of research. We enable collaboration between international scientists from EU, first world and emerging countries which acts as a catalyst for creating new synergistic global contacts across disciplines. We invite you to join us in harnessing this great potential, working towards an even more cohesive scientific force in Europe and beyond by contributing to our intense, dynamic and fun events. If you are interested, please visit our Sponsor Resource Center page: www.esf.org/activities/esf-conferences/sponsor-resource-center.html<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/5c1ae23e83c66c9ee369b28001a144d7?pa=3305277…> *Why did I receive this mail?* This call for abstract was sent to you because the programme committee thought that this event would be of interest to you. If you would like to be kept informed about ESF conferences and calls for papers, please use the following link to *subscribe to the mailing list<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/f83036cbfabb79f0f490409c0166cc4b?pa=3305277…> * If you do not want to receive any more updates about research conferences in your scientific domain, please use the link below to *unsubscribe*. [image: facebook]<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/e473a3652fd55e5a308851c920d07069?pa=3305277…> [image: linkedin]<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/c5235e0f3dee205ed21c81918e4117f1?pa=3305277…> [image: skype] <callto://ESF+Conferences+Unit> [image: twitter]<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/935cfcc2d2abe3061af277062606e227?pa=3305277…> [image: youtube]<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/3713b654ab3012d28f78914812bc2cbf?pa=3305277…> ©2011 European Science Foundation, Conferences Unit | 149 avenue Louise | B-1050 Brussels | www.esf.org/conferences This email was sent to michelsub2004(a)gmail.com. To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. View this email on the web here <http://mim.io/a262f?fe=1&pact=3305277275>. You can also forward to a friend<http://go.madmimi.com/forward/3305277275?amx=340257421> . Unsubscribe<http://go.madmimi.com/opt_out?fe=1&pact=3305277275&amx=340257421> Powered by Mad Mimi<http://madmimi.com/?fe=1&pact=3305277275&utm_source=European+Science+Founda…>® -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens

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the new price for all e-books: 99 cents
by Michel Bauwens 05 Apr '11

05 Apr '11

http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2011/03/99_cent_books.php? must read for the coop publishing venture, Michel -- P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss: http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation Updates: http://del.icio.us/mbauwens; http://friendfeed.com/mbauwens; http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens

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