commons

Writing a thesis on a topic like "Open Culture" is a risky proposition. At best, it's a cloudy term, subject to misinterpretation and demanding a precise explanation. Since my primary interest is in open source software, I could have written a narrower thesis on copyright vs. copyleft. I certainly considered it.  Read More »

The Library of Congress recently joined the photo sharing website Flickr. So far, "The Commons" pilot program has added 3,100 photos available free of charge and have tagged them as without any "known copyright restrictions." The goal, according to the program's Flickr page, is to provide a "... a model that other cultural institutions would pick up, to share and redistribute the myriad collections held by  Read More »

David Bollier's first book, Silent Theft, explored the historical development of commons and how the concept of commons can be used to approach contemporary policy and economic issues. In Silent Theft, Bollier asserts that commons are both tangible assets (like land, minerals, etc.) and intangible wealth (like copyrights and cultural resources). By reaffirming our collective ownership of these common resources we can alter the discourse surrounding property rights and ultimately create a more complex understanding of the market.  Read More »

There's been a growing buzz about Virgil Griffith's WikiScanner for several weeks, but it didn't catch my eye -- or ear -- until I listened today to an Aug 22 podcast from the Chronicle of Higher Ed, featuring an interview of Griffith himself.  Read More »