Digital/Internet commons

Hi! Yes Great idea.

there is the word version of the digital commons one that was put together and shared with the list. I was going to put some work into it to make it more of a presentable document. Like:
-Context
-Position
-recommendations / proposals

So we can integrate the questions in the end more into the context part and end with the proposals. I just tried to upload the doc but I should probably put in on the hacked

Nice! If I understand correctly you mean that we will keep the "Digital commons" one and integrate there points from the "Internet commons" to have a single document. Correct? In any case I will wait for your first draft and then help with the "Network infrastructure as a commons" part.

actually, I think we should keep the two separate ones. Maybe rename the digital commons one 'knowledge commons' - as dimities proposed earlier-to have a better separation.

Hi guys, Should we discuss the pros and cons of integrating the two?

I personally believe Platform Cooperativism is a crucial area for pre-emptive policy making. Especially in Europe, we need to act before the internet is totally destroyed by corporate platforms. Providing the startup environment for a FairBnb, a FairUber, a FairFacebook etc is very much in the interest of European know-how and technology. It would mean we don't just buy the "product" from the US, but make it here.

Where does this discussion go?

Hi, I started this thread because the part of "network infrastructure as a commons" was included in the "Digital commons" one (in addition to the "Internet commons") and I thought this was part of an effort to "merge" the two. I don't agree with this merging and I am happy to see that this was not the intention.

As for platform cooperativism, I agree that it should be part of the policy agenda. I don't agree that we should just "share the profits" or "make it here". But we can discuss this when the right "place" is created.

What I would propose is to separate between different "layers":
- network infrastructure (routers, antennas, fibre cables)
- platforms, data (ownership, rights, etc)
- software (algorithmic manipulation, participatory design)
- content (knowledge sharing, copyright, etc)

Or something like this ...

see also my comment at the end of the "Digital commons" hackpad: https://europeancommonsassembly.hackpad.com/Digital-Commons-Knowledge-management-Wh4AcAimN6n

Please, I don't know how you jumped to these conclusions about what I said. Should I restate it? Firstly, the various imaginary platform coops I listed (FairBnb..) would be exactly that - coops in which the benefits of cooperation on common resources goes back to the commons (no fake "sharing economy" here). Secondly, I am thinking that we can motivate European policy makers to see the internet commons as a great chance (rather than a mere inhibition of corporate power and profits and lucrative deals), as Europe has comparatively few corporate platforms of its own. For better or worse, their job is to promote "Europe". Of course we are not constrained by this geography, but we have to consider their incentives.

As to dividing up the topics, I am not well enough versed in policy area-demarcations to understand what works best.

The "share the profits" is the main narrative of FairBnb, etc. and the "make it here" was a quote from your text :-) (in any case, I was referring to those as general concepts behind platform cooperativism as I have understood it, and not necessarily your opinion).

I don't think is the right place to discuss this, but just to make clear what I meant I copy a small text from a recent report on my experience from Moneylab #3 where Trebor Scholz presented the main idea:

"As for platform cooperativism and basic income, they don't seem to me
radical enough solutions, despite the huge effort required to make them
work decently. // Especially for platform cooperativism, I find very dangerous that the main focus is on "sharing the profits" rather than changing, radically, the way that platforms work. // My opinion is that if it succeeds, it will only make things worse in terms of data gathering, online addiction and algorithmic exploitation, since all these are necessary to compete with the "siren servers" .... and for increasing profits. // At least the "online workers" will also benefit from the destruction of their society!"