Commons transition: what about the IT infrastructure?

I'd say that it should be in a P2P way ? Either small pieces connected to small pieces.
However it there only way is a big one, then, although difficult, it should be build with all peer stakeholders.

Now, putting optical fiber cables down the ocean is another problem (or launching a telecommunication satellite), but maybe there are other ways?

If all that's left is turning big corporate corporations in charge of the internet biggest infrastructure into cooperatives, then it means we've achieved a lot IMHO.

Meanwhile, I'd think the best way is a middle one: pursue both path of pushing for more commoning and building/Rebuilding commons from the ground up where transforation of private assets into commons is too difficult and slow.

"Don't fight a broken system, create a new one and let the old die" (Buckminster Fuller is I recall correctly). If people start to use a commons instead of a capitalistic resource, then it's a form of boycot and non-violent action, then the capitalistic enterprise might consider switching gear (after all, if its stakeholders and employees want to survive, it would turn out as a "best then nothing" alternative).

Unlimited growth won't last long, so employees will come to other form of economy sooner or later. The sooner we build alternative, the more prepared they (we !) will be.

Maybe the P2P Foundation wiki has a place to collate the dispersed information for a starter? @michelbauwens1 might know an entry point ? Or a place where this work (or similar) happens already?

http://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Category:Technology looks promising, including section 8.1 (though a bit short in content IMHO)

or perhaps even more focused on the topic, https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Category:P2P_Infrastructure which leads also to https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Alternative_Internet_Projects

dear Nicolas,

You mean basic info about the p2p and the p2p foundation ?

Michel

@michelbauwens1 : we are looking for a place to gather links to initiatives aimed at building IT commons, and maybe co-organized in order to further grow relations between those initiatives (ultimate non-realistic goal: build an alternative Internet infrastructure ;)

@Others: did I summarize properly?

@nicolasstampf yes that is certainly one aspect of our vision! I would enjoy other reflections on what we are trying to do. My personal perspective is that it would be a good start to build a coherent knowledge commons -- e.g. on a wiki -- where we can separate and relate all the various components of an IT infrastructure, and then (a) where we already have workable commons solutions, disseminate the knowledge and encourage their implementation; (b) where we don't, bring that up in our awareness so that we can apply our creativity to thinking through and experimenting.

perhaps Josef, in cc, can help ?

Obviously we all pay a fortune for our internet connection collectively. All we need do is redirect that spend, buy what we need, & run it as a public utility. . . . . simple ,. . . . . maybe it is. Frankly, that's all we need to do with anything that is currently controlled for profit. I'm not sure why we put up with it.

Actually, B4RN https://b4rn.org.uk/about-us/ is not particularly cheaper than other providers. Every household pays £30 per month, for a very fast service (upload particularly is awesome, as the bandwidth is symmetric). Very few people do this, but it means that it is feasible to run a web server from home, which few other services make practical. That's the real peer potential of an arrangement like ours.

The income stream goes to (a) the admin and technical team (b) will be towards paying off investors, then in the long run (c) community benefit. Barry Forde has often said that when the initial investment is paid off, he hopes we will continue paying our £30 per month, with the surplus going to benefit the community. There may be an alternative option to reduce the cost.