Christian Siefkes * Peer Production Everywhere (was: [ox-en] Conference documentation)
- From: Stefan Merten <smerten oekonux.de>
- Date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:31:21 +0100
Hi list!
Below is the documentation from Christian's talk. The images are on
the website.
Grüße
Stefan
=== 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< ===
Peer Production Everywhere
==========================
Thoughts About a Society Based on Commons and Peer Production - And How to Get There
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commons-based Production in the Past
------------------------------------
- In many times and in many areas, production was organized around a *pool
of commons.*
* *Open Field System:* European agriculture during the Middle Ages.
* Water, air, forests and land have traditionally been "in the commons."
- *Commons* are managed and used by people, but they can't be
*private property* in the usual (modern) sense of the word.
- Garrett Hardin got it wrong: commons were not "anything goes" areas, they
were *governed by community-defined rules.*
- The true "Tragedy of the Commons" was the *enclosure of the commons*:
The commons did not collapse, they were "stolen."
Commons-based Peer Production Today
-----------------------------------
.. image:: Siefkes-what-is-pp.jpg
Traits of Peer Production
-------------------------
*(1) Peer production is based on contributions (not on exchange).* Peer
projects have a common goal and every participant *contributes* to
this goal in some way or other.
People contribute to a project because they want it to succeed, not because
they need or want to make money - it's *use value,* not *exchange
value,* that motivates them.
The effort required to reach the common goal is shared among those who care
enough to contribute *("effort sharing").*
Traits of Peer Production
-------------------------
*(2) Peer production is based on free cooperation (not on coercion or
command).* There are structures, but no command hierarchies: Nobody can
*order* others to do something, and nobody is forced to obey others.
*Structures* can and will *adapt:* If participants of a project are
unhappy about some aspects of the project they can try to convince the
others to change them. If that fails, they can still *fork* the project:
they can break away from the others and do their own thing.
Traits of Peer Production
-------------------------
*(3) Peer production is based on commons and possession (not on
property).* *Commons* such as free software and open knowledge play an
important role as input or output (or both) of peer projects.
Where things are not commons, they matter as *possession* (something that
can be *used*), not as *property* (something that can be *sold*).
The Future of Commons-based Production
--------------------------------------
- If the renaissance of commons-based production continues, what might be
the result? How might a *society based on commons and peer production*
look like?
- What can we learn from the past and present?
* Commons need *communities.*
* Communities make their own *rules* to protect and strengthen the
commons.
- A commons-based society will be based on *communities* which develop
*their own rules for creating, maintaining, and handling the commons*
they create and use.
- Production will be organized around a *pool of commons* created and
maintained by these communities.
Typical Principles of Such a Society?
-------------------------------------
*(1) Everyone can give as they like.*
- People *self-select* to do things which they consider important or which
they like to do.
- Often, the things which people like to do most are also the things they
do *best.*
- This does not mean that every contribution will be *accepted:* others
have to *trust* the contributor or convince themselves that their
contribution is sound.
Typical Principles of Such a Society?
-------------------------------------
*(2) Taking from the commons means taking something as possession, not as
property.*
- *Possession* is what I use.
- *Property* is something I can sell or commercialize at will.
- The apartment I've rented is in *my possession,* but it's the
*property of my landlord/-lady.*
- *Commons* can often become possession, but never property (in the full
sense of the word).
- In a commons-based society, the *resources and means of production are
commons.* The *produced goods are commons or possession.*
(2) Commons can become possession, but not property
---------------------------------------------------
- Without property, there is *no profit.*
- In commons-based societies, production is motivated by *other reasons*
than in capitalism:
* People help to produce *something* because *they want to have* it.
* They self-select themselves to do *tasks* which *they enjoy doing.*
* They support production in order to *give something back to the
community.*
* ...
-> There are *ample reasons* why production takes place even where there
is no profit.
Typical Principles of Such a Society?
-------------------------------------
*(3) Everyone can take commons into possession, as long as they don't take
them away from others.*
- Just like today: *everybody can freely take* free software and free
content without having to give anything back, since by taking them you
don't take them *away* from others.
- Works for everything that can be *copied at practically zero cost.*
Typical Principles of Such a Society?
-------------------------------------
*(4) If taking would mean taking away, the best way of solving this
problem is to produce enough to satisfy everybody's wishes.*
- If things cannot be copied freely, taking needs *social agreements.*
* If you and me both want to use the bicycle, who'll get it?
- It might be possible to solve such problems by *arranging production*
so as *to ensure that there are enough goods* for those who want them.
* "We need to produce another bicycle."
- If *there's enough for everyone interested,* *taking* doesn't become
*taking away.*
Typical Principles of Such a Society?
-------------------------------------
*(5) The second best way is to distribute limited goods in a fair
manner.*
- Organizing *production* requires *effort,* and the community must
find a way to distribute this effort.
- The *ideal case* is that *effort distributes itself* more or less
*spontaneously.*
* *Free software/content* are based on *stigmergic effort sharing:*
participants leave *hints* (signs - Greek: *stigmata*) motivating others
to continue:
- To-do lists, bug reports, feature requests
- Wikipedia: "red links", "most wanted articles"
- *Otherwise,* more *explicit agreements* and procedures *are
needed.*
* *BitTorrent:* the more bandwidth you provide for upload (allowing
others to get the files they want), the more bandwidth you'll get for
download (allowing yourself to get the files you want) -> *giving and
taking are coupled.*
(4[PHONE NUMBER REMOVED]) How to Share Effort and Goods?
------------------------------------
.. image:: Siefkes-allocation.jpg
(4[PHONE NUMBER REMOVED]) How to Share Effort and Goods?
------------------------------------
.. image:: Siefkes-labor-weights.jpg
(4[PHONE NUMBER REMOVED]) How to Share Effort and Goods?
------------------------------------
- Effort is shared among those who *can* contribute - if you're unable
(unwilling?) to contribute, you don't have to (everybody else will have
to contribute slightly more).
- How to share *natural resources?*
* Resources are *commons*; they are *pooled* together with goods and
tasks.
* If there is enough of a resource, it is *available for free* (since
no effort is necessary to produce it).
* Otherwise, *auctioning* might be a suitable way for resource
allocation: those who are ready to contribute most *effort* get the
right to use them.
-> By contributing more effort, you *make life easier for everybody
else,* because *all the other pool members now have to contribute
slightly less.*
* Resources are usually only available for *using,* not for *using
up.*
Typical Principles of Such a Society?
-------------------------------------
*(6) Cooperation will be organized by area and by interest, and units of
cooperation will nest and overlap as appropriate.*
- Lots of *projects* produce specific goods.
- *Local associations* of different sizes handle the things that concern
all the people living in a specific area.
- Associations and projects *cooperate* as reasonable to handle
*activities* that can be better *organized at a larger scale,* and to
*manage and share resources.*
(6) Local Cooperation
---------------------
.. image:: Siefkes-local-cooperation.jpg
(6) Cooperation Between Projects
--------------------------------
.. image:: Siefkes-distribution-pools.jpg
Typical Principles of Such a Society?
-------------------------------------
*(7) Production will take place in projects of people who work together on
an equal footing (as peers).*
- As mentioned: *Peer production* is based on *free cooperation* (not
on coercion or command): Nobody can *order* others to do something, and
nobody is forced to obey others.
- *Maintainers* only lead by example and by *convincing* others that
their proposals make sense.
- *Structures evolve:* If participants are unhappy about aspects of a
project, they can try to convince the others to change them.
- If that fails, they can *fork* the project and do their own thing.
What Difference Would It Make?
------------------------------
- *Demand-driven* instead of *profit-driven* production: production
takes place to fulfill people's *needs and desires,* *not* to *turn
money into more money.*
- Direct, loosely coordinated *cooperation* with others instead of
*buying and selling.*
- The *means of production* are *commons,* shared by all. *Nobody* is
excluded from access to the means of production and thus *forced to sell
their labor power.*
- There is *no need to out-compete others.* Instead, it makes sense to
*cooperate* with others who pursue similar goals, since doing so will
allow you to reach your goals more smoothly and with less effort.
What Difference Would It Make?
------------------------------
- Without the need to out-compete your competitors, *knowledge and
innovations will spread much faster*\ - sharing is beneficial and secrecy
is no longer required.
- No structural necessity for *endless growth:* there is no profit to
maximize, and whether or not the mass of goods (use values) increases
only depends on people's choices on how to live.
- *Little need for regulation,* since the antagonistic relations of
capitalism (between competitors, between capitalists and workers) no
longer exist - the *state* (as we know it) *becomes superfluous.*
How to Get There?
-----------------
- There are lots of promising projects and ideas:
* `Arduino <http://www.arduino.cc/>`_, `Openmoko <http://www.openmoko.com/>`_,
...
* `Appropedia <http://www.appropedia.org/>`_
* Factor E `Farm <http://openfarmtech.org/>`_
* `Open Source Fab Labs <http://www.appropedia.org/Fab_Focus>`_
* `c,mm,n <http://www.cmmn.org/>`_
* `Community-supported agriculture <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture>`_, `permaculture <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/permaculture>`_ movement /
`Permablitz <http://www.permablitz.net/>`_ initiative
* `Village Telco <http://www.villagetelco.org/>`_ / `Free Telephony
Project <http://www.rowetel.com/ucasterisk>`_
* `Wireless community networks <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_community_network>`_
* `Open Manufacturing mailing list
<http://groups.google.com/group/openmanufacturing>`_
* `Open Innovation Projects <http://open-innovation-projects.org/>`_:
collects `open design <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/open_design>`_ projects
* ...
The Struggle for Peer Production
--------------------------------
- The core challenge: *Organizing a new mode of production,* based on
commons and cooperation among peers -> this is already taking place.
The Struggle for Peer Production
--------------------------------
- Freeing the *means of production,* so they won't be used only for
purposes of companies or the state:
* *Computers and Internet access* have already been sufficiently
"common" and affordable (in the Western world, at least), to make *free
software, Wikipedia, Wireless community networks,* and *file sharing* a
reality.
* Something similar starts to become possible for *some areas of material
production* -> *decentralized on-demand production, rapid manufacturing,
permaculture*\ ...
* It's advantageous when *means of production become sufficiently
affordable* that "normal people" (or small groups of people) can buy
them.
* It's even better *when we can produce them ourselves:* so far, that's
mainly the case with digital means of production (programming
languages, compilers, and other tools for programmers and professionals
as free software). But with *open hardware projects* such as
*Arduino, Openmoko, Appropedia, Factor E Farm, Open Source Fab Labs,
Free Telephony Project* we're getting there for physical means of
production, too.
The Struggle for Peer Production
--------------------------------
- Freeing the *natural resources:* they can be bought (-> *Cost
Recovery*), or they can be freed by making them *commons* -> struggles
for public/general access to and use of natural resources (such as land)
can facilitate conditions for generalized peer production, esp. in poorer
countries.
- Freeing the *knowledge:* *free software, free culture, open access,*
and *free design* movements are already doing this.
Fights against *patents* and *other restrictive laws* (e.g. excessive
product safety regulations) are important as well, as they might make
(legal) peer production impossible, impractical, or risky.
The Struggle for Peer Production
--------------------------------
-> Access to *natural resources,* to *production knowledge* and to
*joint, peer-based production processes* decreases our dependency from
the market and from the state.
Favorable Conditions for Peer Production
----------------------------------------
- Suitable for *decentralized* production: global design, local
production.
- *Modular* approaches based on specialized components that can be
combined in versatile ways (GNU/Unix tools philosophy) -> there is
no need to re-invent the same (free) wheels again and again.
- *Low barriers of entry*\ - affordable means of production.
Organizational Models
---------------------
* Open design, *profit-driven manufacturing:* Free the design, sell the
product
-> not bad, but may be *risky,* since it automatically subjects you to
*market logic.*
* *Open Production Club:* jointly produce for the club members, everybody
can join
-> it's better to *clearly separate* the *external logic of
capitalism* (based on exchange and money), from the *internal logic of
pooling and cooperation* (where there might be coupling between giving
and taking, but never exchange).
Cost Recovery
-------------
- How do we get the money for the things we still have to buy, since we
can't produce them ourselves?
* *Pass-through:* individual users must pay their share of external
costs - would exclude those that cannot pay (unless special care is
taken of this case, e.g. through a special pool of donations).
* *Suggested contributions:* payment is voluntary, but suggested (as
used for this conference).
* *Donations:* payment is entirely voluntary (used by the `Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page>`_).
* *Membership fees:* membership may be voluntary or obligatory - in the
latter case, people who can't pay would be excluded (used by `hacker
spaces <http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Hackerspaces>`_ such as the Berlin
`c-base <http://www.c-base.org/>`_, which are also open to non-members).
* *Sponsorship:* like donations, but depends on one or a few generous
donors -> might create dependencies.
Effort Recovery
---------------
- How to ensure that production actually takes place?
* *None:* leave it entirely to individual decisions whether and how
people give back to the project/pool - as done in free software -> might
not work as well for physical production.
* *Suggested contributions:* as for cost recovery, but suggest giving
back time (effort) instead of money.
* *Couple giving and taking:* only active contributors may benefit ->
would exclude those that cannot contribute, unless special care is
taken of this case.
Resources
----------
- *Book:* Siefkes, Christian. *From Exchange to Contributions.* Edition
C. Siefkes, Berlin, 2007. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.
* *German translation:* *Beitragen statt tauschen.* AG SPAK Bücher,
Neu-Ulm, 2008. License: Creative Commons BY-SA.
- *Website:* http://peerconomy.org/
- *Group weblog:* http://www.keimform.de/
* *Articles in English:* http://www.keimform.de/category/english/