ening up the ne

nd inefficient operating systems such as Microsoft Windows that this process produces, a global community of programmers decided to find a better development philosophy for themselves. They founded one based in the original values of the shareware software development community, co

nd improve upon each other's work. Rather than competing they collaborate, and don't hide the way their programs work. As a result,

it. Very often, as in the case of computer software, this also depends on open standards so that the code is accessible to all. But it is also true of many other systems. If those who hope to engage in the revision of our societal models are not educated by those who developed what is already in place, the

l as avenues for active participation in them. If no one is invited then the first harbingers of emergent paradigms will be those who have been motivated to train themselves in spite of the obstacles set i

the new context of our networked reality. It will require us to assume, at least temporarily, that nothing at all is too sacred to be questioned, r

e free to discover that the codes of the software have been arranged by people, sometimes with agendas that hadn't formerly been apparent. One of the most widespread realizations accompanying the current renaissance is that a lot of what has been taken for granted as 'hardware' is, in fact, 'software' capable of being reprogrammed. They tend to begin to view everything that was formerly set in stone - from medical practices to the Bible - as s

feeling capable of writing the law: adhering to the map, to understanding the map, to drawing our own. At the very least, we are aware that the ch

nal models, from slime mould to WTO protests, seem better able to address today's participatory sensibility. Indeed, the age of irony may be over, not just because the American dream has been interrupted by terrorism and economic shocks but because media-s

ng the

in the early 1970s, US currency now finds its value in pure social construction. Whether or not we know it, we all participate in the creation of its value by competing for dollars against one another. For example, when a people or businesses borrows money from the bank (an agent, in a sense, of the Federal Reserve) in the form of a mortgage they must eventually pay the bank back two or three times the original

ors than its actual users. Speculation accounts for over 90 percent of US currency transactions in any given day. By this m

a particular region in lieu of Federal Reserve notes or real cash. The use of these currencies, as promoted by organisations such as the E.F. Schumacher Society, has been shown to accelerate the exchange of goods and services in a region by increas

actions and the communities in which they occur. While Federal notes, or Euros for that matter, might be appropriate for a merchant to use

between local and closed currencies. A post-renaissance perspective on economic issues

ware developer who writes just a few useful lines of code, say the protocol for enabling infrared communications to work on the Linux operating system, will see his or her contribution interpolated into the kernel of the operating system and then spread to every

results of his action when a software 'worm', written by a computer criminal, penetrates the mail files

rgy consumption and the environment might take time to consider how a particular screen-saver routine impacts the total energy consumption pattern of a particular monitor. The programmer already understands that if the code is used on millions of machines, each effort to reduce ene

e experienced as a place to implement policies, incrementally, that will eventually have an effect on the whole. For example, the environmental advocate who worries about the Brazilian rainforest will quit smoking himself before racing off to the next rally held to save the lungs of the planet

ce: no just

our time more directly. Using the logic of a computer programmer, when we find we can't solve a problem by attacking one l

arily addicted to fossil fuels and other energy commodities not because alternative energy sources are unavailable, but because alternative business model

gh venture capital, because they don't make sense to an industry and economy that has based its business model on the exploitation of fixed and precious resources: A closed sourc

ese nations required to compete in the global marketplace through the production of goods or services, then a passive, uneducated population would no longer bring their monarchs the wealth to which they are accustomed. As it is the peasants need only be educated enough to dig. And t

clu

ses of full-fledged revolution. Transparency in media makes information available to those who never had access to it before. Access to media technology empowers those same people to discuss how they might want to change the status quo. Finally, networking technologies allow for online collaboration in the implementation of new models, and the very real-world organisation of social activism and relief efforts. The good news, for those within the power structure today, is that we are not about to enter a phase of revolution, but one of rena

ing has already taken place. Instead of looking forward to a day when justice will be won, declare

anner of utopians or fundamentalists: an increasing number of people are becoming aware of how movements of all stripes justify tremendous injustice in the name of that deferred future moment.

in for 'retirement' as the new ultimate goal for which Westerners suspend their lives and their ethics. (People work for companies they hate, and then invest in corporations whose ethics they detest, in order to guarantee a good retirement). We see the artificial obst

rge from the myriad of new relationships that begin to spawn once people are acting and commun

it. But our understanding of progress must be disengaged from the false goal of growth, or the even more dangerous ideal of salvat

c simply wants to engage, authentically, in social experiences. This should sound like good news to anyone who authentically wants to extend our collective autonomy. Thi

might be surprised by how

History of God, (Lo

y, Richard Barbrook., 1998, (http://www.f

: Life in the Trenches of

ee http://www.wired.com/wired

CCESS

ulation of our work under certain copyright conditions. You can read a summary o

Licence

NY USE OF THE WORK OTHER THAN AS AUTHORIZED UNDER THIS LICENCE IS PROHIBITED. BY EXERCISING ANY RIGHTS TO THE WORK PROVIDED HERE, YOU ACCEPT AND AGREE

efin

rm, along with a number of other contributions, constituting separate and independent works in themselves, are assembled into a collective w

ion picture version, sound recording, art reproduction, abridgment, condensation, or any other form in which the Work may be recast, transformed, or adapted, except tha

he individual or enti

terms of t

eans the individual or

o

pyrightable work of au

s of thi

vidual or entity exerc

previously violate

to the Work, or who

OS to exercise righ

previous

rict any rights arising from fair use, first sale or other limitations on the exc

y grants You a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual (for the duration of

into one or more Collective Works, and to reproduc

form publicly, and perform publicly by means of a digital audio t

above rights include the right to make such modifications as are technically necessary to exercise th

ction 3 above is expressly made subject to

he terms of this Licence or the recipients' exercise of the rights granted hereunder. You may not sublicence the Work. You must keep intact all notices that refer to this Licence and to the disclaimer of warranties. You may not distribute, publicly display, publicly perform, or publicly digitally perform the Work with any technological measures that control access or use of the Work in a manner inconsistent with the t

netary compensation. The exchange of the Work for other copyrighted works by means of digital file-sharing or otherwise shall not be considered to be intended for or directed

to the medium or means You are utilizing by conveying the name (or pseudonym if applicable) of the Original Author if supplied; the title of the Work if supplied. Such credit may be implemented in any reasonable manner; pro

ons, Warranties

Licence, Licensor represents and warrants that, to the

der and to permit the lawful exercise of the rights granted hereunder without You having an

common law rights or any other right of any third party or constitute de

LE LAW, THE WORK IS LICENCED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR

bility. EXCEPT TO TH

CEPT FOR DAMAGES ARISI

FROM BREACH OF THE W

SOR BE LIABLE TO YOU O

TAL, CONSEQUENTIAL,

THIS LICENCE OR THE U

VISED OF THE POSSIBI

ermi

or entities who have received Collective Works from You under this Licence, however, will not have their licences terminated provided such in

the right to release the Work under different licence terms or to stop distributing the Work at any time; provided, however that any such election will not serve to withdraw this Licence (o

scell

llective Work, DEMOS offers to the recipient a licence to the Work on the

or enforceability of the remainder of the terms of this Licence, and without further action by the parties to this ag

o breach consented to unless such waiver or consent shall be in writ

gs, agreements or representations with respect to the Work not specified here. Licensor shall not be bound by any additional provision