Where open meets co-op
Co-owned web infrastructure is a clear goal for the co-op movement. As well as ensuring our data is not abused by big corporates a co-owned 'cloud' of services like email, docs, spreadsheets and calendars could do wonders for collaboration. A cooperative cloud would also provide a clear stepping stone towards the open source, collaborative working environment we have … [Read more...]
Co-op coins are not a new concept but the days of trading locally minted coins for a pint of milk or a loaf of bread are long gone. Instead, the rising interest in digital currencies and rapid increase in the number of Initial Coin Offerings looks set to make 2018 "the year of the crypto currency". But what does this mean for fans of cooperation and a more sustainable, steady … [Read more...]
This superb discussion about Platform Co-ops entitled "What happened to the future?" was the plenary at the recent event "The People's Disruption" at the New School in New York on the 10th of November 2017. The panel session features an introduction from Camille Kerr (Associate Director at The ICA Group) and is moderated by Douglas Rushkoff (author of many books on digital … [Read more...]
What are ‘Platform Co-ops’? Platform cooperatives are online organisations which are owned and managed by their members. Platform co-ops follow the principles of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA). They are democratically governed and support the development of informational and material commons. They provide a viable alternative to the standard internet model based … [Read more...]
Platform co-ops, and the burgeoning movement behind them, are big news. For the first time since the inception of the internet a consensus is forming around a new model of economics and governance. At The Open Co-op we have been working on this concept since 2004 and continue to advocate that the internet provides the ultimate tool to help reorganise society and facilitate the … [Read more...]
In 2010, when Transition Towns started growing into the hundreds in the UK, with another 250 worldwide, it felt like something was really happening. Like 'the people' might me about to start taking control of their town's futures. When the Occupy movement camped up on the steps of St Pauls with that huge "CAPITALISM IS CRISIS" banner in 2011, it felt like protest had reached … [Read more...]