[artinfo] Wealth by copyleft

[Eross Nikolett]

   Call for Contribution
   =====================
   Wealth by copyleft
   ==================
   Creativity in the digital age
   =============================
   3. Oekonux Conference
   May 20th-23rd, 2004
   Department of Philosophy at Vienna University
   ______________________________________________________________________
   Project Oekonux
   ---------------
   In Project Oekonux [[1]http://www.oekonux.org/] and in the neighboring
   OpenTheory [[2]http://www.opentheory.org/] different people with
   different opinions and different methods study the economic and
   political forms of Free Software.
   An important question is, whether the principles of the development of
   Free Software (without exchange in the core, self-organized, common
   and unlimited participation in the production knowledge) may be the
   foundation of a new economy which is no longer based on the dogma of
   economic scarcity. New economy may also mean the basis for a new form
   of society. So Oekonux is not only concerned with Free Software but
   with the relation of Free Software and transformation of society. From
   the far ranging Oekonux debate new views on past transformation
   processes of society and a completely new theory of transformation of
   society emerge - e.g. the germ form hypothesis.
   A closely related question is, whether, where and how in the given
   economic and societal framework a culture of Free Information Goods
   emerges and thus makes the principles of the development of Free
   Software fruitful for other areas. Are the principles of the
   development of Free Software a temporary or integratable phenomenon or
   do they spread in other areas of society sooner or later.
   The conference
   --------------
   The motto of the conference "Wealth by copyleft -- Creativity in the
   digital age" points especially to these questions:
   o    How do the production methods of Free Software affect science,
        art, education, production?
   o    Does the wealth of the information society come from patents and
        "Creative Industries"? Or does Copyleft gain legitimization for a
        more powerful and sustainable source of wealth beyond the logic
        of money?
   o    Which coalitions do evolve in these processes and on which basis
        do they work?
   o    Special interest receives the relation of Free Selbstentfaltung
        and societal agreements: How do self-organized societal relations
        come into being and how do they grow? How does cooperation and
        self-organization function at all? Especially: How are conflicts
        and power handled?
   Meanwhile for these and similar questions the Oekonux community became
   an internationally recognized focus point. From the simple mailing
   list this virtual community slowly develops into a collective research
   project - without a prior project management. Factual needs and their
   perception shall determine the next step. A slowly emerging consensus
   and the work of accepted maintainers are the moving spirit. This is
   producing theory just as Free Software.
   After the success of the 1. [[3]http://erste.oekonux-konferenz.de/]
   and
   2. [[4]http://second.oekonux-conference.org/] Oekonux conference the
   3.
   Oekonux conference [[5]http://www.oekonux-conference.org/] takes place
   in
   cooperation with the Institute for Philosophy in Vienna. Besides the
   questions raised above contributions to these topics are welcome.
   o    Free Software
        Experiences from projects, success stories, but also conflicts,
        contradictions (for example making money vs. self-unfolding, wage
        labor vs. Free Doing, etc.) as well as studies about the
        phenomenon of Free Software.
   o    Technological development
        Examples of development of technology with a potential similar to
        Free Software. What significance do Free Standards have? What may
        such a technological development mean for ecological questions?
   o    Alternative and anti-economy
        Theoretical models of the abolition of exchange, labor, and
        money. Practical experiences in projects on the height of the
        technological and social development. Contradictions of theory
        and practice.
   o    How can Oekonux become practical?
        Interesting are suggestions for concrete projects, which try to
        practice our ideas. Free Licenses for other fields, gratis shops,
        ...
   For all contributions the relation to the topic field of Oekonux
   should be recognizable.
   The planned conference shall give room to bundle, collectively
   re-discuss and make fruitful for all, thoughts which developed in
   different places independently. Besides getting to know one other in
   talks and workshops the respective current state of the discussion
   shall be presented. Moreover there will be a concentrated introduction
   in the content of the Oekonux debate.
   Speakers wanted
   ---------------
   People interested in giving a talk, preparing a workshop or moderate a
   discussion round please submit a short outline of their intentions to
   Project Oekonux [[6]mailto:projekt at oekonux.de]. (Mails to this address
   are archived on the web. Please ask there if there is a problem with
   this.) If someone wants to add some other kind of contribution please
   also contact this address.
   Deadline for such outlines is
   March 1st, 2004
   Decision about the chosen contributions is until March 31th, 2004.
   The conference languages are German and English. Translators are
   needed!

References

   1. http://www.oekonux.org/
   2. http://www.opentheory.org/
   3. http://erste.oekonux-konferenz.de/
   4. http://second.oekonux-conference.org/
   5. http://www.oekonux-conference.org/
   6. mailto:projekt at oekonux.de