Hello everyone!

I am presenting a talk at the Wikipedia – Critical point of view event, organised by the Institute for the network culture and The Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore, India.To be held at Amsterdam, 26 & 27 March 2010. I thank the organisers of the CPOV events for their effort on putting together a great set of Wikipedia researchers and practiciouners. It it is important to create channels and spaces to meet, exchange, discuss among the several and multiple critical perspectives in the research of Wikipedia and in general in thinking about the implications of open collaboration forms.

Plus I would like to share with you a recent post I did for the Wikipedia – CPOV webiste. The post provides an overview of the evolution of the Wikimedia governance and the role of the Foundation across time. Furthermore, I hope it could also help to contextualise my presentation at the CPOV which will address the role of the Wikimedia Foundation for the Wikimedia eco-system and its international-global expansion.

Here it is the post at the Wikipedia – CPOV website: http://networkcultures.org/wpmu/cpov/resources/resources_in_english/wikimedia-evolution-in-terms-of-governance-and-the-creation-of-a-foundation/

Comments, critiques and suggestions are very welcome! Mayo

Hi everybody!

I would like to share with you the happiness on seeing initiatives based on transform the way knowledge is produced and access. Interface “A Journal For and About Social Movements” is one of the ones I love the most. The Journal is open access and peer-reviewed, plus combine action and research oriented perspectives. After three great issues of Interface: 1. Movement knowledge; 2.Civil society vs social movements; and, 3. Crisis, social movements and revolutionary transformations; a new issue is in preparation.

My friend Alice Mattoni, together with other colleges, is under the next issue of Interface which is dedicated to “Voices of dissent: activists’ engagements in the creation of alternative, autonomous, radical and independent media”. The call for contributions is open. Send a paper, a reflection, a book review, report on a particular experience. The deadline for submissions is May 1. The issue address important questions for movement strategy which will benefit for major discussion. Addressing questions such as:

· What are the places and sites in the media environment where alternative media develop today?
· Does it still make sense to speak about ‘media activists’ in a technology-saturated environment? Who are today’s media activists and, more broadly speaking, who are the alternative media practitioners and how are they connected to different social movements?
· How are traditional media (radio, magazines, television, print) used as alternative means of communication nowadays? Are there instances of media convergence in this respect? What effects does this have on the communication practices of existing social movements?
· What are the challenges, problems and issues that alternative media have raised and still raise within the social movement milieu?
· Do alternative media present a gender-neutral context? Or are alternative media practices embedded in the same patriarchal discourse that envelops mainstream media?
· Do technical criteria and the logics of media production necessarily win out in the long run over questions of alternative production processes and attempts to treat media as the voice of people in struggle?

Finally, to me the commitment to transform the research on social movement of Alice Mattoni by supporting an issue of Interface Journal is an example to follow. After finishing a Phd on Media practices in precarious movement, Alice Mattoni finds the time and the sense to priories the taking care of this issue. Unfortunately it is not very common (and an unrecognized effort by the University systems) to priories contributing to create debate among activist and to facilitate spaces to spread the results of social movements research. So, an applause to Alice Mattoni!

More info on the call for contributions to the issue at: http://www.interfacejournal.net/2010/02/call-for-papers-issue-4-voices-of.html

Interface is a prove that research can be done in another way and that spaces of dialogue of action and research are very fruitful.

Viva Interface!!! Mayo

Hello!

Last Monday (30/01/09) the Spanish Government sent the parliament the latest draft for the Ley de Economia Sostenible (Sustainable Economy Act), which contained riders modifying the current laws on copyright and interactive services. These amendments give the Spanish Ministy of Culture the administrative power to take down websites (or order ISPs to block those hosted overseas), all without a court order and in the name of ‘safeguarding Intellectual Property Laws against Internet Piracy’ ( More on blog Javier “Barrapunto” Candeira)

A huge protest reaction took place on the Internet with a massive suport of a common “Manifesto in defence of fundamental rights of the Internet” which build upon the Charter from the Free Culture Forum. Help to spread the word and express your support!!! Mayo

PD:  Zapatero are you a progressist? Who undersand conventional politics!

“Manifesto in defence of fundamental rights of the Internet”

A group of journalists, bloggers, professionals and creators want to express their firm opposition to the inclusion in a Draft Law of some changes to Spanish laws restricting the freedoms of expression, information and access to culture on the Internet. They also declare that:

1 .- Copyright should not be placed above citizens’ fundamental rights to privacy, security, presumption of innocence, effective judicial protection and freedom of expression.

2 .- Suspension of fundamental rights is and must remain an exclusive competence of judges. This blueprint, contrary to the provisions of Article 20.5 of the Spanish Constitution, places in the hands of the executive the power to keep Spanish citizens from accessing certain websites.

3 .- The proposed laws would create legal uncertainty across Spanish IT companies, damaging one of the few areas of development and future of our economy, hindering the creation of startups, introducing barriers to competition and slowing down its international projection.

4 .- The proposed laws threaten creativity and hinder cultural development. The Internet and new technologies have democratized the creation and publication of all types of content, which no longer depends on an old small industry but on multiple and different sources.

5 .- Authors, like all workers, are entitled to live out of their creative ideas, business models and activities linked to their creations. Trying to hold an obsolete industry with legislative changes is neither fair nor realistic. If their business model was based on controlling copies of any creation and this is not possible any more on the Internet, they should look for a new business model.

6 .- We believe that cultural industries need modern, effective, credible and affordable alternatives to survive. They also need to adapt to new social practices.

7 .- The Internet should be free and not have any interference from groups that seek to perpetuate obsolete business models and stop the free flow of human knowledge.

8 .- We ask the Government to guarantee net neutrality in Spain, as it will act as a framework in which a sustainable economy may develop.

9 .- We propose a real reform of intellectual property rights in order to ensure a society of knowledge, promote the public domain and limit abuses from copyright organizations.

10 .- In a democracy, laws and their amendments should only be adopted after a timely public debate and consultation with all involved parties. Legislative changes affecting fundamental rights can only be made in a Constitutional law.