ARandal_post

Where chaos and innovation meet

By Allison Randal, software developer and author.

Were ancient human settlements already applying peer production without being aware of it? Have we abandoned this cooperative way of making goods? In this videopost, Randal reflects on what changed with the industrial revolution and on both the advantages and downsides of free software developing. Her contribution was possible thanks to the collaboration of the MiniDebConf 2014 and the University of Barcelona.

« Peer production has been around as long as human beings have been around »

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About the Question
How many peers does it take to change a light bulb?

Systems like Linux and websites like Wikipedia are paradigmatic of a particular way of open collaboration known as peer production. Peer producers choose their tasks freely and coordinate their work using open digital platforms. They share the fruits of their labour as part of a global commons, and everyone works according to their abilities and benefits according to their needs.

Is this an emerging form of communism? Or the future of liberal capitalism? Or is it simply a new mode of production? In this blog we want to explore both the benefits and the downsides of such way of working.

UOC/IN3 degrees