Ned Rossiter: Organized Networks: Media Theory, Creative Labour, New Institutions (2006)
Filed under book | Tags: · creative industries, critique, democracy, governance, information society, intellectual property, internet, labour, media theory, networks, technology
The celebration of network cultures as open, decentralized, and horizontal all too easily forgets the political dimensions of labour and life in informational times. Organized Networks sets out to destroy these myths by tracking the antagonisms that lurk within Internet governance debates, the exploitation of labour in the creative industries, and the aesthetics of global finance capital. Cutting across the fields of media theory, political philosophy, and cultural critique, Ned Rossiter diagnoses some of the key problematics facing network cultures today. Why have radical social-technical networks so often collapsed after the party? What are the key resources common to critical network cultures? And how might these create conditions for the invention of new platforms of organization and sustainability? These questions are central to the survival of networks in a post-dotcom era. Derived from research and experiences participating in network cultures, Rossiter unleashes a range of strategic concepts in order to explain and facilitate the current transformation of networks into autonomous political and cultural ‘networks of networks’.
Publisher: Eelco van Welie, NAi Publishers, Rotterdam
In association with the Institute of Network Cultures, Amsterdam
ISBN 9056625268, 9789056625269
250 pages
Julian Assange: Conspiracy as Governance (2006)
Filed under pamphlet | Tags: · activism, conspiracy, governance, media activism, politics, wikileaks
“The non linear effects of leaks on unjust systems of governance
You may want to read The Road to Hanoi or Conspiracy as Governance; an obscure motivational document, almost useless in light of its decontextualization and perhaps even then. But if you read this latter document while thinking about how different structures of power are differentially affected by leaks (the defection of the inner to the outer) its motivations may become clearer.
The more secretive or unjust an organization is, the more leaks induce fear and paranoia in its leadership and planning coterie. This must result in minimization of efficient internal communications mechanisms (an increase in cognitive “secrecy tax”) and consequent system-wide cognitive decline resulting in decreased ability to hold onto power as the environment demands adaption.
Hence in a world where leaking is easy, secretive or unjust systems are nonlinearly hit relative to open, just systems. Since unjust systems, by their nature induce opponents, and in many places barely have the upper hand, mass leaking leaves them exquisitely vulnerable to those who seek to replace them with more open forms of governance.
Only revealed injustice can be answered; for man to do anything intelligent he has to know what’s actually going on.” (author, 31 Dec 2006, source)
commentary (workwithoutdread.blogspot.com, 27 Nov 2010)
commentary (zunguzungu, 29 Nov 2010)
Sandy Fitzgerald (ed.): New Times New Models – Investigating the internal governance models and external relations of independent cultural centres in times of change (2010)
Filed under book | Tags: · cultural politics, governance, independent culture, nonprofit
The book investigates the How? and Why? of independent culture in Europe. It is based on presentations given at the conference at held at TEH Member Centre Pekarna Magdalenske Mreze (Maribor, Slovenia) in January 2010, and also looks at regional case studies, current models of practice and key recommendations for the independent cultural sector.
Foreword: Gregor Kosi
Publisher: Maribor: Pekarna Magdalenske Mreze, 2010
ISBN 978-961-269-327-5