Subject: Open Cultures Conference (info commons, etc.). Vienna, June 5-6,
2003.

http://opencultures.t0.or.at/oc/conference

Today's infosphere allows a quick and easy exchange of digitized
information. The tools of creation and the means of distribution are
becoming more affordable by the month, thus continuously expanding the
range of creators and users. Yet, not everyone is happy with this. A
coalition of large media conglomerates calls for Draconian measures to stop
this free flow of information. New restrictive technologies and new
oppressive laws are being developed right now, in an attempt to create
scarcity out of the digital abundance. The current security fears are
manipulated to equate openness with danger in a cynical effort to protect
the assets of large industries against the forces of innovation.

Against this backdrop, a counter movement is taking shape that is guided
by the idea of 'the commons': resources accessible to all.

Rather than expanding the means of control to catch up with the ease of
data processing, this movement takes the free availability of information
as its starting point. It recognizes that a free society needs free flows
of information, that the attempt to control information quickly leads to
controlling people. Creativity - commercial, scientific and artistic -
requires the ability to easily and freely built upon what others have
created.

The Open Cultures conference will survey the new territory of the commons
by bringing together leading thinkers and practitioners from different
corners of this vast field. We will talk about access to scientific
information, free software, patents and other forms of knowledge
monopolies, wireless community networks, open distribution channels, about
the economics and the aesthetics of the commons.

We want to strengthen the understanding of the shared visions and goals,
learn from the different experiences and approaches and send a signal that,
yes, openness is possible, indeed, it's the only direction to move forward.

The conference will focus on the following topics:

Information Commons
Open Access Journals and other institutional initiatives to build a
infrastructure for free access to information
Media of the Commons
Grassroots publishing, peer-to-peer, free distribution, freenet Wireless
Community Networks Rather than buying bandwidth from global telecom giants
rebuilding
information flows locally, from the ground up. One wireless cell at a time.
Politics Of the Commons International treaties and international governing
bodies. What are the
possibilities of using them to advance openness and access? Culture of the
Common What culture and art is emerging in the commons? The conference will
include workshops of streaming technologies and on
wireless networks as well as exhibition of media installations who explore
the ideas of openness and free access.