Oekonux III Conference, Vienna, May 20-23, 2004

hydrarchist writes

"Wealth by Copyleft:

Creativity in the Digital Age"

3. Oekonux Conference


Vienna, Austria, May 20-23, 2004

Department of Philosophy at Vienna University

Project Oekonux

In Project Oekonux and in the neighboring Open Theory 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:

* How do the production methods of Free Software affect science, art, education, production?

* 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?

* Which coalitions do evolve in these processes and on which basis do they work?

* 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. and 2. Oekonux conference the 3. Oekonux conference takes place in cooperation with the Institute for Philosophy in Vienna. Besides the questions raised above contributions to these topics are welcome.

* 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.

* 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?

* 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.

* 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. (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!