[hackerspaces] Tangible Bit: Fwd: [p2p-research] Fwd: OpenStuff/Fairware

Sun Jul 26 07:59:07 CEST 2009

This is something I hope our hackerspace community as a whole will pursue or
utilize.
Nathan Cravens
Open Manufacturing

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Subject: [p2p-research] Fwd: OpenStuff/Fairware
To: Peer-To-Peer Research List <p2presearch at listcultures.org>, Open
Manufacturing <openmanufacturing at googlegroups.com>

I'm sure most of you are well aware of Smari's project, but if not, it's
absolutely worthy of support,

Michel

This fits into what I've been doing. I've been working on a system
called "tangible bit" (www.tangiblebit.com) that's essentially a
networked resource map. It ostensibly maps resources (think: plywood,
transistors, bicycles, milk.. ) and manufacturing processes/capabilities
(think: CNC mill, pick'n'place, welding rig, butter churner) in a
geodata setting with both resources and capabilities tied into "sites".
The idea is that if you have enough resources mapped and enough
processes mapped you can start to do some fancy sparse matrix inversion
in order to find the shortest path to any given product constrained on a
number of variables such as cost, distance materials must travel,
environmental impact, etc.

I'm not very far along the line with this and desperately need somebody
to be hacking on this with me so that design decisions become more
rational and that the right development path is followed - I can do it
alone, but it'll take a very long time and it might come out weird. If
you want to take a look, clone the GIT archive from
http://www.tangiblebit.com/tangiblebit.git

What I'm thinking though is that given this database+interface it should
be relatively easy to add a "shop" to it (perhaps Satchmo based?) that
allows sites to take and process arbitrary orders, either from other
sites or from individuals. In fact, this would be highly valuable.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Smári McCarthy <smari at anarchism.is>
Date: 2009/7/25
Subject: Re: OpenStuff/Fairware
To: Franz Nahrada <f.nahrada at reflex.at>
Cc: dante.monson at gmail.com, Vinay Gupta <hexayurt at gmail.com>, Marcin
Jakubowski <joseph.dolittle at gmail.com>, Alex Rollin <alex.rollin at gmail.com>,
Jeff Petry <jeff at lannaconsulting.com>, james burke <lifesized at gmail.com>,
Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com>, Caroline Zeller <
caroline.zeller at gmail.com>, Manfred Kohler <EdKohler at gmx.net>, Michael Franz
Reinisch <e.mail at mfr.cc>, Ralf Schlatterbeck <office at runtux.com>, Thomas
Diener <td at fairwork.com>, Thomas Diener2 <info at fairwork.com>

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Hi all,

 Comments inline.

Franz Nahrada wrote:
> The meeting was quite extensive the next day and we tried to link various
> perspectives to find a sústainable pattern that might go far beyond the
> opportunity of the moment. Of course its "up in the air" to create a
> dealership for Open Source products, but what if such a dealership was
> embedded in an operating system which facilitated communication between
> all involved groups, users, developers, producers, workers, retailers and
> so on?

This fits into what I've been doing. I've been working on a system
called "tangible bit" (www.tangiblebit.com) that's essentially a
networked resource map. It ostensibly maps resources (think: plywood,
transistors, bicycles, milk.. ) and manufacturing processes/capabilities
(think: CNC mill, pick'n'place, welding rig, butter churner) in a
geodata setting with both resources and capabilities tied into "sites".
The idea is that if you have enough resources mapped and enough
processes mapped you can start to do some fancy sparse matrix inversion
in order to find the shortest path to any given product constrained on a
number of variables such as cost, distance materials must travel,
environmental impact, etc.

I'm not very far along the line with this and desperately need somebody
to be hacking on this with me so that design decisions become more
rational and that the right development path is followed - I can do it
alone, but it'll take a very long time and it might come out weird. If
you want to take a look, clone the GIT archive from
http://www.tangiblebit.com/tangiblebit.git

What I'm thinking though is that given this database+interface it should
be relatively easy to add a "shop" to it (perhaps Satchmo based?) that
allows sites to take and process arbitrary orders, either from other
sites or from individuals. In fact, this would be highly valuable.

> * A foundation to guard the availability of all knowledge and design
> against privatisation and enclosure.
> * Platforms and online communities for user - designer - producer -
> retailer communication
> * A way to channel resources to developers who commit to Open Source
design

Quite!

> The questions involved are manyfold, one of the aspects that so far have
> hardly been touched is the fact that Open Stuff involves real physical
> production. So automatically there are questions involved like quality
> control (warranty etc), working conditions etc that you just cannot
> "outsource" to somebody else.

I know that Michael Angst andd Alan Gershenfeld have been thinking about
the same thing in terms of the Fab Fund (http://www.fabcompany.com), but
so far I've yet to see any idea come from them that isn't inherently
anti-social, profiteering and plain bad. They've been proposing that
designers license the production of their designs to the Fab Company,
which does necessary QC and testing (e.g. for CE markings) and takes a
substantial portion of the proceeds ... which is very un-P2P, but the
fact that they've done the leg work of finding out what actually needs
to be done in terms of QC and testing for "crowdsourced designs" means
that we can probably get info from them.

> It seems that "immaterial" goods like music are already well covered by
> ventures like  http://www.opensourcemusic.com/
> and Jamendo, while the logistic of material goods is much mored digfficult
> to tackle with.

Not to mention Magnatune, which is quite thoroughly awesome.

> But I think this foundation should not be the P2P Foundation, because with
> this commercial involvvement it would loose its primary role as a Civil
> Society Organisation and metapolitical pressure group. There needs to be a
> special foundation as Thomas describes it (see at bottom). The only type
> of foundation that would be strong enough to carry this through would be a
> democratically elected body that is based on a constitution, stable and
> well-designed.

Agreed.

> I agree the market is now ready for this since the message is spread about
> new stuff with a new aura, and the early adopters are waiting. Maybe we
> have not found a Steven Jobs type yet who is able to unite the feelings of
> users, developers and producers and produce a compelling message and a
> feeling of "the sky is the limit". But that is what we will need!

Who needs Steve Jobs? We've got Vinay... erm. Heh. Just kidding. :P

> I do not fully understand Smaris distinction between a "peer produced
> product" and a "simply open source based merchandise". In fact the
> difference is at least blurring, as physical production in a p2p style has
> not been seen yet (and also I think it would be very hard to make a
> distinction). I like the idea of intentional localizing and having the
> choice for a master and craftsperson near you.

I meant the difference to be "locally produced from an open design"
versus "mass produced based on an open design and then transported"...
sorry I was unclear.

 - Smári

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-- 
Working at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhurakij_Pundit_University -
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