[spectre] call for essays: open source politics and cultural practices

[Tapio Makela]

mediumi 1.4 open source  (please distribute)

call for proposals:  open source politics and cultural practices

mediumi the Finnish web journal for media culture publishes its fifth theme=
=20
number mediumi 1.4 open source in English. This call is for submissions=20
articles, essays, reviews   that address the economical or legal logic and=
=20
various cultural/social politics regarding open source software. We are=20
particularly interested in approaches that view software from the user=20
or  user group point of view, situating the software in its cultural and=20
social context.

Open source software is often technically exclusive in its development and=
=20
description. In which ways could open source become more accessible by=20
non-programmers or non-sysadmins? What kinds of research projects, archives=
=20
or meta-archives address the user end of open source?

  In many ways open source economy is far from optimal, since without=20
complimentary strategies it does not provide resources to renew, research=20
and develop further. What kind of models can be created to maintain=20
networked development, free non-commercial distribution yet generate=20
sustainable economies? How to protect open source and open knowledge from=20
becoming approprietarized (sic!), while enabling also commercial=20
non-exclusive use?

  While an increasing amount of technical knowledge is not publicly=20
available, creating accessible software, related knowledge archives, and=20
learning environments has become an acute political issue. What kind of=20
policies or civil action is necessary to guarantee this? What kind of=20
artistic or cultural interventions are taking place that address open=20
source as not only a tool or a movement, but as a terrain for creative work?

submissions
We invite submissions in the following categories:

Article/essay   3000-4500 words
Interview/dialogue   2000-3000 words
Review of project, event, book 1500-2500 words

mediumi is a forum for researchers and practitioners of new media culture.=
=20
However we also wish to have the articles accessible for wider audiences=20
interested in new media. Please keep this in mind when submitting eg. by=20
explaining the more advanced technical or theoretical concepts!

December 27th, 2002 - 100-150 word abstracts sent to mediumi 1.4,
guest editor, Tapio M=E4kel=E4, tapio.makela@m-cult.org
January 20th, 2003 - Final deadline for full texts.
The journal will be launched in February 2003.

  mediumi is published by m-cult, centre for new media culture in Helsinki,=
=20
Finland.  mediumi forms a  part of m-cult.net,  information and=20
communication server for the Nordic new media cultural scene. (English=20
version launched in 1/03).
<http://www.m-cult.net/mediumi/>http://www.m-cult.net/mediumi/
mediumi@m-cult.net



Tapio Makela
tapio@translocal.net
mobile tel. +358-40-7223949
fax +358-40-7821771

Researcher, Department of Media Studies, University of Turku, Finland
Board member, m-cult, Finnish Association for Media Culture,=20
http://www.m-cult.org
Programme chair, ISEA2004, http://www.isea2004.net =20