Re: [ox-en] Re: The nature of apple trees

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Hi Stefan!

 

I understand that you have a backlog - myself, I only read yesterday some of the P2P-list discussions about the Bifo article which dates back to a couple weeks. I mostly access this address through a clunky webmail and traffic is so high that I simply can't keep up with that list, which is one reason why I don't engage on it, even though I find some of the discussion very interesting. Not everyone has Michel's stamina, or can devote such a time as he does.

And I also agree that it is preferable to give thoughtful responses than fire off quick rejoinders.

But there is another consideration: the nature of discussion and conversation. If people are discussing a project together and an important member does not answer for a long time this can create uncertainty. When I posted a proposal for an [ox] volume, there were a couple positive responses initially, but none from you. In the meantime the magazine idea came up. As you know, I then suggested offlist (in response to an email someone else sent me on which you were cced) that maybe we could do a magazine version of my idea. And why not? A magazine is more dynamic and we would have more control over it – it's not a bad idea at all. Then, a week after my initial post, you strongly endorsed the book idea. 

Now, I'm not writing this to tell you what to do, but to point something that seems important to me: when dealing with volunteers, enthusiasm is important. When people get collectively enthused by an idea, they want to talk about it together – and time does play a role. Enthusiasm can wither and die if things are let lying for too long. 

For example, I have different things to say about the book / magazine issue, but I can't right now, for different reasons. But what I can do is signal to you and the list that I am still on board and thinking about issues such as:

-necessity of not harming the P2P-book initiative,

-necessity of developing and proposing strategies to help augment peer production in concrete terms,

-appreciation of the Andre Gorz article which gives a clear and convincing account of the relationship between labour, capital and the financial crisis (does anyone know when it was written and what the copyright situation is?),

-more ideas for titles if the [ox] book goes ahead:

THE OEKONUX MANIFESTO 

or 

NETWORK COMMUNISM 

(though apparently that second term has negative connotations for some),

-etc,

and that I will write more in a reasonable amount of time. 

 I hope you don’t take this the wrong way; just trying to make work better.

cheers

Mathieu 



----- Original Message -----
From: Stefan Merten <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, June 5, 2009 6:47 am
Subject: Re: [ox-en] Re: The nature of apple trees
To: [email protected]
Cc: Stefan Merten <[email protected]>

> Hi list!
> 
> BTW: I wrote a similar email on [p2p-research] where it reaches Michel
> but I think it is good to say it here as well.
> 
> 3 weeks (26 days) ago Michel Bauwens on [ox-en] wrote:
> > A question Stefan, don't you think that your continued usage 
> of money
> > trickery, when people have repeatedly pointed out that it is 
> hurtful and
> > shows a lack of respect for your intellectual sparring partners,
> 
> Well, I'm really sorry for this but I really noticed this perception
> only when Michel said it on [p2p-research]. Then I immediately pointed
> out there why I used this term and that I have no better alternative.
> 
> As you probably can imagine because of the high traffic I have a big
> backlog on [ox-en] and I just did not see such comments yet. For
> instance the quote above being nearly four weeks old I read five
> minutes ago.
> 
> Looking back the only sign I saw was Michel's question whether
> "software trickery" would be adequate - which I simply answered 
> as a
> question.
> 
> 
>                                          Grüße
> 
>                                          Stefan
> _________________________________
> Web-Site: http://www.oekonux.org/
> Organization: http://www.oekonux.de/projekt/
> Contact: [email protected]

****
Dr Mathieu O'Neil
Adjunct Research Fellow
Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute
College of Arts and Social Science
The Australian National University

E-mail: [email protected]
Tel.: (61 02) 61 25 38 00
Web: http://adsri.anu.edu.au/people/visitors/mathieu.php
Mail: Coombs Building, 9
Canberra, ACT 0200 - AUSTRALIA





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_________________________________
Web-Site: http://www.oekonux.org/
Organization: http://www.oekonux.de/projekt/
Contact: [email protected]