Consulting without listening? Last week we have pointed out our concerns about a number of copyright related questions buried deep inside the EU commission’s ongoing consultation on the ‘Regulatory environment for platforms, online intermediaries, data and cloud computing and the collaborative economy‘. Our main points were that the consultation does not adequately address the effects … Read more
Stop the TPP! After five years of secret negotiations between governments and corporate lobbyists, the public has finally seen the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and the details are bad. The provisions covering intellectual property directly threaten the public interest and the commons. We believe the TPP should be rejected, and we need everyone … Read more
On 18 and 19 November 2015, v-ict-or.be organised the Manage IT 2015 International program focusing on the application of information management and information security within local government. The topic of the conference was: “Digital agenda for local government”, and the participants were provided with the most recent and interesting topics on the digital agenda for … Read more
The government of Bulgaria has proposed to start a repository for open source software. The government also wants to make it mandatory to use the web based code revision and code management system for all future government software development projects. The proposals have been sent to the parliament for approval. A decision is expected not … Read more
The European Commission wants to gather views from citizens, businesses, public administrative bodies at all levels (international, EU-wide, national, regional and/or local) on the forthcoming 2016-2020 eGovernment Action Plan, one of the key measures needed to complete the Digital Single Market. The survey will examine what EU citizens and businesses need and expect from government … Read more
We work the blockchain together My scepticism towards Bitcoin is well-documented. While I really like the idea of decentralized payment systems and cryptocurrencies, the current implementation of Bitcoin has too many question marks for my liking. While the BTC exchange rate has been going up recently, in part prompted by a bit of hype arising … Read more
Demystifying Blockchain Through an STS Lens: Challenges and Opportunities of a New Infrastructure for the Commons. Guest editors: Vasilis Kostakis, Tallinn University of Technology, P2P Lab Primavera De Filippi, Berkman Center at Harvard University, CERSA/CNRS Diego Gonzalez-Rodriguez, University Carlos III of Madrid Call description: “The reward of labour is life. Is that … Read more
“If you really want to understand a society don’t look at what is argued about but what is taken for granted.” – Larry Lessig Up until the 1970s the idea that you could own a joke was, actually, laughable. Up until that point, explains Stewart Lee, jokes were mostly told by comics circulating local working … Read more
We told you it was back. The “top 10 most interesting CAD models from the last couple of weeks” is here to stay. This week’s installment kicks off with a droid, reminds you to eat your vegetables, gets kind of weird with Tiger Balm, and ends with a pretty nice interior design piece. Enjoy. Star … Read more
Seventeen French government ministries are working together to support free software through an agreement designed to reduce costs and advance the use of free software in administrations. The support contract operates through a ticketing system. It includes a detailed classification of software, and a schedule for the reduction of support costs based on the popularity … Read more
