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
The final text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was released earlier this month. The gigantic agreement contains sweeping provisions regarding environmental regulation, pharmaceutical procurement, intellectual property, labor standards, food safety, and many other things. If adopted, it would be the most sweeping expansion of international restrictions on copyright in over two decades. Over the last five years, the TPP … Read more
The council of the Swiss capital of Bern on 12 November ordered the IT department to end its dependence on proprietary software. The council halved the city’s request for a six-year licence contract, and insisted on an exit plan. A majority of councillors wants the city to replace proprietary software by open source solutions, such … 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
Every day, governments and government agencies publish more data on the Internet. Sharing this data enables greater transparency; delivers more efficient public services; and encourages greater public and commercial use and re-use of government information. Some governments have even created catalogs or portals (such as data.gov) to make it easy for the public to find … Read more
The European Parliament calls upon the Commission for the systematic replacement of proprietary software by auditable and verifiable open-source software in all the EU institutions, and for the introduction of a mandatory open-source-selection criterion in all future ICT procurement procedures. The Parliament strongly reiterates its call for the development, within the framework of new initiatives … 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
