Diane Peters
From apc.au wiki
For Growing the Global Information Commons (commissioned paper) and Nailing The Commons (micro-doc).
Day01 – Clip 076
APC: What is your understanding of the commons?
Diane Peters: I think people have different concepts of what the commons is. I think that the group here has the idea that there is a shared collective of people who are committed to ensuring that as many resources as possible are within their reach and those of people who don't have access to the otherwise.
APC: Is there a difference between the information and knowledge commons?
Diane Peters: To me the information / knowledge commons is the collective thinking that results in activity that enhances the commons. So, information sharing... any kind of one on one and one on greater group interaction.
APC: Do you feel that the commons and development can sit comfortably side by side?
Diane Peters: Absolutely. Absolutely. That's our history, I think... The commons has, as David Boullier's pointed out, has always been in the background, it's an essential network, and an under-pinning and allows us in fact to grow on top of it. So of course they are not mutually exclusive, in fact they rely on one another.
APC: Are there any specific issues that you are aware of that relate to the commons in developing countries.
Diane Peters: Sure. And it's an issue actually that not only relates to developing countries. I think that there is under-utilisation of information and work that is in the public domain, that is hidden from us. And I think that it's a resource that we are entitled to use and yet it is very difficult to find it and access it. It is in fact a healthy alternative to those who can't pay fees, to get to proprietary or licensed content. And I think it's a pity because that is in fact the richest part of our culture, is what's shared.
APC: How would we would we liberate that content?
Diane Peters: Well, we're working on a couple of projects in particular inside of CC (Creative Commons), but the idea would be to empower people to mark and make sure that they make accessible documents as well as art and other resources that are in the commons and through that collective activity of marking and interacting and sharing that information that will become freer for us.
