Paul Jacobson
From apc.au wiki
For Growing the Global Information Commons (commissioned paper) and Nailing The Commons (micro-doc).
day01 - Clip 073
APC: What is your understanding of the commons?
Paul Jacobson: In a nutshell, a shared resource, or set of shared resources are available on a basis that is conducive for sharing.
APC: Information commons, what do you see as the information commons?
Paul Jacobson: Same type of principle really... its just the tools or mechanisms you use for making those things, or making information more readily available are tailored for that kind of medium...
APC: Any specific issues on commons that impact on developing countries. Heather talked about the big issues of the day, proposing that solutions through the commons would assist in solving those issues...
Paul Jacobson: One thing that does keep to coming to mind that the idea of the commons is in a way almost counter intuitive when you come from a traditional model of trying to lock down content, lock down information and try to derive some kind of profit from it. I think one big challenge is trying to look around that perception of how to make that content available and trying to wrap your mind our this counter intuitive model. Once you get your around it works out to be quite and effective model in both a commercial and non-commercial field.
APC: Does the commons sit comfortably with development?
Paul Jacobson: Yes, I believe so. I've just found some of the commercial work I've been involved in there's often good commercial reasons to make use of things like Creative Commons licenses its just... some of might just be a case of perspective, so if you look at it from a slightly different perspective you can see it as a valuable tool in ongoing development and developmental work as well.
