I think the #GovernableSpaces book tour just ended:)

The recording is now available from my conversation yesterday with the brilliant technology scholar and activist Lilly Irani, hosted by no less than the Internet Archive—watch it here: https://archive.org/details/governable-spaces

Maybe the question of whether a system is governable matters more than whether it is open.

Illustration by Darija Medic. More in #GovernableSpaces

Spoiler alert: My book #GovernableSpaces ends with this image by Darija Medić, borrowing from the wonderful https://native-land.ca—a reminder from Indigenous legacies that sovereignty need not depend on monopolies over land and militarized borders.

Start reading at the end, if you do that: https://luminosoa.org/site/books/10.1525/luminos.181/read/?loc=013.xhtml

Hey Bay Area! I'm excited to announce an event on #GovernableSpaces at the Internet Archive on June 8, featuring three brilliant governance experiments from:

Yasmine El Baggari (Hylo)
Émeline Brule (Sequoia Fabrica)
Dr. Shamika Klassen (CU Boulder)

Register here: https://lu.ma/governable-spaces-sf

Just saw this—my #GovernableSpaces interview with the great theorist and journalist of technology Mike Masnick is up and out on the Techdirt Podcast: https://www.techdirt.com/2024/04/09/techdirt-podcast-episode-386-democratic-design-for-online-spaces/

I hugely admire Mike's grounded thinking on protocols and decentralization. This was a really fun conversation.

Techdirt Podcast Episode 386: Democratic Design For Online Spaces

One very important thing to understand in the conversation about online speech is that there are many different kinds of online communities, big and small, and they all have their own needs when it…

^Techdirt

Thanks to Justin Hendrix of Tech Policy Press for a fun conversation on #GovernableSpaces: https://www.techpolicy.press/nathan-schneider-on-democratic-design-for-online-life/

While you're there, check out Janet Vertesi's great new piece on TPP on how AI is a shorthand for outsourcing: https://www.techpolicy.press/dont-be-fooled-much-ai-is-just-outsourcing-redux/

Don’t Be Fooled: Much “AI” is Just Outsourcing, Redux

Janet Vertesi is associate professor of sociology at Princeton University, where she is an expert in the study of science, technology, and organizations.

^{Janet Vertesi (Tech Policy Press)}

I feel so at home at Solidarity Hall—a rare community that understands the interconnections of theology, philosophy, and solidarity economies.

In their newsletter today, Elias Crim and I discuss my new book #GovernableSpaces: https://solidarityhall.substack.com/p/a-chat-with-nathan-schneider

There is no democracy without a commons.

This week I am grateful to be discussing #GovernableSpaces on the Frontiers of Commoning podcast with one of my heroes, David Bollier: https://www.bollier.org/blog/nathan-schneider-building-democratic-governance-internet

David's books are a phenomenal intro to the power and craft of commoning.

While supervising today's egg-mayhem, I was grateful to notice my recent work featured in two of my favorite tech newsletters. These are really helpful intros to #GovernableSpaces and the ideas therein. Read & subscribe!

@wearenew_public: https://newpublic.substack.com/p/the-internet-was-supposed-to-be-democratic

Charley Johnson: https://untangled.substack.com/p/make-the-internet-democratic-again

This passage in #GovernableSpaces was just highlighted to me—as was the fact that it should have included Nextdoor, perhaps the most feudal thing of all.

Find it in chapter one: https://ntnsndr.in/govbook

I am allowing myself this post during spring break only because it is from the section on "Democratic Play" at the end of chapter 3 in #GovernableSpaces.

Read the whole book free online: https://nathanschneider.info/govbook

What a beautiful surprise: @mayfirst just sent out an email to co-op members about my book, #GovernableSpaces. So much in the book is inspired by my own time as a member. This means more than I can say.

https://outreach.mayfirst.org/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=1345&cid=38645&cs=bb7d592813464edca01b16b433d9a67e_1711377222_168

We don't ask this question nearly enough. Part of a plea (at Princeton last week) for designing online governance for an internet full of #GovernableSpaces.

Thanks for the photo by Liz Barry.

As Reddit goes public, remember that so much of its success comes from the extent to which it enabled #GovernableSpaces among its users.

Why another IPO and not an #exittocommunity? See the library of examples at https://e2c.how/library

When you try to write code that breaks prevailing assumptions, you realize just how deeply embedded those assumptions are.

Here's a bit from #GovernableSpaces on one of my attempts to code my way out of "implicit feudalism." Get the book: ntnsndr.in/govbook

Zizi Papacharissi in #GovernableSpaces.

Read it now: https://nathanschneider.info/govbook/

I'm super grateful to be included in the @coloradosun podcast this week to talk about #GovernableSpaces: https://omny.fm/shows/the-colorado-sun/author-nathan-schneider-talks-about-his-book-exami#description

Nothing like cooperatively governed local news!

Author Nathan Schneider talks about his book examining online networks and democracy - The Daily Sun-Up

Today - Since it’s Friday, it’s time once again for a look at Colorado’s literary landscape. This week Sun writer and editor Kevin Simpson chats with an author whose latest book examines democracy, both in online spaces and beyond.

^omny.fm

How do we practice democracy in everyday life?

@ntnsndr talking with @Rushkoff on #TeamHumanShow about this and more on the launch of his new book, #GovernableSpaces just made my day. I’m getting a few copies for our local library and high school.

https://www.teamhuman.fm/episodes/284-nathan-schneider

cc @baratunde and the #HowToCitizen team

Nathan Schneider

Ep. 284 Director of the Media Economies Design Lab and author of Governable Spaces: Democratic Design for Online Life.

^{Team Human}

The first review of #GovernableSpaces is out! Thanks to the Co-operative News, ever the equitable pioneers: https://www.thenews.coop/175977/topic/technology/book-review-nathan-schneider-looks-for-ways-to-democratise-online-spaces/

The books will be free to the internet TOMORROW.

Book review: Nathan Schneider looks for ways to democratise online spaces - Co-operative News

'The ways people can and cannot collectively self-govern in daily online life ... have been constrained in dominant social networks'

^{Co-operative News}

I'm really grateful for @aumouvantsillage's Sozi project. It's a fun way to make creative presentations with nothing but open source and open standards. https://sozi.baierouge.fr/

I haven't used it in years, but am back in action prepping for my #GovernableSpaces talks.