The Mixed Political Economy of Guifi.net

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This chapter throws a closer look at the different models used economically by Freifunk and Guifi. In particular, it investigates in which ways the fact that Guifi has a mixed political economy contributed to its growth. This sub-chapter also investigates the terms in which network freedom is defined and with which other ideas and measures it is connected.

Free Networks Between Countryside and City, between North and South

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Mariposa Hill, Valparaiso

The previous chapter has delved into some of the bigger implications of free networks in relation to the overall historic development. It has described the overall development as an incomplete paradigm shift, characterized by an ongoing structural crisis of information society. This chapter starts with the question, what makes a network sustainable? On the surface of things it looks like the conditions for growth are better in rural areas, where there are no good alternatives provided by the telecommunications industry. Examples in Spain, Germany, as well as Greece show that there can be successful models that bring together community initiatives with municipalities. This appears to have worked less well in the USA where after a good start in the early 2000s hardly any wireless community networks exist. It seems that the relationship between rich and poor in the US is almost like the relationship between the overdeveloped world and the poor nations of the South. This chapter finishes with a more sustained look into selected projects from the global South.

The Future of Memory – the Contemporary in a cul-de-sac

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Ines Doujak, excerpt from Loomshuttle Warpaths (2013)

In Vienna, slowly the – still relatively new - director of Kunsthalle is showing his profile. After many years under the populist autocrat Matt, Nicolas Schaffhausen brings some well needed profundity to Kunsthalle. This latest exhibition, The Future of Memory, while well conceived, exposes also the dilemmas of hegemonic neo-conceptualism, which I call the contemporary.

Letter to Fidel and Raul Castro

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cuba_libre

Dear Fidel and Raul,

recently I had the opportunity to visit Cuba as a tourist. I would like to use this opportunity to send you a letter. I really do not want to be seen lecturing two great leaders such as you, by offering my unasked advice, but my suggestions are simple and constructive as you will see, so please take the time to read this letter.

Free Networks: We Are Only Just Beginning

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Gio and Alexi in the Wireless Spring

We are only just beginning, is the message I have picked up from the two biggest communities in Europe, from Guifi.net and from Freifunk. Since the publication of the first chapter and this one, Guifi.net has grown from app. 25.000 to 26.500 nodes. Similarly, the political implications of the free network movement have become more easily visible today. As Jürgen Neumann and Monic Meisel report, Freifunk has „unfortunately“ benefited massively from the Snowden allegations. Since it has become known how massive the surveillance machinery is, self-managed networks suddenly make much more sense again. While many things have been coming together to make Freifunk possible, one thing was less in their favor, the German legal climate. Freifunk finds itself at the center of a prolonged battle about "Störerhaftung"

The Social Technologies of the Network Commons (Freifunk 2, draft)

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The social technologies of the wireless community network are technologies specifically developed to support social goals, such as community networking. Typically, new technologes are developed by large firms or the state. The achievements of wireless community networks demonstrate that there is an alternative, community based innovations. This chapter presents the genealogy of some of the key technologies needed for wireless community networking and discusses their social content.

Article that appear in an Electronic Newspaper about Elektra a Valpo Mesh. Spanish Only

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Filósofa y activista alemana Elektra Wagenrad realiza laboratorio de redes libres en Valparaíso
La filósofa del “no-pensamiento” está de visita en Valparaíso participando en el 2º Encuentro de Cultura Digital a través de la realización del Laboratorio de Redes Libres con el apoyo del Área de Nuevos Medios del Consejo Nacional de la Cultura y las Artes. El taller se realizará este lunes 24 de noviembre a las 12:00 horas en la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad de Valparaíso.

Interview with Elektra 1. By Valeria Viancos

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This is an Interview made by Viviana Viancos with Corinna "Elektra" Aichele, before she made a presentation in Espacio G. The photo is moment of her presentation on November 15th in Espacio G, Valparaíso, Chile.

Viviana Viancos: 1. How will be your participation in the 2nd Digital Culture Meeting? Can you describe it?

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