Open Source, Social Activism and "Necessary Trade-offs" in the Digital Enclosure: A Case Study of Platform Co-operative, Loomio.org
This article explores the tensions and tradeoffs facing the open source platform co-operative Loomio.org, an online tool that aims to decentralize power through deliberative decision-making. Combining discourse analysis with political economy, we demonstrate how Loomio’s politics of resistance is bu...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Paderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research Group
2016-10-01
|
| Series: | tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/764 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850043656714584064 |
|---|---|
| author | Sam K Jackson Kathleen M Kuehn |
| author_facet | Sam K Jackson Kathleen M Kuehn |
| author_sort | Sam K Jackson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores the tensions and tradeoffs facing the open source platform co-operative Loomio.org, an online tool that aims to decentralize power through deliberative decision-making. Combining discourse analysis with political economy, we demonstrate how Loomio’s politics of resistance is built directly into the architectural design and platform structure, which invites users to participate in its development and evolution. Yet by prioritizing its social justice mission, Loomio must make certain tradeoffs around data storage and management that paradoxically threatens to compromise its wider social goals. The realities of operating an open source platform are discussed in the context of the contemporary digital economy. We argue that if platform co-operatives like Loomio are to fully realize their goals, a digital commons unencumbered by capitalism requires access to reliable, affordable and accessible alternatives to the existing Internet infrastructure.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c1140839f0a3402ea12541ea7e55d4fd |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1726-670X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-10-01 |
| publisher | Paderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique |
| spelling | doaj-art-c1140839f0a3402ea12541ea7e55d4fd2025-08-20T02:55:10ZengPaderborn University: Media Systems and Media Organisation Research GrouptripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique1726-670X2016-10-0114210.31269/triplec.v14i2.764764Open Source, Social Activism and "Necessary Trade-offs" in the Digital Enclosure: A Case Study of Platform Co-operative, Loomio.orgSam K JacksonKathleen M KuehnThis article explores the tensions and tradeoffs facing the open source platform co-operative Loomio.org, an online tool that aims to decentralize power through deliberative decision-making. Combining discourse analysis with political economy, we demonstrate how Loomio’s politics of resistance is built directly into the architectural design and platform structure, which invites users to participate in its development and evolution. Yet by prioritizing its social justice mission, Loomio must make certain tradeoffs around data storage and management that paradoxically threatens to compromise its wider social goals. The realities of operating an open source platform are discussed in the context of the contemporary digital economy. We argue that if platform co-operatives like Loomio are to fully realize their goals, a digital commons unencumbered by capitalism requires access to reliable, affordable and accessible alternatives to the existing Internet infrastructure. https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/764open sourcedigital commonsweb 2.0Occupycommodificationdatafication |
| spellingShingle | Sam K Jackson Kathleen M Kuehn Open Source, Social Activism and "Necessary Trade-offs" in the Digital Enclosure: A Case Study of Platform Co-operative, Loomio.org tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique open source digital commons web 2.0 Occupy commodification datafication |
| title | Open Source, Social Activism and "Necessary Trade-offs" in the Digital Enclosure: A Case Study of Platform Co-operative, Loomio.org |
| title_full | Open Source, Social Activism and "Necessary Trade-offs" in the Digital Enclosure: A Case Study of Platform Co-operative, Loomio.org |
| title_fullStr | Open Source, Social Activism and "Necessary Trade-offs" in the Digital Enclosure: A Case Study of Platform Co-operative, Loomio.org |
| title_full_unstemmed | Open Source, Social Activism and "Necessary Trade-offs" in the Digital Enclosure: A Case Study of Platform Co-operative, Loomio.org |
| title_short | Open Source, Social Activism and "Necessary Trade-offs" in the Digital Enclosure: A Case Study of Platform Co-operative, Loomio.org |
| title_sort | open source social activism and necessary trade offs in the digital enclosure a case study of platform co operative loomio org |
| topic | open source digital commons web 2.0 Occupy commodification datafication |
| url | https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/764 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samkjackson opensourcesocialactivismandnecessarytradeoffsinthedigitalenclosureacasestudyofplatformcooperativeloomioorg AT kathleenmkuehn opensourcesocialactivismandnecessarytradeoffsinthedigitalenclosureacasestudyofplatformcooperativeloomioorg |