Call for Contribution

Wealth by copyleft

Creativity in the digital age

3. Oekonux Conference

May 20th-23rd, 2004

Department of Philosophy at Vienna University


Project Oekonux

In Project OekonuxRemote link and in the neighboring OpenTheoryRemote link different people with different opinions and different methods study the economic and political forms of Free Software.

An important question is, whether the principles of the development of Free Software (without exchange in the core, self-organized, common and unlimited participation in the production knowledge) may be the foundation of a new economy which is no longer based on the dogma of economic scarcity. New economy may also mean the basis for a new form of society. So Oekonux is not only concerned with Free Software but with the relation of Free Software and transformation of society. From the far ranging Oekonux debate new views on past transformation processes of society and a completely new theory of transformation of society emerge - e.g. the germ form hypothesis.

A closely related question is, whether, where and how in the given economic and societal framework a culture of Free Information Goods emerges and thus makes the principles of the development of Free Software fruitful for other areas. Are the principles of the development of Free Software a temporary or integratable phenomenon or do they spread in other areas of society sooner or later.

The conference

The motto of the conference "Wealth by copyleft -- Creativity in the digital age" points especially to these questions:

Meanwhile for these and similar questions the Oekonux community became an internationally recognized focus point. From the simple mailing list this virtual community slowly develops into a collective research project - without a prior project management. Factual needs and their perception shall determine the next step. A slowly emerging consensus and the work of accepted maintainers are the moving spirit. This is producing theory just as Free Software.

After the success of the 1.Remote link and 2.Remote link Oekonux conference the 3. Oekonux conferenceRemote link takes place in cooperation with the Institute for Philosophy in Vienna. Besides the questions raised above contributions to these topics are welcome.

For all contributions the relation to the topic field of Oekonux should be recognizable.

The planned conference shall give room to bundle, collectively re-discuss and make fruitful for all, thoughts which developed in different places independently. Besides getting to know one other in talks and workshops the respective current state of the discussion shall be presented. Moreover there will be a concentrated introduction in the content of the Oekonux debate.

Speakers wanted

People interested in giving a talk, preparing a workshop or moderate a discussion round please submit a short outline of their intentions to Project OekonuxMail link. (Mails to this address are archived on the web. Please ask there if there is a problem with this.) If someone wants to add some other kind of contribution please also contact this address.

Deadline for such outlines is

March 1st, 2004

Decision about the chosen contributions is until March 31th, 2004.

The conference languages are German and English. Translators are needed!