Today, beyond the Free Software world, projects based on a similar approach of peer production are rapidly emerging, including Wikipedia and many more. It is time to look at peer production from a broader perspective.

This is the goal of the 4th Oekonux conference [2] which is done in collaboration with the P2P Foundation [3]. Under the title

Free Software and Beyond

The World of Peer Production

we are planning a conference where

o researchers and activists meet

o intensive discussions are possible

o experiences can be shared and learned.

We are calling for contributions about the big world of peer production. Possible themes include (but not limited to):

o Reports from peer production projects such as

     o    Wikipedia
     o    Blogosphere
     o    Design communities
     o    OpenAccess? movement
     o    Open Music
     o    Free Culture
     o    Sharing platforms like Flickr and YouTube?
     o    Free Software

     o    Theoretical approaches on their relationship
     o    Peer production and commercial interests
     o    Peer production and the state
     o    Peer production and political approaches of the past

     o    Theoretical approaches to governance in peer production
     o    Peer ownership
     o    Maintainership and conflict resolution

     o    Existing projects
     o    Theoretical approaches

 o    give a talk
 o    prepare a workshop
 o    moderate a round table discussion

About Project Oekonux: In Project Oekonux different people with different opinions and different methods study the economic and political forms of Free Software and other peer production phenomenons. An important question is, whether the principles of peer production may be the foundation of a new economy which may be the base for a new society.

About P2P Foundation: The Foundation for Peer to Peer Alternatives researches, documents and promotes P2P practices in every domain of social life. It's a global cyber-collective and aims to be a knowledge and internetworking platform for open/free, participatory, and commons-oriented initiatives on a global scale.

Important information:

o Deadline for applications: 31 October 2008

o Final decision on acceptance: 15 December 2008

o Deadline for submission of papers / slidesets: 13 March 2009

o Conference date: 27-29 March 2009

o Conference location: Manchester, UK

o Contact address: projekt AT oekonux DOT de

o Conference language: English

o Previous conference: 3rd Oekonux conference [4]

o More information on the conference website [2]

________________________________ Web-Site: http://www.oekonux.de/ Organisation: http://www.oekonux.de/projekt/ Kontakt: projekt@oekonux.de