Introduction

=The Virtual Commons= toc

Introduction
Dr. Chet Bowers deines the commons as "both the naturals systems (water, air, soil, forests, oceans, etc.) and the cultural patterns and traditions (intergenerational knowledge ranging from growing and preparing food, medicinal practices, arts, crafts, ceremonies, etc.) that are shared without cost by all members of the community." (Bowers, 2011) He goes on to discuss the need for revitalization of the commons in order to reclaim aspects of nature and culture that have been co-opted for corporate gain and closed off behind walls of private ownership.

One striking example of this change in the commons is the spread of genetically modified crops and the industrialization of our food production systems, as described in the documentaries //Food, Inc.// and //The Future of Food//. The following excerpt from //Food, Inc.// explains how our food production systems have become complex, industrial engines, removing them from common ownership and common access.

media type="youtube" key="yh8c9OUti4c" height="315" width="560"

When a society is cut off from its common skills and culture, it becomes wholly dependent on the exploitative and ecologically unsustainable systems created by for-profit entities. The commons tie a society and a culture together. They provide a medium for communication and exchange of ideas, both physically and mentally.

Can the commons be online?
The idea of the commons, a shared place and set of skills vital for the propagation of a culture, does not apply only to physical locations. The ideals of the cultural commons are alive and well within internet-based communities that are defined not by physical location, but purely by the values and traditions they hold dear. Can virtual spaces and communities really be discussed in the same way as their physical counterparts? The internet has already changed how we communicate with each other in drastic and far-reaching ways.

The internet's importance to modern society was highlighted earlier this year as the [|United Nations declared internet access a fundamental human right]alongside more traditional rights like freedom of speech and of the press (Olivarez-Giles, 2011). From the [|U.N. report]: "Given that the Internet has become an indispensable tool for realizing a range of human rights, combating inequality, and accelerating development and human progress, ensuring universal access to the Internet should be a priority for all states."

What, then, do the commons look like in these virtual spaces? There are remarkable similarities between the cultural commons of Bowers and the oen source software movement, the work of the Wikipedia foundation, and countless other cultual commons that allow members of a group to meet, exchange ideas, and learn from each other in a non-monetized setting.

A Note on Approach
The author of this site took an ethnographic approach to the exploration of the virtual commons described in this article. The unique nature of virtual communities has benefits and drawbacks for this type of research. On the positive side, the history and records of the virtual communities are readily available on many different sites. The primary documents are freely accessible online and can be read from any internet-connected computer. On the down side, traditional ethnographic activities like site visits, photo journals, and in-person interviews are much more difficult to perform with these communities.