I was asked to clarify my understanding of the value chain of the new way of producing physical goods as outlined here. Value chain? As engineer, craftsman and small farmer I am not very familiar with business terms like this. In this context I associate value-add with money therefore I would rather prefer to look at benefit-add. A benefit may be profit but I think it is necessary to widen our comprehension of what the main duty of economy is: need satisfaction. And to create livelihoods. Not inevitably - or rather better not - only for humans.

Where are the benefits of an open manufacturing economy? What needs are met? What kind of livelihoods are created?
[read more]

• resources for homemade bioplastic
• OpenStructures - a modular construction model - everyone designs for everyone on the basis of one shared geometrical grid
• Neosubsistence: The combination of advanced material and information technologies introduces a new economic option.
• Wenn Peers produzieren: Von Freier Software zu Freier Hardware und darüber hinaus.
• Design for the first world - the rest saving the west. Developing countries are going to help us.
• 134 public domain patents which could be used for oil spill clean up.
• Woodworks Library - A unique collection of over 175 complete books on woodworking and related topics.
• Crazy 18-times overfunding of diaspora, the privacy aware, personally controlled, do-it-all distributed open source social network. Crowdfunding works!
• Selbstorganisierte Fülle  - Gemeingüter und Peer-Produktion als Grundlagen einer nichtkapitalistischen Gesellschaft. Ausgezeichneter Vortrag von Christian Siefkes.

• Wer ist auf we.riseup.net aktiv? Scheint eine interessante Vernetzungs- und Kollaborations-Plattform zu sein.
• The evolution of leadership: boss, leader, builder. The Builders' Manifesto.
• Post-scarcity vs. Peer Production - the earth is the limit.
• "Ethical marketing in this case is an appropriate (and measured ) response to a wish to meet a particular genuine human need in a way that embraces care for the earth, for people and for how the wealth generated will be shared." Sally Lever
• Building Business Models that Matter.
• The future of individual mobility? Riversimple’s Network Hydrogen-Car, based on Open Design, leased, not sold. (via P2P Foundation)
• Database with expired, no-longer maintained, disallowed, or unprotected patents: Global Innovation Commons.
• Resources for homemade bioplastic at openMaterials.

A child doesn't have to know why building blocks hold together to have the ability to build something wonderful. bildr applies that same logic to code and electronics. We show people how to make the blocks, and how the blocks can work together, then let their minds explore the possibilities.

So far, the number of people and groups interested and engaged in open source technology or in open source goods is still manageable. But, they do exist and the community is growing. Also in german speaking regions.

That‘s why we - Michael Klotsche (blogging on Nuevalandia) and me - want to find out if there is any need for an offline platform to network and exchange and if yes, how important it is. We thought about organizing a camp, this or next year, located somewhere between Dresden, Germany, and Switzerland.
[read more]

Not long ago I was writing about open production facilities. Shortly after that I found a few existing concepts in the web:

• Fab Labs,  MITs high tech version I‘ve already mentioned.
• The canadian TechShop is a member-financed manufactory providing machines, tools and materials. It‘s also offering an open and helpful community.
• The Shop (German) is a concept of Philip Steffan, who has already initialized Baustler-events (trés sympa, someone not fearing to be mentioned by his real name)
• And there‘s also NYC Resistor, a hacker collective with shared space located in downtown Brooklyn. They do also run training courses. MakerBot Industries, offering Open source roboter kits and 3D printers, was born in that community. 

Do we have to know everything? Do we have to be able to make everything? Do we have to own everything ourselves? Are we the only owns? I found an answer in a wonderful world of shared spaces, open source design and hardware: no

[Update]

19.03.2009: Forgot the most obvious example: Factor e Farm.

01.04.2009: Similar to Baustler, event-based: Hack-Up.

03.04.2009: Building a hacker space - a hacker space design pattern catalogue (PDF) and Hackerspaces.

By open-sourcing items of technological significance, we aim to empower and deploy any individual - who does not have to have a technical background - to become a stewart of technology, capable of its production. If OS documentation is available, parts lists accessible, and design drawings clear, then an interested individual, by studying this information - can turn it into a business or neosubsistence opportunity.

 Quelle/Source: WorkNets

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead, US anthropologist & popularizer of anthropology (1901 - 1978) [Quelle]
 

With different people I have discussed a platform, where ideas and needs of users but also existing open source solutions would be collected and documented.

[read more]

Make fabrication facilities and resources accessible. I think that‘s the essential point of where I am heading to. Fab labs are one step in this direction, but at the end of the day it‘s about having a place, where we can produce what we actually need.

Imagine a place, where you have free access to tools and raw materials, where you have access to knowledge and skills and imagine further you can go there with a free available design and manufacture your product based on this design and your needs.

Join to the mailing list and have a look at the Appropedia page dedicated to this issue.