What is a Commons?

The Museum Commons: a Professional InteractionMuseums and the Web 2010

4/16/2010

Michael Edson, Smithsonian InstitutionRich Cherry, Balboa Park Online Collaborative

Rich CherryBalboa Park Online

Collaborative@richcherry

Michael EdsonSmithsonian Institution

@mpedson

What is a Commons?

Note: more detail, text, footnotes, links related to this topic are in the papers

Museum Commons: A professional interactionMuseums and the Web site: http://www.archimuse.com/mw2010/papers/edson-cherry/edson-cherry.html

Slideshare:http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/museum-commons-a-professional-interaction-museums-and-the-web-2010-michael-edson-and-rich-cherry

and

Imagining a Smithsonian Commons• http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/cil-2009-michael-edson-text-version

What is a Commons?

Note: more detail, text, footnotes, links related to this topic are in the papers

What is a Commons?

Also…

A 15-minute talk at the Walker Art CenterText/footnotes: http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/m-4402558

Video (starts at minute 12): http://channel.walkerart.org/play/opening-the-field/

Updated 6/21/2010

Preface: humility

What is a Commons?

What is a Commons?

What is a Commons?

A set of resources maintained in the public sphere for the use and benefit of everyone

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

Usually, commons are created because a property owner decides that a given set of resources—grass for grazing sheep, forests for parkland, software code, or intellectual property—will be more valuable if freely shared than if restricted.

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

In the law, and in our understanding of the way the world works, we recognize that no idea stands alone, and that all innovation is built on the ideas and innovations of others…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

…When creators are allowed free and unrestricted access to the work of others, through the public domain, fair use, a commons, or other means, innovation flourishes.

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

The Anti-Commons…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

Conversely, unnecessarily restricted content is a barrier to innovation.

The Anti-Commons…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

Conversely, unnecessarily restricted content is a barrier to innovation. This is the anti-commons, a thicket of difficulties.

The Anti-Commons…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

If you can’t find an idea,

The Anti-Commons…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

If you can’t find an idea, can’t understand its context,

The Anti-Commons…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

If you can’t find an idea, can’t understand its context, can’t leverage communities to share and add value to it,

The Anti-Commons…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

If you can’t find an idea, can’t understand its context, can’t leverage communities to share and add value to it, and if you can’t get legal permission to use,

The Anti-Commons…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

If you can’t find an idea, can’t understand its context, can’t leverage communities to share and add value to it, and if you can’t get legal permission to use, re-use,

The Anti-Commons…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

If you can’t find an idea, can’t understand its context, can’t leverage communities to share and add value to it, and if you can’t get legal permission to use, re-use, or make it into something new…

The Anti-Commons…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

…then knowledge and innovation suffer.

The Anti-Commons…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

Unnecessarily restricted content is like a virus that spreads through the internet, making the intellectual property provenance of each generation of new ideas less and less clear.

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

What is a Commons?

The framers of our copyright laws recognized this and established the notions of fair use and the public domain so scientists, inventors, educators, artists, researchers, business people…

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

…and everyone can have access to the raw materials of knowledge.

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

A commons can be thought of as a kind of organized workshop where these raw materials can be found and assembled into new things.

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

What is a Commons?

Licensing and labeling facilitate the productivity of this workshop by telling users, in advance, how the property in the commons can be used, without making them guess or negotiate.

(from Imagining a Smithsonian Commons)

12 dimensions of a commons

From Museum Commons: A professional interaction:

http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/museum-commons-a-professional-interaction-museums-and-the-web-2010-michael-edson-and-rich-cherry

12 dimensions of a commons

No hard rules, just a set of characteristics we’ve found from looking at and thinking about how all of this seems to work.

12 dimensions of a commons

No hard rules, just a set of characteristics we’ve found from looking at and thinking about how all of this seems to work.

Any “one” of these dimensions does not necessarily make a site into a commons. Network effects and beneficial outcomes seem to be amplified when multiple facets/dimensions are combined in the same site.

12 dimensions of a commons

Examples are provided for discussion purposes, and aren’t meant to represent perfection!Please tell us what other sites/projects might serve as examples to advance this investigation!

12 dimensions of a commons

12 dimensions of a commons

1. FederatedAssets from separate databases or repositories are presented together, irrespective of what organization or department they came from

12 dimensions of a commons

1. FederatedExample: Smithsonian Collections Search Center

http://collections.si.edu/search/

12 dimensions of a commons

2. Designed for usersToolsets to allow specific user groups to effectively use the combined collections and data

12 dimensions of a commons

2. Designed for usersExample: D.C. Data Catalog

http://data.octo.dc.gov/

12 dimensions of a commons

3. FindableSearch and findability are strongly emphasized

12 dimensions of a commons

3. FindableExample:

?

12 dimensions of a commons

4. ShareableThe architecture of the commons emphasizes persistent URL's and linking/embedding tools that enable and encourage sharing

12 dimensions of a commons

4. ShareableExample: Brooklyn Museum

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/157722/Morris_Kantor

12 dimensions of a commons

5. ReusableIntellectual property policies are uniform and clearly stated

12 dimensions of a commons

5. Reusable Example: Flickr

12 dimensions of a commons

6. FreeAssets are free to access and use

12 dimensions of a commons

6. Free Example: Internet Archive

http://www.archive.org

12 dimensions of a commons

7. Bulk downloadThe commons platform provides for bulk download of assets

12 dimensions of a commons

7. Bulk download Example: Powerhouse Museum

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/download.php

12 dimensions of a commons

8. Machine readableAssets are presented in machine readable formats

12 dimensions of a commons

8. Machine readable Example: data.gov

12 dimensions of a commons

9. High resolutionAssets are made available in high resolution and not unnecessarily restricted

12 dimensions of a commons

9. High resolution Example: NASA

http://marsrover.nasa.gov/gallery/panoramas/spirit/

12 dimensions of a commons

10. Collaboration without controlThe commons platform, through a combination of the attributes above, enables collaboration and research without the necessity of formal contracts or agreements.

12 dimensions of a commons

10. Collaboration without control Example: MIT Open Courseware

http://ocw.mit.edu

12 dimensions of a commons

11. Network effectsCommons platforms are designed to take advantage of network effects from user contributions

12 dimensions of a commons

11. Network effects Example: OpenStreetMap

http://www.openstreetmap.org/

“Some people think map data is so valuable that it should be free. OpenStreetMap, a nonprofit group whose mission is to make free maps that can be reused by anyone, has some 180,000 contributors who have mapped many countries in varying levels of detail.”

Online Maps: Everyman Offers New DirectionsNew York Times11/16/2009

12 dimensions of a commons

12. The Public DomainParticularly for collecting institutions, understanding and advancing the public domain (U.S. law) or “CC-0” (Creative Commons “zero”) is, or should be, a core activity

12 dimensions of a commons

12. The Public Domain Example: NOAA Weather.gov

http://www.weather.gov/disclaimer.php

12 dimensions of a commons

… and a 13th?

http://www.weather.gov/disclaimer.php

12 dimensions of a commons

… and a 13th?

TRUST

http://www.weather.gov/disclaimer.php

12 dimensions of a commons

… and a 13th?

TRUST

http://www.weather.gov/disclaimer.php

12 dimensions of a commons

… and a 13th?

TRUST• Are you going to be there tomorrow? Forever?• Will you play fair?• Will you be selfless, and help me be successful?• If I invest resources working with your commons,

will some other commons take your place?

http://www.weather.gov/disclaimer.php

Assertions/Conversation Starters

For the purposes of this professional interaction, several assertions about the commons model can serve as conversation starters.

See MW site: http://www.archimuse.com/mw2010/papers/edson-cherry/edson-cherry.html

Or slideshare:http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/museum-commons-a-professional-interaction-museums-and-the-web-2010-michael-edson-and-rich-cherry

for full details

Assertions/Conversation Starters

1. Commons model offers harmony with mission2. The Public Domain is important3. Commons sites offer better user experience4. Commons platform provides economies of Scale5. The commons is a better collaborative model6. The commons catalyzes innovation and knowledge creation7. Free commons offer a better business model8. Commons are more responsive to needs/expectations of digital

natives9. Whose collections are they anyway?10. The commons can help our peers (by eliminating unnecessary

rights/repro fees)

Thank You!

http://www.bpoc.org/ http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/

Rich CherryBalboa Park Online Collaborative

Michael EdsonSmithsonian Institution