[p2p-research] [-empyre-] seeing yourself a prototype - the limits of open source

Mon Mar 22 08:18:50 CET 2010

hi davin,

i'm publishing it on the 24th, but our blog generally is not much of a
comment blog, unlike our mailing list, so here is your text again for the
list:

davin heckman:

typically, a prototype is a discrete thing which is created with the
intention of being tested. Certainly the way the prototype is tested is a)
the object itself is put through various challenges that are anticipated
uses and stresses, and b) the general integration of the thing into the
system is also tested at that point (how the thing might fare in light of
unanticipated uses and stresses). The distinction I was trying to draw was
the coercive potential of innovations. Where there is less an interest in
testing an individual thing with the intention of improving it.... and more
of an interest in introducing an innovation with the intention of forcing
adaptation in the population.

I was less concerned with individuals modifying themselves through, say,
education or societies changing populations through educational
institutions. These things, on their face, have the intention of shaping the
person and society. They are, at least in principle, geared towards the
preservation of individual and social existence. Or, at least, they do
insofar as they are generated by a public in service of the ideal public
which they represent.

On the other hand, there are technologies that seem to be introduced with
the stated purpose of achieving one objective, yet have the larger objective
of changing human populations. Take, for instance, the infamous case of
Nestle's infant formula strategy in Africa. Company reps masquerading as
health workers introduce infant formula to a population that had not used it
previously. The suggested purpose is to provide nutrition and humanitarian
aid. But when women stopped lactating and suddenly found themselves forced
to pay for the product or watch their children starve, a much more radical
technical innovation becomes apparent--the forced creation of a new social
web in service of corporate interests.

More current (and relevant) examples might be the sort of biological
innovations that have been spurred by petrochemical industries as ubiquitous
products (plastics, agricultural products, drugs, etc) saturate ecosystems
with chemicals that interfere with hormone production across the food chain,
resulting in an explosion of diseases requiring treatment. I don't know that
I know enough to say that there is anything resembling a conspiracy here....
other than the sort of conspiracy of opportunistically imposed apathy and
ignorance. But the general recklessness of big business seems to suggest
that there is something intentional about turning quick profits, letting
major catastrophic accidents happen, and then profiting further. Habituating
people to live in a precarious state of withered consciousness seems to have
been the real "value" uncovered by the pervasive barrage of technical
innovations.... human beings can be turned into quivering beasts who will
tolerate any injustice simply to hope for another day, and in many cases,
who will tear at each other's throats in defense of the paymasters
responsible for this exploitation.

On Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 2:24 AM, davin heckman <davinheckman at gmail.com>wrote:

> Michel,
>
> That would be great!  Let me know when it is up.  If people seem
> inclined to discuss it....  I'd like to be in on it, too.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Davin
>
> On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 4:47 AM, Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Hi David,
> >
> > I would like to republish your comment in our p2p blog, if that's okay
> with
> > you,
> >
> > Michel
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > From: davin heckman <davinheckman at gmail.com>
> > Date: Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 10:35 PM
> > Subject: Re: [-empyre-] seeing yourself a prototype - the limits of open
> > source
> > To: soft_skinned_space <empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au>
> >
> >
> > Julian,
> >
> > I'm sorry for being unclear.  What I had meant to say is that,
> > typically, a prototype is a discrete thing which is created with the
> > intention of being tested.  Certainly the way the prototype is tested
> > is a) the object itself is put through various challenges that are
> > anticipated uses and stresses, and b) the general integration of the
> > thing into the system is also tested at that point (how the thing
> > might fare in light of unanticipated uses and stresses).  The
> > distinction I was trying to draw was the coercive potential of
> > innovations.  Where there is less an interest in testing an individual
> > thing with the intention of improving it....  and more of an interest
> > in introducing an innovation with the intention of forcing adaptation
> > in the population.
> >
> > I was less concerned with individuals modifying themselves through,
> > say, education or societies changing populations through educational
> > institutions.  These things, on their face, have the intention of
> > shaping the person and society.  They are, at least in principle,
> > geared towards the preservation of individual and social existence.
> > Or, at least, they do insofar as they are generated by a public in
> > service of the ideal public which they represent.
> >
> > On the other hand, there are technologies that seem to be introduced
> > with the stated purpose of achieving one objective, yet have the
> > larger objective of changing human populations.  Take, for instance,
> > the infamous case of Nestle's infant formula strategy in Africa.
> > Company reps masquerading as health workers introduce infant formula
> > to a population that had not used it previously.  The suggested
> > purpose is to provide nutrition and humanitarian aid.  But when women
> > stopped lactating and suddenly found themselves forced to pay for the
> > product or watch their children starve, a much more radical technical
> > innovation becomes apparent--the forced creation of a new social web
> > in service of corporate interests.
> >
> > More current (and relevant) examples might be the sort of biological
> > innovations that have been spurred by petrochemical industries as
> > ubiquitous products (plastics, agricultural products, drugs, etc)
> > saturate ecosystems with chemicals that interfere with hormone
> > production across the food chain, resulting in an explosion of
> > diseases requiring treatment.  I don't know that I know enough to say
> > that there is anything resembling a conspiracy here....  other than
> > the sort of conspiracy of opportunistically imposed apathy and
> > ignorance.  But the general recklessness of big business seems to
> > suggest that there is something intentional about turning quick
> > profits, letting major catastrophic accidents happen, and then
> > profiting further.  Habituating people to live in a precarious state
> > of withered consciousness seems to have been the real "value"
> > uncovered by the pervasive barrage of technical innovations....  human
> > beings can be turned into quivering beasts who will tolerate any
> > injustice simply to hope for another day, and in many cases, who will
> > tear at each other's throats in defense of the paymasters responsible
> > for this exploitation.
> >
> > I suppose I should hang it up, here.  I might be drawing a false
> > distinction.  And I certainly am off the rails for this month's
> > discussion.  There is something moralistic in my argument, resembling
> > the months old discussion of "good" and "bad" that we had here.  Yet,
> > I wonder that there might be some value in drawing distinctions
> > between orders of technological existence.   That the fast-forward
> > orientation of prototyping is fascinating and productive....  but it
> > is a loaded term...  and it is one that I have a hard time unpacking.
> >
> > Davin
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 11:50 AM, Julian Oliver <julian at julianoliver.com
> >
> > wrote:
> >> ..on Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 03:10:01PM -0000, Johannes Birringer wrote:
> >>> >> Davin wrote:>> At one point in time, discrete objects were things
> that
> >>> >> were considered prototypes that could be thrown into an existing
> system and
> >>> >> tested. Increasingly, it seems like the prototypes are geared to
> test
> >>> >> individual and collective consciousness.  In other words, maybe we
> are the
> >>> >>  prototypes?  Being tested so that we can be effectively processed,
> >>> >> shrink-wrapped, labeled, bought and sold>>
> >>
> >> Hmm, This statement from Davin confused me also. I thought it was fairly
> >> clear
> >> that any act of learning - or any 'attempt', which all action is at it's
> >> root -
> >> simultaneously produces the self as a prototype, even if only for the
> >> duration
> >> of that act. The very notion of a prototype assumes a platonic and
> >> eventuating
> >> objecthood, a finished thing. When are people ever so singularly
> resolved?
> >>
> >> Second order prototyping is the work of other people, especially
> >> aquaintances,
> >> marketeers and those that resource people.
> >>
> >> Beast,
> >>
> >> --
> >> Julian Oliver
> >> home: New Zealand
> >> based: Berlin, Germany
> >> currently: Berlin, Germany
> >> about: http://julianoliver.com
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> empyre forum
> >> empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> >> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
> >>
> > _______________________________________________
> > empyre forum
> > empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> > http://www.subtle.net/empyre
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Work: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhurakij_Pundit_University - Think
> thank:
> > http://www.asianforesightinstitute.org/index.php/eng/The-AFI
> >
> > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net  -
> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net
> >
> > Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss:
> > http://listcultures.org/mailman/listinfo/p2presearch_listcultures.org
> >
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> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

-- 
Work: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhurakij_Pundit_University - Think thank:
http://www.asianforesightinstitute.org/index.php/eng/The-AFI

P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net  - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net

Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss:
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