Course detail

Commons and P2P

FaVU-2CP2PAcad. year: 2021/2022

In the form of lecture inputs and hands-on workshops, the teaching will focus on a) exploring the socio-economic context of digital infrastructures emerging with the development of the platform economy and other variations of the "sharing economy" and b) introducing "commons-based" models that hold the promise of healthier, more emancipated forms of collaboration and approaches to handling personal data. We will begin the course with an overview and mapping of current technological and economic trends against which pressing issues around privacy, digital identity and data arise. A key theme will be the triangle of tension between privacy, security and economic interests. We will touch on some of the hot topics of the moment (surveillance capitalism, ethics of data trading, centralization of digital identity, etc.), and look at the background and technologies of the emerging decentralization trend (Web3.0, blockchain, etc.), including possible negative externalities.
The second part of the course will focus on alternative approaches and possible solutions to prevent or minimize the outlined problems. We situate the exploration within the socio-economic framework of the so-called "P2P commons transition" concept elaborated by (Bauwens, 2019). However, we will also refer to other related approaches such as Sharing Cities (Shareable, 2018). Along these lines, we will then revisit questions related to issues of personal data, trust and digital identity. We will touch upon concepts such as Self-Sovereign Digital Identity (SSI), Generative Digital Identity (GDI), interpersonal data, data commons, Webs of Trust (WoT) and others. In the practical part we will elaborate possible dystopian scenarios of adoption of these technologies and ways to prevent them. In order to integrate the acquired knowledge, we will conclude the course by analyzing concrete existing examples and solutions and using a design approach to elaborate initial answers to the question "What specifically can we start doing?".

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

PhDr. Petr Škyřík, Ph.D.

Department

Faculty of Fine Arts (FaVU)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

- Ability to think about personal data and digital identity within the context of wider socio-economic contexts and trends.
- Understanding of the fundamentals of technology architecture related to different forms of digital identity.
- Ability to critically reflect on the potential benefits and risks associated with digitalisation and the ability to consider and communicate these risks.
- Ability to apply "commons-based" concepts within design thinking.

Prerequisites

None.

Co-requisites

Not applicable.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Teaching in the form of lecture input and practical workshops. The sessions will be based on practical examples, close interplay between theory and practice and online input from experts on specific sub-topics.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Credit awarded if the following conditions are met: attendance at lectures combined with practical workshops; final group project completed largely in class workshops and undemanding homework.

Course curriculum

1. Introduction to the course. "Epistemic grounding" - exploring implicit models, concepts and metaphors related to key themes (data, identity, trust). Promise Theory analytical framework (Burgess). "Data as ____?" - Advantages and disadvantages of different conceptions of the phenomenon of data: data as: property (property) / labour (labour) / reputation (reputation) / public goods (public goods) / commons.
2. Socio-economic background. The emergence of platform economies and various forms of "sharing economies" (new data economy, reputation economy, trust economy, etc.). Related issues and externalities. Surveillance capitalism. Tomorrow 3.0 (Munger).
3. Introduction to the commons. Origins - research by Elinor Ostrom. P2P commons transition (Bauwens). Platform cooperativism (Schneider, Scholz). Sovereign Accountable Commons (Brock).
4. Sharing Cities initiative and commons approaches. Responses from cities. Sharing Cities Declaration. Data access issues. Ethical issues. Data commons. DECODE initiative.
5. Digital identity. "The Internet lacks an identity layer!" A brief excursus into the evolution of identification/authentication standards on the Internet. The advent of Self-Sovereign identity - new W3C standards (Verifiable Credentials, Decentralized Identifiers). What does this mean for personal data and our digital footprint? "Data as property" - a useful perspective or a step towards dystopia? How does blockchain relate to decentralized digital identity?
6. Decentralization, blockchain and Web 3.0. Historical excursus: Bitcoin as the first implementation of blockchain technology, ideology of emergence. Gartner adoption curve. Technological foundations. The benefits of blockchain - what is the hype and in what contexts it may make sense to address it. Ehtereum and the Smart Contract concept. Promises, bubbles and false hopes. Dystopian question marks. Data and AI, "compute to data" models.
7. Cyber-physical commons and P2P alternatives. "Tokenomics" research at the University of Vienna. Commons Stack. "Tokenise everything!" - a nightmare or a path to self-sufficiency? Holochain. Mutual-credit systems. How does it relate to data and identity?
8. What to do practically? Analysis of concrete examples. Design perspective: what specifically can we start doing?
9. Final meeting, evaluation, presentation of ideas and designs and next steps.

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

- To present current socio-economic trends related to the emergence of the platform economy.

- To map the key links to the issue of "personal data" and digital identity.

- Outline the potential role of "commons-based" approaches in efforts to move towards healthier solutions.

- Demonstrate their relevance to design thinking.

- To stimulate the ability to think in these categories and the interest in actively experimenting with their application.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

As long as hybrid/presence learning is possible, participation is mandatory. One absence is allowed (there are 7 meetings in total). In case of higher absences, learners are given additional tasks consisting of reading and processing thematic texts.

Recommended optional programme components

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

OSTROM, Elinor. Governing the commons: the evolution of institutions for collective action. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990. ISBN 978-0-521-40599-7.
BAUWENS, Michel, Vasilis KOSTAKIS a Alex PAZAITIS. Peer to Peer: The Commons Manifesto [online]. London: University of Westminster Press, 2019 [cit. 2021-9-14]. ISBN 9781911534778. Dostupné z: doi:10.16997/book33
DELLENBAUGH-LOSSE, Mary, Nils-Eyk ZIMMERMANN a Nicole DE VRIES. The Urban Common Cookbook: Strategies and Insights for Creating and Maintaining Urban Commons [online]. 1. Shareable, 2020 [cit. 2021-9-14]. ISBN 978-3-00-065193-9. Dostupné z: http://urbancommonscookbook.com/info-UrbanCommonsCookbookEN.pdf

Type of course unit

Lecture

13 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

PhDr. Petr Škyřík, Ph.D.

Seminar

13 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Mgr. Roman Novotný

VUT

Faculties

University Institutes

Parts

Commons and P2P

Type of course unit