4th Inclusiva-net Meeting: P2P Networks and Processes

The event is direc­ted by Juan Martín Prada, and will include paper presen­ta­ti­ons, round­ta­bles and lectu­res by Andoni Alonso, Michel Bauwens, Rubén Díaz, Javier de la Cueva, Juan Freire, Anto­nio Lafu­ente, Gonzalo Martín, Juan Martín Prada, Marga­rita Padi­lla, Susana Narotzky, Rubén Martí­nez and María Ptqk.

Free entrance to the meeting, but previ­ous regis­tra­tion requi­red. Limi­ted seating. Simul­ta­ne­ous trans­la­tion English/Spanish.

In order to assist to the meeting and take part in the discus­sion groups you must regis­ter (for the gene­ral meeting, fill in the form below; you can also take part in one of the four discus­sion groups by submit­ting the speci­fic form):

          > Regis­ter for the gene­ral meeting

          > Regis­ter for the discus­sion groups

> List of selec­ted papers

> Meeting program

Direc­ted by Juan Martín Prada

In colla­bo­ra­tion with Commons Lab

Orga­ni­zer: Medi­a­lab-Prado

Intro­duc­tion

The 4th Inter­na­ti­o­nal Meeting of Medi­a­lab-Prado’s Inclu­siva-net plat­form titled P2P networks and proces­ses: beyond exchange logics will focus on an analy­sis of “peer-to-peer” networks and network proces­ses, high­ligh­ting the social poten­ti­als of coope­ra­tive systems and proces­ses based on the struc­tu­res and dyna­mics inhe­rent to these types of networks. The meeting will consist of a series of lectu­res and a selec­tion of commu­ni­ca­ti­ons chosen through an open call for projects.

Presen­ta­tion text

P2P (“peer-to-peer”) networks -distri­bu­ted networks compo­sed of nodes that func­tion simul­ta­ne­ously as clients and servers- are based, in the most inter­es­ting cases, on a series of ideals: equa­lity of power among parti­ci­pants, free coope­ra­tion among them, putting into circu­la­tion or forming what are consi­de­red “common goods”, and parti­ci­pa­tion and commu­ni­ca­tion “from many to many”.

Howe­ver, in the face of the almost unques­ti­o­na­ble good­ness of these premi­ses, we are currently seeing cons­tant ques­ti­o­ning of peer-to-peer networks from busi­ness and insti­tu­ti­o­nal circles which accuse them of being the main instru­ment for carrying out acti­vi­ties that infringe inte­llec­tual property stan­dards (criti­cism mainly rela­ted to down­lo­a­ding files with copy­right protec­tion).

Thus, those who conceive of P2P networks as a way of demo­cra­ti­zing access to cultu­ral contents are confron­ted by those who consi­der P2P networks as mere swarms of users gathe­red solely out of a private inter­est in down­lo­a­ding music or films for free. Those two posi­ti­ons, howe­ver, only cover a tiny part of the multi­tude and comple­xity of aspects invol­ved in the dyna­mics inhe­rent to “peer-to-peer” networks.

Due to all of that, it seems neces­sary that this debate, of burning inter­est at present, include other pers­pec­ti­ves that make a broa­der reflec­tion on P2P networks possi­ble, going beyond mere diatri­bes about the lega­lity or ille­ga­lity of the uses that can be made of them.

That is preci­sely the reason why one of the prin­ci­pal aims of this fourth inter­na­ti­o­nal meeting of the Inclu­siva-net plat­form is to broa­den the terms of discus­sion about these networks, with special empha­sis on the huge social poten­tial offe­red by network systems and proces­ses based on P2P struc­tu­res. Our purpose is there­fore to look at their immense capa­city to conso­li­date forms of volun­tary social orga­ni­za­tion and to deve­lop parti­ci­pa­tory social proces­ses and collec­tive coope­ra­tion in networks, in all areas of human acti­vi­ties. For this reason, the meeting also aims to explore, through concepts such as «panar­chy» and «P2P gover­nance», the meaning and value of clai­ming P2P networks as a model of a possi­ble and desi­ra­ble appli­ca­tion that goes beyond mere exchange logics and may even be consi­de­red a poli­ti­cal and social program in its own right.

Core themes for the meeting

– P2P networks and parti­ci­pa­tory social para­digms and coope­ra­tion in networks.

– Networks and projects based on “peer-to-peer” struc­tu­res and proces­ses.

– Appli­ca­tion of P2P orga­ni­za­ti­o­nal models to diffe­rent areas of know­ledge and social life.

– The concepts of “panar­chy” and “P2P gover­nance”.

– P2P econo­mies and forms of produ­tion.

– Forms of orga­ni­za­tion, archi­tec­tu­res, and opera­tion of P2P networks.

– History, typo­lo­gies and appli­ca­ti­ons of P2P networks.

– Legal contro­ver­sies rela­ted to P2P networks.

– The use of P2P in educa­tion.

– The use of P2P as a source of know­ledge. Its role in the emer­gent coun­tries.

– New deve­lop­ments in network design, proto­cols and appli­ca­ti­ons. The future of P2P.

– P2P networks in mobile phones.

– Complex systems and P2P networks.

– Quality of infor­ma­tion in P2P networks. Seman­tic Web and P2P.

– The rela­ti­ons­hip between P2P networks and Web 2.0

– P2P Meta­ver­ses.

– Artis­tic projects based on P2P struc­tu­res or networks.