comg:commoning

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comg:commoning [2026/03/16 11:17] – [Digital Commoning] Simon Grantcomg:commoning [2026/04/26 14:14] (current) – [What is commoning?] Simon Grant
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-# Commoning+This topic is part of [[gt:community|Community & culture]]. 
 +====== Commoning ======
  
  
 ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/commoning.jpg) ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/commoning.jpg)
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---- 
  
 People Power Mosaic by Herb Neufeld, [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) People Power Mosaic by Herb Neufeld, [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
 +
 +---
  
 > “The law locks up the man or woman, who steals the goose from off the common > “The law locks up the man or woman, who steals the goose from off the common
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 But leaves the greater villain loose, who steals the common from off the goose.” But leaves the greater villain loose, who steals the common from off the goose.”
      
-— 17th century protest song+— 18th century protest song
  
  
  
-## What is commoning?+===== What is commoning? =====
  
 This is such a huge topic that, to provide an overview, we’ve put everything under headers, many of which have a link at the end to further information. This is such a huge topic that, to provide an overview, we’ve put everything under headers, many of which have a link at the end to further information.
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-Commoning is quite distinct from - and frequently opposed to - both the (capitalist) market and the (liberal) state. Its purpose is to ensure that resources, which should not be controlled by one person or one huddle of people (because diverse people depend on them) don’t end up being owned or controlled by one person or sectional set of interests, and are available to all participants on a fair basis.+Commoning is quite distinct from – and frequently opposed to – both the (capitalist) market and the (liberal) state. Its purpose is to ensure that resources, which should not be controlled by one person or one huddle of people (because diverse people depend on them) don’t end up being owned or controlled by one person or sectional set of interests, and are available to all participants on a fair basis.
  
-Commoning is certainly NOT ‘the [sharing economy](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/beware-the-sharing-economy-back-door-for-a-more-rapacious-form-of-capitalism/)’ promoted by Über, Airbnb, Task Rabbit and the like. These are infrastructures owned by corporations that have been made to look like ‘free choice’ open spaces on the surface (common pools), which pump out private wealth and knowledge from the arrangements, serving wealthy elites.+Commoning is certainly NOT ‘the [sharing economy](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/beware-the-sharing-economy-back-door-for-a-more-rapacious-form-of-capitalism/)’ promoted by Uber, Airbnb, Task Rabbit and the like. These are infrastructures owned by corporations that have been made to look like ‘free choice’ open spaces on the surface (common pools), which pump out private wealth and knowledge from the arrangements, serving wealthy elites.
  
-### Past and present+==== Past and present ====
  
 Most of people’s needs through (pre)history have probably been met through commons, and an estimated 2 billion people today depend for at least part of their livelihood on resources held in common. Most of people’s needs through (pre)history have probably been met through commons, and an estimated 2 billion people today depend for at least part of their livelihood on resources held in common.
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-### Hardin vs Ostrom+==== Hardin vs Ostrom ====
  
 Garret Hardin became infamous for promulgating his view of commons as 'a tragedy'. Elinor Ostrom's painstaking research shows him to be unhelpfully mistaken in his perception. Garret Hardin became infamous for promulgating his view of commons as 'a tragedy'. Elinor Ostrom's painstaking research shows him to be unhelpfully mistaken in his perception.
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 [More on Hardin vs Ostrom ...](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/infoarticle/garrett-hardin-vs-elinor-ostrom/) [More on Hardin vs Ostrom ...](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/infoarticle/garrett-hardin-vs-elinor-ostrom/)
  
-### Enclosure, ending enclosure, preventing enclosure+==== Enclosure, ending enclosure, preventing enclosure ====
  
 Preventing and ending enclosure is a core commitment of commoning. Three fundamental classes of means of subsistence and well-being have been increasingly taken out of commons: land, means of exchange and economic coordination / labour power. Preventing and ending enclosure is a core commitment of commoning. Three fundamental classes of means of subsistence and well-being have been increasingly taken out of commons: land, means of exchange and economic coordination / labour power.
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 [More on enclosures ...](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/infoarticle/enclosure-and-how-to-prevent-it/) [More on enclosures ...](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/infoarticle/enclosure-and-how-to-prevent-it/)
  
-### A co-op is not (necessarily) a commons+==== A co-op is not (necessarily) a commons ====
  
 A [co-op](/coop/co-operatives) is a commons of ownership and thus will by definition have some kind of democratic stewardship machinery. But formal ownership and the right to enjoy benefits of ownership are not the same as stewardship and curating - fundamental dimensions of commoning. A [co-op](/coop/co-operatives) is a commons of ownership and thus will by definition have some kind of democratic stewardship machinery. But formal ownership and the right to enjoy benefits of ownership are not the same as stewardship and curating - fundamental dimensions of commoning.
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### Open this, open that - ‘open’ everything+==== Open this, open that - ‘open’ everything ====
  
 When the words ‘open’ or ‘collaborative’ are used - or used together - it often indicates that commoning of some sort is happening. The field of [free / open-source software](/foss/open_source) for example is seen by its participating collaborators as a commons (a protocol commons and a commons of digital code). When the words ‘open’ or ‘collaborative’ are used - or used together - it often indicates that commoning of some sort is happening. The field of [free / open-source software](/foss/open_source) for example is seen by its participating collaborators as a commons (a protocol commons and a commons of digital code).
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-## What are the benefits of commoning?+===== What are the benefits of commoning? =====
  
-### People+==== People ====
  
 A functioning commons furnishes subsistence and well-being for its members. All participants have the same rights to enjoy the commons - it’s fair. Indigenous commons are essential for survival. In industrial societies, ‘commoned’ global designs can mean cheap - and feasible, and lower-carbon - local production. A functioning commons furnishes subsistence and well-being for its members. All participants have the same rights to enjoy the commons - it’s fair. Indigenous commons are essential for survival. In industrial societies, ‘commoned’ global designs can mean cheap - and feasible, and lower-carbon - local production.
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-### Community / society+==== Community / society ====
  
 The stewarding of commons requires people to interact, negotiate etc. - it builds community. Democracy, anti-authoritarianism, mutual regard and mutual aid are the norm. Common infrastructures can mean not everything has to be done by person-to-person communication or individual work. Common protocols can even mean that software can be allowed to control some things, and to present everyone with equivalent tools and access. The stewarding of commons requires people to interact, negotiate etc. - it builds community. Democracy, anti-authoritarianism, mutual regard and mutual aid are the norm. Common infrastructures can mean not everything has to be done by person-to-person communication or individual work. Common protocols can even mean that software can be allowed to control some things, and to present everyone with equivalent tools and access.
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 Common superstructures - of values, language, aesthetics - can mean much activity becomes unselfconscious, a kind of dance. Curating (producing and identifying good, proper stuff to contribute to a commons) is a powerful humane and collective vision. Common superstructures - of values, language, aesthetics - can mean much activity becomes unselfconscious, a kind of dance. Curating (producing and identifying good, proper stuff to contribute to a commons) is a powerful humane and collective vision.
  
-### Nature+==== Nature ====
  
 Nature is nowadays largely treated as an unregulated pool to be exploited by individuals motivated by self-interest. Companies and countries compete for natural resources and ways to dump waste and ‘side effects’. The actual material world is complex and interconnected, needing to be stewarded in commons, enjoyed under common obligations and curated under common modes of evaluation, rather than extracted by individualist persons, corporations and nations. Nature is nowadays largely treated as an unregulated pool to be exploited by individuals motivated by self-interest. Companies and countries compete for natural resources and ways to dump waste and ‘side effects’. The actual material world is complex and interconnected, needing to be stewarded in commons, enjoyed under common obligations and curated under common modes of evaluation, rather than extracted by individualist persons, corporations and nations.
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 So many kinds of things can be commoned; a person might be participating actively in one, ten or dozens of projects of commoning. Commoning can penetrate many aspects of a person’s life - it can weave an entire way of life for change and for well-being. So many kinds of things can be commoned; a person might be participating actively in one, ten or dozens of projects of commoning. Commoning can penetrate many aspects of a person’s life - it can weave an entire way of life for change and for well-being.
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 What you can do in . . What you can do in . .
  
-### Natural infrastructure: land and ‘wild commons’+==== Natural infrastructure: land and ‘wild commons’ ====
  
 Support indigenous commons; buy [Fair Trade](/fair/fairtrade); join and support organisations that campaign for and experiment with commoned regulation of ‘wild’ resources; bring commodity land into enduring common ownership and construct commons of housing and land use, via [community land trusts](/comy/community). Support indigenous commons; buy [Fair Trade](/fair/fairtrade); join and support organisations that campaign for and experiment with commoned regulation of ‘wild’ resources; bring commodity land into enduring common ownership and construct commons of housing and land use, via [community land trusts](/comy/community).
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 [More on commoning of land and nature ...](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/infoarticle/natural-infrastructure/) [More on commoning of land and nature ...](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/infoarticle/natural-infrastructure/)
  
-### Economic infrastructure: means of peer-to-peer exchange and coordination of production+==== Economic infrastructure: means of peer-to-peer exchange and coordination of production ====
  
 Money: use credit unions, local currencies and mutual credit. With [mutual credit](/mucr/mutual_credit), we can build a global [Credit Commons](http://www.creditcommons.org/) that takes the control of money from banks – replacing currency with credit and commoning the means of exchange. Get involved in peer-to-peer production, including Linux operating systems, Wikpedia, Fablabs, Makerspaces etc. Money: use credit unions, local currencies and mutual credit. With [mutual credit](/mucr/mutual_credit), we can build a global [Credit Commons](http://www.creditcommons.org/) that takes the control of money from banks – replacing currency with credit and commoning the means of exchange. Get involved in peer-to-peer production, including Linux operating systems, Wikpedia, Fablabs, Makerspaces etc.
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### Cultural superstructure: labour power, cultural commons+==== Cultural superstructure: labour power, cultural commons ====
  
 Includes public-domain cultural resources like the findings of science, works of literature, news feeds; knowledge commons; plus a couple of things that are 'almost commons' - massive online open courses (MOOCs) and open access journals. Includes public-domain cultural resources like the findings of science, works of literature, news feeds; knowledge commons; plus a couple of things that are 'almost commons' - massive online open courses (MOOCs) and open access journals.
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 Things are moving most quickly in: Things are moving most quickly in:
-### Digital Commoning+==== Digital Commoning ====
  
 Digital media and means are extremely important in how activists organise into the future, how commoning may be done across distributed commons, and what needs to be commoned. Software code, algorithm-steered systems, digital media, etc. constitute a prominent present-day still-emergent kind of material that can be commoned. Digital media and means are extremely important in how activists organise into the future, how commoning may be done across distributed commons, and what needs to be commoned. Software code, algorithm-steered systems, digital media, etc. constitute a prominent present-day still-emergent kind of material that can be commoned.
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 So you can see what they look like, here's [Mike Hales' fedwiki](https://bft.wiki.cafe/view/welcome-visitors) containing the information above, including further info pages. So you can see what they look like, here's [Mike Hales' fedwiki](https://bft.wiki.cafe/view/welcome-visitors) containing the information above, including further info pages.
  
-### Latest developments+==== Latest developments ====
  
 New monetary ideas such as [mutual credit](/mucr/mutual_credit) and [use-credit obligations](/ucos/Use-credit_obligations) are leading to the development of [housing commons](/hoco/Housing_commons), [energy commons](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/building-the-energy-commons-marcus-saul-of-island-power) and [Credit Commons](https://creditcommonssociety.org/). New monetary ideas such as [mutual credit](/mucr/mutual_credit) and [use-credit obligations](/ucos/Use-credit_obligations) are leading to the development of [housing commons](/hoco/Housing_commons), [energy commons](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/posts/building-the-energy-commons-marcus-saul-of-island-power) and [Credit Commons](https://creditcommonssociety.org/).
  
  
-## Further resources+===== Forum ===== 
 + 
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:community|Community & culture]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/community). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources =====
  
 - [Commons Strategies Group](https://commonsstrategies.org/#1) - collaboration to foster the growth of the commons - [Commons Strategies Group](https://commonsstrategies.org/#1) - collaboration to foster the growth of the commons
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-## Related topics+===== Related topics =====
  
 - [Commons economy](coec:commons_economy) - [Commons economy](coec:commons_economy)
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 - [Coastal foraging](coas:coastal_foraging) - [Coastal foraging](coas:coastal_foraging)
  
-## Specialist curators of this topic+===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
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  • Last modified: 2026/03/16 11:17
  • by Simon Grant