Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 8/5/2008 22:46
iCommons.org will be unavailable for a few minutes for server maintenance on Friday, 9 May between 3:00 and 5:00 GMT.
So don't be alarmed when you can't get your hit of Commons news, we promise we'll be back in a flash! [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 24/4/2008 19:00
Being open is a positive principle on many levels: it improves quality, it provides the building blocks for innovation on top of current products and processes by understanding how they work, it builds security and trust because we know what is being done behind the veil, and it facilitates participation because we can see into the mechanics of a project and find a way to participate... [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 15/4/2008 04:07
iCommons is proud to announce the launch of the new iSummit website, the hot spot for up-to-date iSummit news and information. Check it out at http://icommonssummit.org
With the launch of the site, registration is now officially open, so follow the link from the iSummit site front page to book your place in Sapporo. Pay the Early Bird registration fee before it expires mid-May.
Also... [ read ]
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Rebecca Kahn, iCommons reporter (South Africa) · 26/3/2008 16:24
Indian IP blog Spicy IP is running a fascinating article about the battle between the South African branches of car manufacturers Chrysler and Mahindra.
They're arguing about the legitimacy of Mahindra's use of the word 'jeep' (in lower case) in an advertisement to describe the type of vehicle they're manufacturing. Chrysler claims it owns the trademark to the world's oldest... [ read ]
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Rebecca Kahn, iCommons reporter (South Africa) · 13/3/2008 21:09
According to this story on IP Watch, WIPO's copyright committee wrapped up it's meetings this week, and though some things have changed - a lot of it seems to be the same. Same chair, same Euro-centric dominance, same dissonance.
Have a look at IP Watch's William New's article.
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 3/3/2008 17:27
iCommons is happy to announce the call for submissions for this year's iSummit in Sapporo, Japan. Please read the instructions, FAQs and download the programme structure on the call for submissions page.
It is a great improvement on last year's wiki-based call - and James Cairns and a bunch of volunteers from the January workshop have worked really hard in making this year's... [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 22/2/2008 01:41
This year marks the third year of operation at iCommons and the first on our own – separate from Creative Commons – as membership in iCommons by CC is diluted and other members are welcomed to the iCommons family.
We’ve come a long way in the last three years. Starting with two staff members sitting around a trestle table in a very small back office, the team has grown to a... [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 22/2/2008 00:54
iCommons is pleased to confirm the support of two new funders. These bodies join the team of forward-thinking organisations assisting us to encourage collaboration across borders and communities, and to promote the tools, models and practises that facilitate global participation in cultural and knowledge domains.
We greatly appreciate this support and the opportunities it provides... [ read ]
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Heather Ford, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 23/1/2008 18:59
Yesterday, the Cape Town Open Education Declaration was launched with a list of about 500 signatures of individuals and organizations around the world (including iCommons) calling for a new way of looking at education as an empowering tool that relies on openness for quality and accessibility. Andrew Rens has put up the press release here, but you can make your mark by signing the... [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 19/1/2008 01:08
Here are a few pictures from the iCommons Summit planning workshop held in Johannesburg over the last two days. Representatives from CC Japan, Sapporo city, Digital Garage, Second Life, the Summit 07 education track, the iCommons board and Second Life attended the event to discuss the Summit programme and organisation. See the full list of participants here, as well as the goals... [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 18/12/2007 15:27
In my last letter for the year, I look back at 2007’s biggest news, and what to look forward to in 2008.
2007 saw some major successes in the open education movement. The Cape Town Open Education Declaration was launched with the goal of accelerating the international effort to promote open resources, technology and teaching practices in education. Yale started an open courseware... [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 17/12/2007 22:24
The iCommons Auction is now, officially, closed.
Many, many thanks to those of you who bid on and bought some of the very special items we had for sale. Big sloppy kisses to you. We hope you enjoy your loot.
Those of you who didn't bid or buy... shame on you! Hang your heads! (actually, we do still love you all)
But never fear... We've decided to give you a second chance... [ read ]
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Rebecca Kahn, iCommons reporter (South Africa) · 4/12/2007 21:40
The upload fairies have been busy overnight – more goodies have been uploaded into the iCommons Auction, for your bidding pleasure. Whether you're into Oscar winning movies, or just want a stylish CC luggage tag (for all the jetsetters out there, you know who you are) the iCommons auction has got the gear to provide any jonezing-shopaholic-Free-Culture-junkie with their fix.
Just... [ read ]
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Rebecca Kahn, iCommons reporter (South Africa) · 3/12/2007 21:48
That's right - buying something at the iCommons Auction is guaranteed* to make your teeth whiter, your hair shinier and your eyes sparklier. Shopping at the iCommons Auction is also guaranteed to net you some unique, once-off Free Culture artefacts and help those dear ladies at iCommons keep their node programme (only the best, easiest and most effective way to monitor global free-culture... [ read ]
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Rebecca Kahn, iCommons reporter (South Africa) · 29/11/2007 19:50
The iCommons Auction is hotting up, and we’re adding great new items to the auction every week. This auction is an exceptional opportunity to find unique and special artefacts from the Commons, as well as getting some guilt-free Christmas shopping in – all proceeds from the auction go to supporting the iCommons Node project, which connects global free culture projects around the... [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 22/11/2007 20:23
We had a jam-packed month at the iCommons office yet again!
Last week we hosted Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia and iCommons board member for a number of activities to launch the Wikipedia Academies in Africa in collaboration with the Wikimedia Foundation. Frank Schulenburg of Wikipedia Germany, Ndesnajo Macha, dubbed the ‘Father of Swahili Wikipedia’ and Ian Gilfillan (a.k.a.... [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 24/10/2007 19:57
We haven't had a 'Top 5' update in a while, and since our last count of the top five contributors to icommons.org, the stakes have changed with a set of new karma contenders for the position of iCommons voting master or mistress.
A big congratulations to the following iCommoners: (and a special welcome to the newbies on the list!)
1. Kiruba Shankar (who beat Steve Foerster... [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 19/10/2007 00:44
iCommons.org will experience some down time on Friday 19 October at GMT 4:00 for a quick maintenance procedure.
We hope this doesn't cause any inconvenience, but we should be back up and running within a few minutes. [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 12/10/2007 23:39
Phew! Sometimes, when I sit down to write this letter, I wonder how it is we manage to keep up with the great momentum that is building around the world to find new and better ways of keeping our culture free and open. From the beginnings of a global Open Education Declaration, to two of the ‘50 parties’ free culture events in Cape Town and New York; and from the kick-off meeting... [ read ]
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Daniela Faris, Johannesburg (South Africa) · 23/9/2007 22:13
A bunch of incredible volunteers and the iCommons staff are at a shopping mall
today recording stories and scanning images for Wikimedia Commons in
celebration of Heritage Day weekend in South Africa.
We've had some incredible stories that volunteer translators are translating into
Sotho, Xhosa, Afrikaans and Zulu - check it out as it happens on our Jaiku channel. Also check... [ read ]
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