Re: [-empyre-] Free Cooperation

[Alan Sondheim <sondheim@panix.com>]

I wonder whether all of these examples would work as well offline in
face-to-face situations, in which alterity, almost a Sartrean 'otherness'
often dominates. I'm thinking for example of the difficulties in block
associations, communes, building organizations - all of which I have
participated in, and all of which generally and quickly create a
politics-as-usual. This might be almost instinctual among humans, who
jockey for territory in almost any situation. On the other hand, online
behavior can be 'governed' by plenitude - if you don't want this email
list, go to another - if you want to post a full-length book, go ahead,
and so forth. The limitations are small as bandwidth increases, and this
apparent (not actual) roominess allows for individualized developmental
space as much as one desire.

That said, some of the worst political situations I've seen have been on
MOOs - for example the 'QRB,' quota review board, which just about brought
down the PMC-MOO at one point (I was a member). But quota was _limited,_
one was dealing with a scarcity, not an abundance, economy -

Alan

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