Give these folks some money
So, appealing on behalf of another organization for cash is a little odd, since
a) plenty of Austin area organizations need money
b) WE certainly wouldn't turn any donations away ourselves
c) the cats I'm about to promote aren't activisty in any typical sense.
But fuck it, I really really like these folks, and whereas my $25 won't go a long way, maybe some of y'all will feel the impulse and throw down.
This is a small foundation devoted to working out the possibilities of peer-to-peer technology and economic practices. Peer-to-peer is like bittorrent, it's communications technology that enables file transfers without central servers (that can be shut down by the po-pos). But it's so much more than that.
Peer-to-peer is also one of the most thrilling modern rearticulations of the old radical goal of building mutual aid networks based on direct exchange, sharing, and commons that can rival capitalist organizations in terms of breadth and quality. We're seeing new ideas churn up around the world for peer-to-peer microlending, gardening, journalism, even manufacturing with the development of DIY desktop fabricators. Anyway, I think these folks are addressing some of the most valuable cultural, technical and economic trends happening in the world today, and even if you can't chip in, pay attention.
PS. Also, if you find this sort of thing interesting, check out Ringlight, which is still being developed by a local community member. Same logic, much more interesting than a torrent though. It's more like having access to a well-developed intranet, everywhere.