Commons Stories: Part 1 - Creative Commons

Celebrate 25 Years of Creative Commons! As we mark a quarter-century of empowering creators and keeping knowledge free, your support helps us build the next 25 years of the global commons. Help us kick off our end-of-year giving campaign early! Donate today!
"The Great Isaiah Scroll" by unknown is in the public domain.
What does the Commons mean to you? Glad you asked!
For Creative Commons’ 25th anniversary, we asked some of the people behind CC: What does the commons mean to you? Their answers became this four-part series of personal reflections. We’re kicking things off with four perspectives.
by Molly Van Houweling The serendipity and delight of connecting with fellow humans across time and space through acts of creativity and sharing.
by Vito Quaglia To me, the commons means democracy. The commons nurtures the sharing of ideas, solutions, and creativity. It allows for information to be accessed by anyone and everyone. At its core, the commons is nondiscriminatory; it ensures that knowledge, art, and culture are enjoyed by an ecosystem that doesn’t depend on location, social capital, or economic status. Its main features are cooperation and cohabitation. At the current moment, the commons is vulnerable to rapid changes to its ecosystem. It is more important than ever that the commons foster the sharing of solutions that will ultimately save itself.
by Jocelyn Miyara The commons is a collective and collaborative space where knowledge can be shared openly & freely. In today’s internet age, it is an important counterbalance to the increasingly commercial and controlled spaces in which information is shared. Open sharing is an antidote to that.
by Shanna Hollich What does the commons mean to you? (a haiku) Walled gardens? No way!Spring light through the open gate.How? CC license!
We have shared longer reflections on tending the commons, challenging the forces that constrain it, and building relationships that help it thrive. Read Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 now.
And soon we’ll turn from reflection to imagination with “I’m dreaming of an open future …”, a new invitation for you to share your own hopes for what comes next. Stay tuned for more!
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