This document discusses platform cooperativism and its relationship to the free software movement. It provides examples of platform cooperatives like Stocksy, a stock photo platform owned by its photographers. The document advocates that platform cooperatives can build movements for freedom in a way that proprietary platforms cannot. It outlines resources for learning about platform cooperativism, including conferences and a directory, and encourages people to get involved in supporting existing platform co-ops or starting new ones.

1. PlatformPlatform
CooperativismCooperativism
andand
the Free Softwarethe Free Software
MovementMovement

2. Micky Metts
A member of Agaric, a worker-owned tech and web development cooperative based in
Boston, Managua, Hamburg and Minneapolis.
Known as FreeScholar, Activist Hacker – Industry Organizer – Public Speaker –
Connector – Advisor and Visionary. I act as a liaison between the Solidarity Economy
Network (SEN) and The United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC), with
an intention to bring communities together. I am a member of the Free Software
Foundation and Drupal, a community based on free software. I grew up in Weston, CT
and now live in Boston, MA with my long-time partner John M. Crisman.
I support Platform Cooperativism in education as a bridge to the community.
Agaric.com

4. Building the tools for the future

6. Stocksy.com a worker-owned coop

7. Boston Collaboratory School

8. A Solution:

9. Platform for Group Decisions

10. Drutopia is an initiative to revolutionize the way we build online tools. We're
combining the principles of software freedom, community ownership and
intersectional politics to co-develop technologies that meet our needs and
reflect our values.
Tools such as Squarespace and NationBuilder have lowered the cost for
launching a website. However, these tools are limited in functionality and
push people getting into web development for a cause into the dead end of
proprietary services.
You cannot build a movement based on freedom on top of a proprietary foundation
Drutopia.org

11. Students

12. Community

13. 1969
Weston, CT High School ~ Class of 1971

14. The anthology is newly
published by OR Books:
Ours to Hack and to Own:
The Rise of PLATFORM
COOPERATIVISM, a New
Vision for the Future of Work
and a Fairer Internet.
Platform Cooperativism Concept
Trebor Scholz developed the idea
of Platform Cooperativism in his
recent book.
Uberworked and
Underpaid:
How Workers Are
Disrupting the Digital
Economy
Thank You, Anarchy:
Notes from the
Occupy Apocalypse
An up-close, inside
account of Occupy
Wall Street’s first year
in New York City,
written by Nathan Schneider.

15. What does this look like in practice?
Stocksy is a stock-photo platform with multi-million-dollar revenues owned by its photographers
discussion list Fairmondo is an online marketplace for goods owned by its vendors
Loconomics is a gig platform that connects employers with worker-owners
Robin Hood Minor Asset Management is an investment fund whose members support commons-based projects
There are many more platforms than those, and an ecosystem to support them, which we’re gathering in our
Directory.
How can I take part?
Learn about the Platform Cooperativism conferences and explore the resources in our Library
Contribute to our Directory to help share knowledge about the platform co-op ecosystem
Take part in the R&D efforts of the Platform Cooperativism Consortium
Organize people with legal, technical, and financial expertise to support platform co-ops in your area and
coordinate globally through our

16. How do I get there?
https://www.fightforthefuture.org/ateams/
● Find someone you love to work with.
● Pick an issue area and angle.
● Do activism full-time using every connection, skill,
tool, and trick at your disposal—until you win.

17. Resources and Links
Articles about Cooperatives:
●
http://www.thenews.coop/
●
The Guardian - http://bit.ly/1s83iyE
● The ecologist - http://bit.ly/1oaxYyt
●
http://shareable.net/blog/how-to-start-a-worker-co-op
Video:
● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpg4PjGtbu0 - The Sharing Economy – Janelle Orsi
● "Tech Cooperatives: A Better Way to Make a Living" http://schedule.sxsw.com/2012/events/event_IAP9313 with
Jack Aponte of http://palantetech.com
Starting a cooperative:
● http://banyanproject.coop/starting-a-news-co-op
●
tech-coop@npogroups.org -the best tech-worker-coop-related mailing list that i know of
● http://npogroups.org/lists/info/tech-coop
●
http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/workercoop/info
●
http://www.techworker.coop/