While networks have existed throughout history, new information technology emphasizes cooperative relations that greatly impact institutions, by cutting across jurisdictions and through markets. In this session, we'll be looking at the 19th Century roots of cooperativism, relating that to various different historical developments online and then looking to different kinds of guilds and the informal economic systems they have established in order to navigate the needs of human beings living, working and playing together in a networked world.

Next week, we'll beginning looking at 'pattern languages' for DAOs, based on the insight that - in order to contextualise the randomly accessed collective memory of collective organisations - we need a shared language and some common knowledge. “We are each other's environment” and we look forward to participating with you as we investigate together new cultural models for more connected relationships.

Objective¶

Learn more about the ideas behind DAOs and popular DAO platforms today.

Preparation¶

1. A beginner's guide to DAOs, Linda Xie (2021);
2. A Prehistory of DAOs, Kei Kreutler (2021);
3. Memory I, Kei Kreutler (2020).

Application¶

• A Prehistory of DAOs (40 minute presentation plus 10-25 minute Q&A)
  • Broader historical introduction to DAOs
  • DAOs as memory-making institutions
  • Brief overview of some current DAO platforms