In 1829, when Englishman Thomas Peel tried to establish an agricultural colony on Australia, something unexpected happened: his workers simply abandoned him en masse; a 19th century style Great Resignation. Despite Peel's large amount of capital brought over from England, these workers didn't need to subordinate themselves to Peel's capital, as they could just... move over to the next plot of land and continue to go into business for themselves. Peel's capital had no command, as labourers still had access to The Commons. The enclosing of The Commons was the necessary to shift the power from landowners to owners of capital, and for capitalism to bloom.
Similarly, today, frontier AI labs command no control, unless they enclose The Commons:
- I have no reason to go to Claude or ChatGPT if I can readily find the information I need in an online encyclopaedia
- I don't need to reach for Claude Code if collaborative QA platforms thrive (yes, I'm aware StackOverflow had it's share of issues even before AI)
Resisting AI today is the modern battle against enclosing our Digital Commons. I don't think that protections from scrapers are going to work, as they're most likely going to damage to discovery of content and knowledge.
#Capitalism #DigitalAutonomy #TheCommons #AI #LLM #Socialism #Labour
![The image is a black and white photograph of an old-style wooden building labeled "3ETHAI ASI" in the upper left corner. The structure appears to be a community or cooperative store, given its open entrance and presence on what looks like farmland with sparse vegetation around it.
There are several key features that stand out:
1. **Building Structure**: It's a rectangular single-story building made of wood with a slanted roof.
2. **Signage**: The name "3ETHAI ASI" is handwritten in an unfamiliar script, possibly Semai or another language associated with the Delta Cooperative Farm mentioned in the caption.
3. **Awnings and Overhangs**: There are two overhanging structures on either side of the main entrance which likely serve as sheltered areas for goods.
4. **Windows**: The building has multiple windows that have a classic design, possibly indicating an older construction style.
5. **Side Structures**: To the right is another smaller structure with a white door and what appears to be steps leading up to it.
6. **Ground Condition**: The ground around the buildings looks dry and barren of grass or plants.
The photograph itself has visible borders that include text, indicating it might have been part of an album or collection. It gives off an historical feel, likely taken during a time when cooperative farming was prevalent in rural America, such as the 1930s to '40s era associated with Dorothea Lange's work.
The captio [...]](https://files.mastodon.social/cache/media_attachments/files/115/622/712/920/758/666/original/da5b3b969becf32c.jpeg)
