Call for Contributions: The MoneyLab Reader INC Reader #10 Edited by Geert Lovink and Nathaniel Tkacz MONEYLAB The MoneyLab project launched late 2013 by the Institute of Network Cultures and the University of Warwick considers sprouting alternative digital-economic forms, radical experiments with crypto-currencies, payment systems and revenue models against the backdrop of the ongoing global economic decline. The first MoneyLab conference took place in Amsterdam on March 21-22 2014. Blog reports and videos of the talks and discussions can be found through http://networkcultures.org/moneylab. MONEYLAB READER Part of the project will be the publication of the MoneyLab Reader in the INC Reader series. A volume of critical essays by theorists, programmers, activists, and artists; edited by Geert Lovink and Nathaniel Tkacz and to be published early 2015. WE INVITE Internet, visual culture and media scholars, critical finance scholars, anthropologists, Bitcoin researchers, artists, curators, free software and open-content advocates, P2P gurus, financial activists, conference participants and others to submit proposals for The MoneyLab Reader. POSSIBLE TOPICS Mobile Money // Networks & Money // Activism & Finance // Monetization of Social Capital // Crowdfunding Research // Crypto Money // Histories of Internet Banking // Money & Art // Recommendation Systems // E-wallets // Payment Systems // Like, +One, and Favorite Economies. FORMATS We welcome interviews, dialogues, essays and articles, images (b/w), email exchanges, manifestos, or other, with a maximum of 8,000 words, but preferably shorter at around 5,000 words. For scope and style, take a look at the previous INC Readers and the style guide (pdf). WANT TO JOIN? Send in your proposal (500 words max.) before June 1st, 2014. You may expect a response before July 1st, 2014. DEADLINE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS September 1st, 2014. EMAIL TO Miriam Rasch (Publications Coordinator @ Institute of Network Cultures) at miriam[at]networkcultures[dot]org BACKGROUND While the economic downturn endures and budget cuts prevail, we have witnessed the emergence and rise of alternative payment systems and revenue models in digital media. Online bartering sites, a plethora of crowdfunding platforms, new forms of valuation, e-wallets and crypto-currencies like Bitcoin, are but a few examples. These coincide with the huge growth of mobile money transfer services across Asia and Africa and the general convergence of digital and financial industries. MoneyLab: Coining Alternatives is a network that aims to critically explore, map and probe the politics, inner-workings and governance of these alternative digital-economic forms. It is not enough to merely promote and further develop (technical) alternatives, we also need time to ask ourselves critical questions and re-examine the very underpinnings of our endeavours. Of central importance to this project is the formation of a collaborative network of researchers, artists, developers, engineers, and others interested in sharing, coining, critiquing, and ushering in alternative network economies., focused on the monetization debate and looked into three specific fields of inquiry: Bitcoins and other crypto-currencies, crowd funding research and mobile money in the global South. MORE INFORMATION MoneyLab: http://networkcultures.org/moneylab INC Readers: http://networkcultures.org/publications INC Reader #10 Edited by Geert Lovink and Nathaniel Tkacz MONEYLAB The MoneyLab project launched late 2013 by the Institute of Network Cultures and the University of Warwick considers sprouting alternative digital-economic forms, radical experiments with crypto-currencies, payment systems and revenue models against the backdrop of the ongoing global economic decline. The first MoneyLab conference took place in Amsterdam on March 21-22 2014. Blog reports and videos of the talks and discussions can be found through http://networkcultures.org/moneylab. MONEYLAB READER Part of the project will be the publication of the MoneyLab Reader in the INC Reader series. A volume of critical essays by theorists, programmers, activists, and artists; edited by Geert Lovink and Nathaniel Tkacz and to be published early 2015. WE INVITE Internet, visual culture and media scholars, critical finance scholars, anthropologists, Bitcoin researchers, artists, curators, free software and open-content advocates, P2P gurus, financial activists, conference participants and others to submit proposals for The MoneyLab Reader. POSSIBLE TOPICS Mobile Money // Networks & Money // Activism & Finance // Monetization of Social Capital // Crowdfunding Research // Crypto Money // Histories of Internet Banking // Money & Art // Recommendation Systems // E-wallets // Payment Systems // Like, +One, and Favorite Economies. FORMATS We welcome interviews, dialogues, essays and articles, images (b/w), email exchanges, manifestos, or other, with a maximum of 8,000 words, but preferably shorter at around 5,000 words. For scope and style, take a look at the previous INC Readers and the style guide (pdf). WANT TO JOIN? Send in your proposal (500 words max.) before June 1st, 2014. You may expect a response before July 1st, 2014. DEADLINE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS September 1st, 2014. The reader is expected to come out early 2015. EMAIL TO Miriam Rasch (Publications Coordinator @ Institute of Network Cultures) at miriam[at]networkcultures[dot]org BACKGROUND While the economic downturn endures and budget cuts prevail, we have witnessed the emergence and rise of alternative payment systems and revenue models in digital media. Online bartering sites, a plethora of crowdfunding platforms, new forms of valuation, e-wallets and crypto-currencies like Bitcoin, are but a few examples. These coincide with the huge growth of mobile money transfer services across Asia and Africa and the general convergence of digital and financial industries. MoneyLab: Coining Alternatives is a network that aims to critically explore, map and probe the politics, inner-workings and governance of these alternative digital-economic forms. It is not enough to merely promote and further develop (technical) alternatives, we also need time to ask ourselves critical questions and re-examine the very underpinnings of our endeavours. Of central importance to this project is the formation of a collaborative network of researchers, artists, developers, engineers, and others interested in sharing, coining, critiquing, and ushering in alternative network economies., focused on the monetization debate and looked into three specific fields of inquiry: Bitcoins and other crypto-currencies, crowd funding research and mobile money in the global South. MORE INFORMATION MoneyLab: http://networkcultures.org/moneylab INC Readers: http://networkcultures.org/publications