networks + planet / finance + society / tech + art

Hello Ideas : collaborative economy ideas incubator

We're in the midst of the time in our planet's history when everyone gets networked together. At the end of this period we'll either have an upgraded, more equal and democratic networked global society, or there'll be a few companies and AIs controlling almost everything.

HelloIdeas is one of millions of nodes on this emerging human network working, and hoping, for an upgraded society. We're a research and ideas incubator looking at where the web and society goes next. How do we make sure technology works for us, not the other way round? How do we get from here to the after-party?

"Humanity is sane, and can make use of its intelligence. We have to act as if this is true. That’s the whole story of the 21st century: Are we a sane civilization or not?"
— Kim Stanley Robinson

Say hello at hi@helloideas.com.

Previously…

DCMS digital growth call: Towards Web 3, the Distributed Web

Posted Wednesday, January 20, 2016 - 11:38
HelloIdeas made the following short submission to the UK DCMS's recent call for ideas around the UK's digital growth strategy. Although specific to British needs, the points should be relevent in any country.While there are a number of possible recommendations, especially around the financing and legal challenges online and...
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What might a Coop Uber look like? (or should we be thinking bigger)?

Posted Wednesday, September 9, 2015 - 18:04
Given Uber's ability – in spite of owning no cars and employing no drivers – to swiftly grow and dominate any market it enters, there's understandably a lot of interest in a driver-owned Coop competitor, not least amidst growing controversies and opposition. In this article, two coop structures are explored, as...
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Commissioners & producers: the Creative Sector in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and rUK

Posted Friday, September 4, 2015 - 01:48
Two reports for the EU Interreg-funded Irish, North-Irish & Scottish creative cluster project Honeycomb. The first looked at producers & market activity across animation, film & TV, music and interactive media; the second at the commissioners of content, across tourism, advertising & health/education.Download Producers |...
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Why is Uber not a Coop?

Posted Monday, February 2, 2015 - 20:01
A short essay for Geo Coop on what makes worker-on-demand (WoD) service Uber unique and what it would take for the cooperative world to do the same. Some extracts:Uberfication has become shorthand for many new concepts—from the sharing economy to any significantly disruptive digital business model. But what exactly did Uber do that was...
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Open Source Capitalism: where next for Coops?

Posted Wednesday, June 12, 2013 - 00:00
While co-ops and open source both exist within capitalism, and in some ways help drive it, they run contrary to its orthodoxy - as does most of the digital space, driven by unpaid activity. They could offer each other much: making the web more publicly controlled, and mobilising networked people to solve complex real world problems. Utilising...
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Micro-Major and the Virtuous Circle

Posted Thursday, January 31, 2013 - 23:00
In 1997, Kevin Kelly in Wired Magazine set out twelve rules for the new economy. Rule five was the 'Law of Increasing Returns: Make Virtuous Circles – the idea that you could create positive ripples that self-sustain themselves: as a networked platform becomes useful, it gets users, therefore is more useful, so gets more...
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Cinema-on-demand: the Big Open Playlister

Posted Friday, June 1, 2012 - 00:00
The creation of this project was motivated by the struggle producers and distributors have to make a return on their work. With online revenues for films still uncertain, exhibition income is more important than ever, as it remains one market where people are happy to pay for content - and the market is healthy and growing. The music industry has...
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Living Cinema: enhancing the live experience of film

Posted Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - 00:00
In June 2008 Netribution Ltd got Technology Strategy Board feasibility study investment to explore methods and models to enhance the live experience of film. The project, Living Cinema, was run in partnership with Eelyn Lee Productions and Yuva, culminating in test perfomrances at Thomas Tallis School in South London and the Star and...
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Publications

Books

  • How to Fund Your Film, Film Finance Handbook
    2007, 2009, 2012, Netribution Ltd
  • Get Your Film Funded, UK Film Finance Guide
    2005, Shooting People Press
  • Digital Asset Management
    2001, Informa Media
  • International Film & TV Rights
    1999, Market Tracking International

Nic Wistreich, director

Specialises in digital and financing models in the creative industries, open source and digital social innovation. Co-founded in 1999 weekly web-magazine, and later open platform, Netribution, exploring the bridges between moving image, web culture and new technology. Co-author and editor of three editions of world Film Finance Handbook, author Digital Asset Management (Informa) and co-author International Film & TV Rights (MTI), he has written for Adbusters, The Times, Moviescope and Ethical Consumer, and raised and led research and development funded by Innovate UK and Creative Scotland.