Enclosures
The fencing off of the common good — both in the physical world and digitally.
In 18th and 19th century England, common meadows, forests, and fields were fenced off and privatized by landlords. Farmers and villagers who had lived off that land for generations were displaced and driven into cities.
Today, exactly the same is happening to the internet: the open, common network is being fenced off, fragmented, and privatized by gatekeepers.
The final phase is underway — and we are the farmers of our time.
See also → Gatekeepers · Collective exit · Thesis 4
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