Once someone said that love is to give something you don't have to someone who doesn't ask for it. Could it also apply to art and open source programming ?
Is a gift free? What is the cost of immaterial work in an open source economy?
When life becomes work and work becomes life, the difference between productive and reproductive work disappears. Paid work is being defined more and more by the precarious and informal working conditions of reproductive work. This transformation is characterized by the emergence of an indistinct pool of life and work: the extension of working hours into the home, temporary labour contracts and individualised terms and conditions, the demand for emotional involvement and affective activities.
Is there a link between the 'immaterial' and 'invisible' work of all 'home' workers: housewives, opensource programmers, artists, e-workers, etc ?. Are there possible models for contracts, social protection, working conditions that would give visibility to the multilayered, flexible and generous workers without commodifying and enclosing them ?
Should we define a common policy ? Do we want regulations or increased flexibility?