All last week as part of our Giving Tuesday campaign, we featured posts on our social media from our team members. We asked them to reflect on what is most impactful to them about working on Knowledge Commons, and why you should consider donating to support the Commons. Below you can read all of their reflections.
Grant Eben, Information Technologist and Web Developer
In my time working with those on the Knowledge Commons development team, it’s become apparent that the people who build and maintain Knowledge Commons authentically support the interests of those who wish to participate in research and open scholarly work. Knowledge Commons has improved consistently over the last several years I’ve been collaborating on this platform and holds promise to continue that improvement in the future. Consider your contribution to be a reinforcement of its continuity as an ever-improving resource for supporting those engaged in research and open scholarly work. If you have found Knowledge Commons to provide you any benefit at all, please contribute to its future.
Martin Paul Eve, Technical Lead, Knowledge Commons
Knowledge Commons provides an inclusive, welcoming space for scholars inside and outside the academy to engage in spirited, open intellectual discussion and dissemination of scholarship and research. So many contemporary digital spaces are depressingly enclosed by corporate interest. Knowledge Commons works differently. We are here to ensure that everybody can have their own space on the web to disseminate their work and to engage in vibrant debate with others. I work with a great team of people who keep the system running, build new features, and generally ensure that we can continue this enterprise. But we can’t do this without ongoing funding. Your donation will help sustain and improve the Commons, ensuring that we continue to offer a radical, free, and open space for the dissemination and discussion of scholarship.
Bonnie Russell, Product Manager
I joined the Commons team in May 2020, at the start of the pandemic, after nine years in university press publishing. I’d seen both the strengths and limitations of the current scholarly communication landscape, and the Commons’ mission aligned with my belief that knowledge production is thriving in places big and small and should be not locked behind paywalls. In the last five years, we’ve grown exponentially, welcoming members from nearly every continent, educators and students from every level, and a growing community of independent researchers. The Commons empowers everyone to publish and collaborate across disciplines and borders. This work depends on support from institutions and individuals committed to open, nonprofit, academy-owned platforms. Continued support will keep these tools open and free for all individuals regardless of institutional affiliation or funding.
Ian Scott, Lead KCWorks Developer
I love getting up in the morning knowing that I get to help build something that matters. I really believe in Knowledge Commons’ vision: providing a free, open, trustworthy place for researchers to meet, work, and exchange ideas. I think this kind of space is crucial to the survival of real scholarship at a time when corporate interests and political interference threaten our open dialogue. We need a place that belongs to researchers, is controlled entirely by researchers, and is accessible to people regardless of their geographic location or resources. If you have an internet connection, you can participate in a global dialogue and connect with other people digging into the questions that you care about. That’s something worth investing in, whether it’s energy, time, or the money required to keep it free and open.
Larissa Baca, User Engagement Manager
One of my favorite parts of being a member of the small but mighty Knowledge Commons team is discovering the stories behind our user community’s work. Whether someone is sharing new research in our repository, building a course website, or simply updating a profile, each contribution reflects the creativity and generosity of people committed to open knowledge. It’s inspiring to see the thousands of resources our users have made freely available over the years. By donating to Knowledge Commons, you’re helping ensure that this team is able to keep maintaining and expanding the infrastructure that students, teachers, and scholars around the world rely on every day.
Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Project Director
Over the last 13 years, I’ve had the privilege of taking a series of highly idealistic thoughts – What if we had an arXiv for the humanities? What if scholarly societies hosted spaces for member-to-member communication? What if universities collectively owned and operated digital infrastructure for knowledge creation and dissemination? – and working with an amazing group of collaborators to make them reality. Knowledge Commons has required the input and participation of scholars, societies, institutions, and funders to achieve our collective goals thus far, and we’re delighted to be where we are today, with more than 60,000 registered members, with a next-generation repository making available research in more than 90 languages, with over 2,000 WordPress websites hosting journals, portfolios, conferences, and more – and all of that open to any knowledge creator anywhere in the world, free of charge. The environment for doing this work is getting harder, however. In order to ensure that we can continue to provide the services on which so many scholars depend, however, we need your help, at whatever level you can provide it. If you can afford to make a contribution, you can do so through our CrowdPower page; if you can’t, you can help us out by encouraging your organization or institution to become a supporting, sustaining, or participating member. Sustaining and participating members have a direct voice in governing the Commons, and thus can work collaboratively to ensure their own digital futures. We hope you’ll join us and help make the dream of values-enacted, nonprofit research infrastructures a reality for everyone.
Dimitris Tzouris, Infrastructure Developer
Knowledge Commons is an inviting space, open to all, where anyone inside and outside academia can contribute their work and collaborate – a space built and maintained with so much care. As an Infrastructure Developer, I enjoy working behind the scenes to enable our members to use our platform in order to make a difference in the world and I have the privilege to work with a team of like-minded individuals. The inspiration behind my decision to work for this project was an urge to support and help improve an open platform that was not owned by a big tech corporation that offers a tool for education just as a means to gain more customers. In today’s world, where scientific knowledge and research are under enormous threat, I believe that people who care about these issues are going to support Knowledge Commons and together we can see it grow and thrive as a sustainable and valuable resource to the world.