This issue is going to be a bit different, in that I have no idea what it will actually look like. The layout will be done thousands of miles from where I sit typing this evening, by Fhar Meiss in Santa Cruz, California. This should be an improvement, as I am not the greatest talent in the world when it comes to graphic design. My aesthetic philosophy is to get it all on the page, and if it happens to turn out pretty, that is nice. But what really excites me about this development is that No Boss News is no longer a one-person collective. Yay, Fhar! (don't blow it)
No Boss News has finally given in to the technological juggernaut, and is now on the internet, at www.slugbooks.com/nobossnews. So far only issue #3 has been posted, but this one and #2 will soon follow, along with #1 if I can ever find that issue on disk (or just give in and retype the damn thing). And eventually, there will be links to other websites that contain information on worker collectives, and any other resources that seem appropriate.
And speaking of computers, the Y2K computer bug is looming and its effects will be somewhere between the end of the world as we know it, and just a chance for con artists to make a killing on water filters and gold. Personally, I think it will be a big, inconvenient mess that may even be fatally inconvenient to some folks. There is no way of telling what will happen, and would be wise to prepare for significant disruptions, since such disruptions could come at any time in the form of an earthquake, hurricane, meteorite or whatever.
While there is no clear way to determine what will happen, but in the uncertainty there is a tremendous opportunity for development of cooperative projects: While worker co-ops share many of the vulnerabilities of conventional business, their local and democratic control gives them added resilience to deal with any problems that crop up. Furthermore, cooperatives double as social units, and provide a valuable starting point for organizing a response to Y2K and other potential crises.
The Utne Reader has produced a booklet that doesn't directly relate to cooperatives, but I'm going to plug it anyway, because it was an inspiring read, and it does a great job of describing how Y2K presents an opportunity to shake people out of their apathy, and create cooperative structures to deal with this looming situation. It can be ordered by calling 800-736-8863 or on that pesky internet at www.utne.com/y2k.
I will be busy helping my community of Homer prepare for the duration of the year, and will not have the time or resources to put out another issue before next spring. So NBN#5 will be post-millennial. All of this assumes, of course, that I can still find a working electrical outlet for my computer, and the Post Office can find enough mules to keep the mail moving. However, parts of what eventually be issue #5 will appear on the website throughout the year.
In any case, this will probably be the last issue of No Boss News as a widely distributed publication. Due to encroaching financial reality, the circulation will be cut back to just worker collectives and other individuals and organizations that send some tangible expression of interest in staying on the list. If you can't afford to donate, or already have, just send a note saying you are still interested.
Russian Workers Fire Their Bosses from the A-Infos News Service: news of some (apparently) good communism in the land that gave communism a bad name
When is a Worker Cooperative Not a Worker Cooperative? by John Cline: an analysis of how businesses may technically be cooperatives without actually being cooperative
A Primer on Creating a "Real" Cooperative by Andrew McLeod: the blind leading the blind through the treacherous and unfriendly land of cooperative law
Content and Process in Democratic Decision-Making by Andrew McLeod: inspired by and loosesly based upon a workshop led by David Chrislip in Anchor Point, Alaska on April 11, 1999
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