diginffund - Network

Topic: Research Software Ecosystem & Metrics
- Incentivizing Open Research Infrastructure (Katherine Skinner, Chrys Wu, Lauren...

Topic: Research Software Ecosystem & Metrics


- Incentivizing Open Research Infrastructure (Katherine Skinner, Chrys Wu, Lauren Collister):


Evaluating how health metrics for open projects drive investment and foster sustainability.

https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/oss-research-software/

- Corporate Impacts on OpenStreetMap (Yair Grinberger):
Analyzing how corporate contributions shape collaboration and autonomy in...

- Corporate Impacts on OpenStreetMap (Yair Grinberger):


Analyzing how corporate contributions shape collaboration and autonomy in OpenStreetMap.

https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/osm-cocreation/


- FOSS Engineering and Community Impact (Darren Gergle, Aaron Shaw, Matt Gaughan):


Studying MediaWiki’s technical development processes to understand impacts on sustainability and community engagement.

https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/code-classification/


Topic: Privacy & Security
- Privacy Risks in Indian Digital Public Infrastructure (Divyank Katira, Gurshabad Grover, Anunay...

Topic: Privacy & Security


- Privacy Risks in Indian Digital Public Infrastructure (Divyank Katira, Gurshabad Grover, Anunay Kulshrestha):


Examining privacy challenges & surveillance risks in India’s expansive digital infrastructure.

https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/dpi-privacy/


Topic: Sustainability & Community Impact


- Sustainability for Community-Focused ISPs in Brazil (Nathalia Foditsch):


Leveraging FOSS to expand affordable internet access while improving oper. sustainability.

https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/isp-oss/

- Securing Open Source Supply Chains (Stephanie Lieggi, Jarrod Millman, Robert Shaw, Juanita Gomez):
Applying historic trade security...

- Securing Open Source Supply Chains (Stephanie Lieggi, Jarrod Millman, Robert Shaw, Juanita Gomez):


Applying historic trade security frameworks to strengthen open-source software supply chains.

https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/foss-security-infrastructure-resilience/

-Governance of Public-Private-Commons Systems (Marco Berlinguer, Massimo Florio, Silvia Vignetti):


Investigating innovative governance models for collaborations between governments, markets, and commons.

https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/tripartite-commons-governance/


Overview Cohort 4:Topic: Governance, Policy & Regulation-Democratic Governance for Browser Funding (Robin Berjon):Developing governance...

Overview Cohort 4:

Topic: Governance, Policy & Regulation

-Democratic Governance for Browser Funding (Robin Berjon):

Developing governance models to democratize revenue-sharing in browser and search software.

https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/browser-funding/

- Legal Liabilities in Open Source Development (Benedict Kingsbury, Angelina Fisher, Han-Wei Liu, Thomas Streinz):

Exploring regulatory challenges faced by FOSS communities, with a focus on non-commercial developers.

https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/oss-compliance/

The selected projects underscore D//F’s mission to advance sustainable, secure, and resilient open digital infrastructures while...

The selected projects underscore D//F’s mission to advance sustainable, secure, and resilient open digital infrastructures while fostering a deeper understanding of their societal impact and critical role in serving the public interest.
Read more in our press release:

It's that announcement time of the year again: 🚨 Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund , a research initiative backed by the Ford...

It's that announcement time of the year again: 🚨 Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund , a research initiative backed by the Ford Foundation and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation since 2018, is excited to announce the launch of 9 new grants under its fourth funding cohort.

Both researchers have been fantastic with outreach: 🎧 Listen to Erin on the @techpolicypress - podcast here:...

Both researchers have been fantastic with outreach:
🎧 Listen to Erin on the @techpolicypress - podcast here: https://www.techpolicy.press/governing-the-fediverse-a-field-study/

- 👨‍🏫 and to two talks @tinysubversions gave at FOSSY and XOXO here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy6l92bFxtQ & https://2024.fossy.us/schedule/presentation/250/

Huge congrats, Erin Kissane & Darius Kazemi on the report & recommendations release!
(Full access via: https://infrastructureinsights.fund/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/fediverse-governance.pdf)

The research sought to identify current server administrators’ most promising models for mitigating those risks and outline the biggest...

The research sought to identify current server administrators’ most promising models for mitigating those risks and outline the biggest and most important gaps in risk mitigation, with the aim of helping the broader Fediverse level up governance quickly, safely, and collaboratively: https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/fediverse-governance-successes-gaps/

We keep them coming today: {🚨New report alert # 2!} : *Fediverse Governance: Successes and gaps*Decentralized social media's rapid...

We keep them coming today:
{🚨New report alert # 2!} : *Fediverse Governance: Successes and gaps*

Decentralized social media's rapid expansion, notably via the Fediverse and FOSS project Mastodon, brings both opportunities and multifaceted risks. For the first half of 2024, independent researchers and Fediverse denizens Erin Kissane and Darius Kazemi spoke to the admins and moderation teams of about a dozen Fediverse servers.

Access to results and contact: Cutting through open-washing - https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/cutting-through-open-washing/ //...

Access to results and contact: Cutting through open-washing - https://infrastructureinsights.fund/projects/cutting-through-open-washing/ // https://infrastructureinsights.fund/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/AWO-2024-Generative-AIs-open-source-challenge-policy-options-to-balance-the-risks-and-benefits-of-openness-in-AI-regulation-041124.pdf

- Huge Congrats on the release of your report!

he paper therefore recommends a set of non-mutually exclusive policy options that could be taken on board by countries who are drafting...

he paper therefore recommends a set of non-mutually exclusive policy options that could be taken on board by countries who are drafting and/or reviewing their own AI legislation.

Current policy approaches do not adequately tackle the openness challenge: Neither EU, UK nor US frameworks adequately tackle the openness...

Current policy approaches do not adequately tackle the openness challenge: Neither EU, UK nor US frameworks adequately tackle the openness challenge of Gen AI models. Yet, the EU has an opportunity to tackle this issue through the AI Act Code of Practice on General Purpose AI.

Barriers exist that limit the potential of openness to external researchers. For example, developers can limit the types of information and...

Barriers exist that limit the potential of openness to external researchers. For example, developers can limit the types of information and the model elements that they make available to researchers, limiting the scope and robustness of research.

The grantees advocate for policy that fosters openness towards external researchers, to capture the full benefits of transparency. Engaging...

The grantees advocate for policy that fosters openness towards external researchers, to capture the full benefits of transparency. Engaging diverse experts during development and post-release allows the AI community to better manage the interplay of risks and benefits of Gen AI.

Open washing focuses on promoting the benefits of openness without fully addressing its risks and complicates efforts to effectively...

Open washing focuses on promoting the benefits of openness without fully addressing its risks and complicates efforts to effectively regulate Gen AI, as these companies are keen to take advantage of AI regulations that put a lighter burden on broadly defined open-source models.

This “openness challenge” is complicated by open washing: companies misleadingly brand models as “open-source” or “open",...

This “openness challenge” is complicated by open washing: companies misleadingly brand models as “open-source” or “open", while nonetheless maintaining use and access restrictions. This undermines the public’s understanding and create diversions from Gen AI risks.

When Gen AI developers made models freely available to the public, knowledge is usually distributed and competition is enhanced. But this...

When Gen AI developers made models freely available to the public, knowledge is usually distributed and competition is enhanced. But this openness comes with risks: malicious actors can evade developer oversight, remove any safeguards and customise models for harmful purposes.

[NEW PAPER ALERT!] Our grantees @A__W______O new paper puts forward a vision for balancing the benefits and risks of #opensource #GenAI...

[NEW PAPER ALERT!] Our grantees
@A__W______O
new paper puts forward a vision for balancing the benefits and risks of #opensource #GenAI (funded by
@DigInfFund
). Drafted by NickBotton
& Mathias Vermeulen
- a short thread on #boundariesofopenness #digitalinfrastructure

Thank you, D//F-Reviewer Cailean Osborne (The Linux Foundation / NGI Commons) for sending us off to the days with a great keynote on...

Thank you, D//F-Reviewer Cailean Osborne (The Linux Foundation / NGI Commons) for sending us off to the days with a great keynote on metrics, how funders (might) deploy them - and what implications measures and other indicators of professionalisation of (a formerly unregulated) field of (peer-)production could have on the people behind the code.
And thank you always, funders circle (Ford, Sloan, etc.) for seeing the importance of this endeavour.