Convivial Tools
From ConvivialTools
The concept of Convivial Tools was developed by Ivan Illich in his book Tools for Conviviality (1973). Convivial Tools can be defined as tools which allow the user to operate with independent efficiency, and with minimal reliance on external expertise. The term applies in particular to tools that are developed and maintained by the commmunity that uses them.
Illich was strongly influenced by the Counter-Culture of the 1960s. He built upon ideas formulated by the Appropriate Technology and Whole Earth movements. These in turn had Historical Roots going back to the naturalism of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and to ninetheenth and early twentieth century critiques of industrial society.
The Convivial Tool
The central part of this site will focus on the Convivial Tool itself, its characteristics and development.
Thematic Topics
The Thematic Topics presented on this website illustrate, each in its own way, the idea of "Convivial Tools." For example the Hacker Generation that invented the personal computer in the nineteen-seventies was a community that developed the tools that they themselves used. The more recent Free and Open Source Software movements are also examples of community tool development. The participatory culture of the Web 2.0 is the latest manifestation of a tendancy towards increased control of users over their tools, reversing the long historical trend of personal loss of control over the complex machinery of industrial society.
Links
- Wikipedia article on "Ivan Illich": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Illich
- Convivial Tools Encyclopedia article on "Ivan Illich": http://conviviality.ouvaton.org/article.php3?id_article=7
- Convivial Tools Encyclopedia article on "What are Convivial Tools": http://conviviality.ouvaton.org
