Revision as of 13:04, 14 June 2013

This was posted on the indymedia-network on 2.6.2003. Lazy as I am it's a copy-paste from the wiki

Consumerium.org project

Consumerium is a project, developed under GFDL licence, to develop free software and infrastructure for storage, transport and display of product information to consumers via wireless networks on spot at the retail store and feedback to the producers to enhance the consumer experience, advance product development and to keep this planet as hospitable as possible in the future.

Prologue to Consumerium

You, Dear consumer, have to be provided with more information about products and how all these things your local supermarket is full of got there, straight in front of your nose, packaged into coloured boxes and bags, one more tempting than the other.

Information about the products' environmental impact, workers' conditions, the producer's social conscience - or lack thereof, all this has to be available at your fingertips. Which company made the product you are considering to buy, and who owns the company?

If you don't like the product or the company, don't buy it - but you could send some feedback to the producer. Tell them why you don't like the company or product, maybe the heap of mails flooding into the PR offices takes some effect. Is there somebody hiding behind the seemingly local and small brand, maybe a multinational giant who exploits workers in poor countries and purchases raw materials from wherever and whoever supplies them at the lowest price, not caring about eg. for the human rights situation in the country they are produced in?

Has somebody initiated a boycott on the company and if so, who might these people be who dare to uphold that you are a bad consumer, even a bad human being in case you decide to buy this product? Even if you don't deem consumption decisions a serious means of civil activism, you may be interested in what other consumers think about this new washing powder. Have a look on what comments they have published on the product you want to try. Maybe the most essential thing is to find out how to use these expensive sun-dried tomatoes in order to make your food taste better.

Maybe you would like to watch an short employer, employee or labor union testimony video on the working conditions of the production site. You wouldn't want to support rampant capitalists exploiting workers ruthlessly, would you?

Think what you think, value what you value, consume how you please, but if you want information to back your consumption decisions, consumerium is being built for you.

For more information or to get directly involved, please visit <a href="http://www.consumerium.org/wiki/">Consumerium.org R&D Wiki</a>

All material is from the Consumerium R&D Wiki, available under the terms of the <a href="http://www.consumerium.org/wiki/GNU_FDL">GNU Free Documentation License</a>.