Street Roots • Dec. 24-31, 2015
News
Page 5
COPIOSIS, from page 4
organizations have since clashed, although
was Gruber’s intention to use the school’s
Mason has remained cordial. Street Roots
patrons as a starting point for the project
made multiple attempts to reach Mason for
For Stefano Iaboni, the discount on his
received.
comment
but
received
no
reply.
daughter’s
tuition was half his motivation for
Attendees Street Roots spoke with said
The culmination of Mason and Gruber’s
joining the group, he said.
they had general frustration with the effects
work, Copiosis, is highly technical and based
Iaboni was an Italian living in Spain prior
of capitalism and were eager to hear about
on an elaborate algorithm Gruber initially
to moving to Portland two years ago. He said
something new - although no one was ready
designed.
to commit on that particular afternoon in
In a nutshell, here’s how it works:
May.
In Copiosis, participants are
/W hat Copiosis is in my mind,” Gruber
“producers,” meaning they produce some
told them during a presentation, “is a
sort of good or service. Artists might offer
transitory solution that gets us from where
paintings. Those who enjoy gardening
we are now to the system that Charles
might offer vegetables.
Eisenstein and the Zeitgeist Movement and
All exchanges are recorded in an online
the Venus Project talk about.... When we get
software program that uses Gruber’s
the right momentum, they’re going to start
algorithm to calculate “Net Benefit
paying attention/
He imagines that transition will Reward.” This software was created for
Copioisis pro bono by a group of Portland
" I n order for bs le get
come once 1,000 demonstration
State University students as a school-
projects, intended to prove his
to that, we have to get
related computer science project.
thesis
that
people
will
do
things
th ro a f b capitalism^ ami
If the product is a necessity, such as
for each other within his system,
to get thra ngli capital-
food, shelter or clothing, other
are up and running. Then, he
Ism, the orgasiuatloB
participants can obtain it from that
said, legislation will pave the way
producer, we’ll say for the sake of clarity,
needs meney»"
for full-scale transition away from
for “free.” Every time a producer gives
perry gruber capitalism and government
someone a good or service, he or she
PHQ TO BY JOE GLODE
“This is the paradox,” he told
receives Net Benefit Reward, or as
Perry Gruber joins Bridget Towles in the kitchen at B ’s Preschool in
his audience at Taborspace. “In
Copiosis members call it, “NBR.”
North Portland. Towles is holding jars of homemade black bean and
order for us to get to that, we have to get
The person who’s providing the product com soup and cranberry sauce that another Copiosis participant picked
through capitalism, and to get through
up moments later.
doesn’t receive the NBR points from the
capitalism, the organization needs money.
person receiving it; they receive it from the
And it needs to have money to pay people to
software program as reward for providing the in the United States, capitalism is more
spend the time they need to spend in order
good or service.
.
prevalent and people work harder and are
to make this system a reality; it’s just
more isolated than in Europe, so he was
The algorithm determines how much a
common sense to me.”
intrigued by Gruber’s offer of an alternative.
product “benefits” society, arid awards points
With ongoing donations of about $110 per
“Everything has a price; nothing is for
based on that determination. For example, if
month coming in from the crowdfunding site
free,”
he said, noting it’s the first time in his
a
product
feeds
people,
it’s
beneficial
-
the
Pateeon, Copiosis is making enough to pay
38 yearsjhe’s h a d to p ay f o r h e a lth c a re , l i e
p ro d u c e r g e ts p o in ts. If it’s h e a lth y and
; fot tb’Chhieal assistanceandGruber’s
was surprised by the host of education, too,
grown organically, they would receive more
traveling expenses between Portland and
and said when it’s time for his daughter to go
points
than
if
it’s
unhealthy
or
its
production
Chico, but no one is on salary.
to college, his family will move back to
harms
the
environment
Gruber said he spends about 10 hours a
Europe.
Participants use the NBR they’ve accrued
week on Copiosis and is working on two
“It’s like it’s a way to also divide society. If
from benefiting society to buy “luxury
other start-ups: Tiny House Podcast on
you’re wealthy, you can get an education, and
items.”
These
are
goods
and
services
iTunes and Transamorous Network, an online
available that are not necessities. The more a if you’re not, welt I’m sorry then you’re not
network for men who are attracted to trans
going to get a very good position in your
women, which will launch on Valentine’s Day, participant benefits society, the more
career,” he said.
luxuries he or she can afford. When a
A comedic performer, Iaboni lists living
participant spends NBR, it isn’t transferred
room entertainment, Italian and Spanish
to the producer; it simply disappears from
ommunity sharing is not new. In North
instruction and laughter therapy among his
their account.
Portland alone, Little Free Libraries
offerings to participants in the Kenton
This is not an attempt to explain the
abound with free books, and the North
demonstration project.
system in its entirety. Both Gruber and
Portland Tool Library offers tools for people
“It’s a great way to bring people together,”
Mason have written volumes about it online,
to borrow at no expense. Additionally, time
he said.
attempting, it seems, to think of everything.
banks and exchanges have operated
So far he’s received business consulting
A common question about this system,
nationwide for decades; these are usually
through Copiosis, but no one has accepted
said Gruber, is, ‘If everyone has a job they’re
online platforms where members exchange
any of his offers yet.
passionate about, what about jobs like
time helping one another.
As far as Copiosis taking over the
garbage collecting?’ Gruber said the
But Copiosis is far more complex than
economy, he said, “I think it’s the only
algorithm takes supply and demand into
these other share-economy structures and
solution for the future.”
account. High-demand products in short
nonprofits.
While Kenton’s demonstration project has
supply will earn a producer more NBR than
It’s a system based on the work of Larry
low-demand products in abundant supply - so seven participants, Chico’s has 15.
K. Mason, a former sociology instructor and
“We’ve found it really is taking a genuine
essentially, the garbage collector would earn
computer programmer. He spent 35 years
effort to reach out to each other and offer
more NBR.
developing the system and ultimately wrote a
something, or making it a point to accept
But, he also said he believes his system
science fiction book, “Invisible Hand,” to
something on the page,” Erica Charlesworth
would lead to innovations that would rid the
help explain it. During an interview with the
said hours before receiving a free massage
world of things such as garbage and sewage,
Portland Business Journal in 2009, Gruber
courtesy of her Copiosis community in
so the need for those jobs would eventually
listed it as the book that most influenced
Chico.
disappear.
him.
“It’s a lot more involved than I had
In the Kenton demonstration project,
Gruber said he sat down with Mason at his
realized, but also really, super enriching,”
participants can use their NBR to receive a
home over dinner in North Carolina three -
she said.
discount at B’s Preschool, run by Copiosis
years ago and promised him that he was
At least one participant said she’s not anti
Steering Committee member Bridget Towles,
going to make “Invisible Hand” a reality. He
capitalism, although she said she likes the
who is also Gruber’s significant other.
said Mason gave him permission to build
idea of Copiosis catching on.
Most of the Kenton project participants
upon his model.
have children who attend B’s Preschool. It
See COPIOSIS, page 9
Gruber said Copiosis and Mason’s
C
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