Are there boundaries that help people to protect and identify their commons? What do they look like?
Commons are not strictly sealed off [from the rest of the world]. Their boundaries are not rigid lines of separation, but permeable spaces of interaction with the potential to become more inclusive. The semi-permeable membranes surrounding commons protect them against enclosures, cooptation and free-riding, but also against ideological defensiveness. The character of these boundaries is controlled by commoners, and not primarily by the state.
# Examples - The Copy Far Left License grants more generous use rights to commoners than to those using the content for commercial purposes. - In the Park Slope Food Coop only members may shop, however anyone can become a member as long as they commit to the rules developed by the general assembly. - In setting boundaries for shared water, forests or fisheries, traditional commoners may allow greater or lesser access to their care-wealth depending on its abundance or scarcity.
# Related Patterns - Keep Commons & Commerce Distinct - Rely on Heterarchy - Actively Thwart Enclosures & Cooptations