ONLINE GENEROSITY With the maxim ‘If you’re not paying then you’re the product’ readily used to describe the business model of companies such as Facebook and Google, the unique potential for generosity that the internet provides (massive distribution reach with minimal distribution costs) is often rightly subject to suspicion and qualification. Nevertheless, with other publishing frameworks commonplace online (such as that offered by Free and Open Source Software and other, not always legal, modes of free distribution), it’s striking to reflect on the significant adjustments to an understanding of generosity that the internet has facilitated. When the results of If you’re not paying… are distributed online, the audience of the works produced will be asked to consider the possibilities of digital gift in a context where they will not be kept informed of future offers that might be of interest to them, do not have to agree to the use of cookies, and can click on a link knowing that we – at least – aren’t harvesting their metadata… THE COMMISSION Thanks to financial support from Arts Council England, Giving in to Gift can offer four £800 commissions to create new audio performances that will be freely distributed online under a Creative Commons Non-Commercial Share-Alike license 1 . Each commission will be created for the audience to listen to in a specific situation (e.g. whilst using Facebook, in the Post Office queue, when hungover), and it is expected that a significant part of each audio work will be spoken text. This text will be recorded by the commissioned artist (or another individual they have recruited in their stead), with Giving in to Gift supporting the production of atmospheric/background/supporting sounds/music as necessary. (Should the proposed work require additional voices, Giving in to Gift will assist where possible in finding suitable people, but the ultimate responsibility for these additional voices lies with the proposing artist.) Once completed, the works will be marketed online and through social media, through the print press, and via a series of posters distributed throughout Liverpool. 1 See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncnd/3.0/ If you’re not paying… Information Pack