The document discusses the concept of a "Smithsonian Commons" which would involve the Smithsonian Institution embracing an open approach to sharing its resources online. Some key points: - A commons refers to a set of resources maintained for public use and benefit, as opposed to private ownership. - Examples of successful cultural commons like Flickr, MIT OpenCourseWare, and data catalogs show the benefits of free and open sharing of information. - Establishing a Smithsonian Commons could help address challenges like declining traffic, unexpected online competition, and changing audience expectations in the digital age. - Adopting a commons model is presented as a low-risk, high-reward way