Organizational growth, though a natural phase in an organization's life cycle, nonetheless poses significant challenges to the sustainability of shared resources. When growth occurs without clear boundaries, leadership, or vision, communities risk succumbing to a 'tyranny of structurelessness', leading to the degradation of common resources. This paper explores how Metagov, an online laboratory for digital governance, addresses these challenges through an initiative designed to adaptively manage its evolving knowledge commons. As Metagov grapples with a shifting identity, the need for clearer boundaries, and the structuring of an increasingly diffuse knowledge base, it has been experimenting with the adoption and integration of a Knowledge Organization Infrastructure (or KOI). By collating digital artifacts, including internal correspondence, organizational policy, and published works, KOI aims to empower Metagov to curate and govern knowledge about itself more effectively. This initiative seeks to enhance the accessibility and utility of Metagov's knowledge commons, thereby facilitating collaboration and innovation both within the community and across its broader network of peers.
Drawing on ethnographic methods such as participant observation, interviews, and archival analysis, this work-in-progress explores how Metagov navigates social, economic, and technical pressures, such as data governance challenges, resource constraints, and balancing community expectations with technical requirements. Using a grounded theory approach, this study examines critical issues, including power dynamics and the diverse modes of agency that actors employ to shape governance. Preliminary analysis suggests that while KOI was introduced to improve the management of Metagov's expansive knowledge commons, it has also resurfaced longstanding challenges in commons governance, such establishing group boundaries, aligning shared values, and encouraging participatory governance. These findings highlight the persistent difficulties of commons governance, even within a community of governance experts, while contributing to the broader discourse on digital governance and adaptive infrastructure design.
