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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Well, that's the problem - folks are
organizing around political matters, to rally, to protest - but
not to act.<br>
<br>
Seems to me we need something more like the green committees that
cropped up after Earth Day - and proceeded to start cleaning up
rivers, launch recycling problems. Perhaps a coalition of
organizations - like the ways VOADs organize service organizations
to respond to disasters, or United Ways help Habitat for Humanity
put together housing builds - or Live Aid & Farm Aid. Hence
the notion of a "Civic Internet" that brings lots of different
folks together to collaborate.<br>
<br>
In a sense, the way the Internet Flag Day focused the attention of
lots of different groups, and types of groups, on getting
everthing ready for the cutover. <br>
<br>
In a sense, the challenge seems to be one of how do we get back to
working together, to mutual benefit - rather than every individual
& organization trying to be the one ring to rule them all.<br>
<br>
A lot of us lived through the Internet - from Licklider's
original memo to today's hive of minds. We found a way to work
together to wire the world. What can we learn from the process?
How can we rekindle the spirit of collaboration?<br>
<br>
Miles<br>
<br>
Franklin, Dan wrote:<br>
</div>
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cite="mid:947a3942-be44-4b69-8e55-a86173f482f0@dan-franklin.com">
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<p>There is a lot of organizing happening. </p>
<p>Are you aware of "50501" - the big rallies at the capitals of
all 50 states? Or the work of reconstituted Indivisible chapters
(a new one just formed for Melrose and Wakefield)? These
chapters meet in person or on Zoom to plan out protests and mass
calls to Congress. The many guides to protesting, and
discussions of what matters? The rally on Valentine's Day on the
Boston Common? <br>
</p>
<p>Or the fact that the Capital switchboards are getting so many
calls that they're overloaded?</p>
<p>People are acting and organizing. Find your local Indivisible
chapter, or start one if there isn't one already.<br>
</p>
<p>Dan Franklin<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2/9/25 12:36, Miles Fidelman
wrote:<br>
</div>
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cite="mid:64c538af-76ad-5806-66ac-ddc3bbbc3f4a@meetinghouse.net">
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi Folks,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Turning and turning in the widening
gyre </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Things fall apart; the centre cannot
hold;</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The best lack all conviction, while the
worst </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Are full of passionate intensity.</i>
... Yeats</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It strikes me that we - We The People,
Americans, Humanity - need an Attitude Adjustment.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We need to relearn how to
think & work together for mutual support & benefit.
My best efforts have been to little effect. I'd welcome some
suggestions, some support, some participation.<span
style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Herding cats is one
thing, but one can only tilt at windmills for so long.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We've networked ourselves together. 6
Billion of us have the power to be anywhere & everywhere,
all at once. To think & work together on a global scale.
To think globally focus our resources to act locally. So
what do we do? We share cat pictures, watch porn, flood the
world with spam, and troll each other with political
polemics. We've become the Borg, we're living in the Matrix,
and 3-D Printing Westworld around us. Our planet is dying,
our infrastructure is crumbling, monsters rise from the id of
our collective consciousness, and we hand the nuclear codes to
a "Reality" TV star, with a penchant for firing people &
stirring up WWE style mayhem.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Is there some way back to <i>Life Liberty
& the Pursuit of Happiness, E Pluribus Unum, Truth</i> <i>Justice
& the American Way? </i>Or forward to <i>Prosperity
& Long Life</i> in <i>Infinite Diversity in</i> <i>Infinite
Combination, Being All that We Can Be, Being Excellent to
Each Other & Partying </i> <i>On? </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">----</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At least some of us, here, were involved w/
FreeNets and the early days of <i>Community Memory,</i> bulletin
boards, FidoNet, community networks - attempts to build an <i>American
Public Telecommunications Network</i> of FreeNets, and an <i>Association
for Community Media</i> for cable access channels. All of
that was lost when FaceBook & Social Media & NextDoor
& local websites hosted by big ate the world.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My work at the <i>Center for Civic
Networking -</i> and now with <i>Civic.Net</i> and <i>ThisOldNeighborhood.Net </i>-
is an attempt to recreate a network of public spaces on the
Internet - an Internet or Syndicate of Neighborhood Networks
& Civic Forums - but there are not a lot of Neighborhood
Networks or Civic Forums to integrate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It seems like folks don't <i>want</i> to
talk with each other anymore. The polarizers, and
propagandists, and market segmentationists have done their
work all too well. People don't come to town meeting or condo
meetings. Everyone wants to be a rockstar and a solopreneur,
rather than part of a team, or a community. Folks flock to
the latest personality or fad, a virtual event with a
politician or media personality - but actually sit down to
think and work together, to mutual benefit - not so much.
Folks will march for this cause or that, work for politicians,
buy snake-oil. Some will go to Cons and LARPs, and build a
city in the dessert at Burning Man; some will show up for
Hackathons, Service Days, <i>Habitat-for-Humanity</i> Builds,
rush off to map crises or jump into fires, but collaborate -
think & plan & work together for mutual support &
benefit - not so much. We're oh so much better at shouting
slogans at each other - than at looking for ways we can work
together to mutual benefit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---- </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I've been doing my damndest to recruit
volunteers to organize local <i>civic networks</i> and <i>community
forums</i>- to use platforms they already have to bring
people together (the way WBUR in Boston has organized <i>CitySpace</i> as
a venue for events & programs that bring people together.
Or the Whole Earth Catalog & the WELL, back in the day.
Or what <i>MainVest </i>tried to do as a crowdsourcing vehicle
for main street businesses - until their bank failed).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I haven't been getting a lot of traction.
I've got a bunch of followers on <i>LinkedIn, </i>a bunch of
(mostly non-paying) subscribers to my blogs - but practically <i>nobody
speaks up </i>- either to talk about what they're doing and
seeking collaboration for, or even to ask folks to join with
them to work on local pressing common problems. And all the
media types who HAVE large audiences, are moving to Substack,
spouting the same-old same-old, and inviting people to attend
their lectures, webinars, have coffee with them, send them
money - but offering nothing to help people work with each
other. All talk, no action.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">---</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It seems like the old line is true - you
can lead folks to water, but you can't make them drink.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Whatever happened to the <i>Spirit of
America?</i> What will it take to wake people up? To
motivate people to respond to a clear & present danger the
way they did following the first <i>Earth Day? </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Please... Speak up. With serious
suggestions & proposals. Save the pontification for other
threads.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Miles</p>
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is. .... Yogi Berra
Theory is when you know everything but nothing works.
Practice is when everything works but no one knows why.
In our lab, theory and practice are combined:
nothing works and no one knows why. ... unknown</pre>
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<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is. .... Yogi Berra
Theory is when you know everything but nothing works.
Practice is when everything works but no one knows why.
In our lab, theory and practice are combined:
nothing works and no one knows why. ... unknown</pre>
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