Drumbeat in Europe - draft
Alina Mierlus
I would like to share with you a draft I started writing a few weeks ago: http://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/Eu-Drumbeat .
Cheers,
Alina
---
Alina Mariana Mierlus
Community Building and events/campaigns coordination
Free Software Foundation Europe (http://www.fsfeurope.org)
Email: alina....@fsfeurope.org
Address: Linienstrasse, 141, 10115, Berlin, Germany
T: +49-30-896779909
Free Software! Free Society! - Join the Fellowship of FSFE - http://www.fsfe.org/join
Carlo Frinolli | nois3lab
I would like to share with you a draft I started writing a few weeks ago: http://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/Eu-Drumbeat .This is the result of a series of discussions I had with other community members from Europe and people interested in spreading the word about Mozilla Mission.It is not very well structured yet, but I hope it is understandable. Feel free to add your ideas and feedback.
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Mark Surman
Congrats on this.
It's a good start in terms of thinking about Drubmeat in Europe -- and
will be a useful framework for our FOSDEM working session.
Looking at the details of the draft plan, there are some ideas that
align well and add to Drumbeat thinking so far. There are also some
questions -- things that are different than existing thinking.
Things that are awesome already:
* The general energy and leadership coming through in Europe is great.
We haven't had many European projects proposed until now -- and now you
guys are changing and improving this situation.
* The thinking on events is right on. We're working on a global 'train
the trainer' plan to help people get good at running these events, which
could plug into what you've written. Maybe with a kick off camp
somewhere like Berlin? We should talk through in detail in Brussels.
* I really like the idea of a speaker's kit -- especially if we can do
it creatively. OReilly has agreed to do a partnership w/ Mozilla and
Drumbeat around this project:
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/website/projects/presentationchallenge
... during Global Ignite Week:
http://ignite.oreilly.com/giw/
So, we could tie the speakers kit into that idea.
* The projects emerging in Europe on the FOSDEM page are a good start in
terms of momentum. There is a question around 'building things' which I
raise below -- which Carlo's community wireless speaks to. Good to get
the European projects listed on this page:
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/projects/projectmanagement
... in this format:
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/website/project_submission_form
Things I have questions about:
* A core part of Drumbeat is about people promoting the web by *making
and doing* -- making movies, web pages, books, demos or doing courses,
events, etc. Just like with making Firefox, it's easier to build a
community and have an impact if there is something concrete at the
centre. This is missing a bit from the language in the Europe plan. A
bit of wording could make this stronger, and would result in even better
project ideas.
* The biggest place this is missing is in 'strategy' -- the strategy
section doesn't include much about making and doing things. Mostly about
advocacy and talking. That's also where we started w/ other Drumbeat
discussions -- but ultimately decided more concrete things needed to be
at the centre if we want to grow our community and impact. IMHO, that's
a really critical part of what we're doing here.
* There is a significant difference between the 'what is Drumbeat?' text
on the Europe page and on the main Drumbeat wiki. We should look at this
in Brussels and see how if we can get this language more aligned.
As above, very excited to seeing this energy building -- and looking
forward to getting to more detail in Brussels.
ms
On 10-01-19 7:34 PM, Alina Mierlus wrote:
> Hello Drumbeaters
>
> I would like to share with you a draft I started writing a few weeks
> ago: http://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/Eu-Drumbeat .
> This is the result of a series of discussions I had with other community
> members from Europe and people interested in spreading the word about
> Mozilla Mission.
> It is not very well structured yet, but I hope it is understandable.
> Feel free to add your ideas and feedback.
>
> Cheers,
> Alina
> ---
> Alina Mariana Mierlus
> Community Building and events/campaigns coordination
> Free Software Foundation Europe (http://www.fsfeurope.org)
> Email: alina....@fsfeurope.org <mailto:alina....@fsfeurope.org>
Bogomil "Bogo" Shopov - Mozilla Bulgaria
I am working from while on some DB ideas, already marked in Wiki, but I want to share some notes here:
1. Europe is
different than the rest of the world. Here
we have a huge diversity of nations and different ways of thinking
mainly due to the political processes during the last 80 years, the
different cultures and the fact that we are now trying to build a
different kind of society through the European Union.
2.
Drumbeat’s idea
is leadership. We must understand that we
are taking up this immense management and workload resource, because
Mozilla's Mission encompasses the free culture (CC), open source,
open standards, open content, new technologies, sharing, future web
development and many other things, which makes us not the next bunch
of people with ideas how to develop web, but makes us the people who
WILL develop the web from now on. On the
other hand, Internet access and training must be promoted to all the
Internet users.
3. First of all we
have to have Web in order to have an open web. We
must focus our efforts also in the struggle for neutrality of the
World Wide Web, against data retention, against the violation of our
private lives through DPI and other spying technologies and so on.
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/website/projects/Privacy_Fox
4. Another important task is to create the
notion in everybody that WE are the community dealing with this.
We must also create ourselves a new image, because
90% of the people believe that Mozilla is Firefox only, another 9%
add Thunderbird in the equation, and only 1% actually know Mozilla's
Mission and that it is the most valuable thing in our project.
That is why we must not fail and we should weigh
our capacities accurately.
5. DB
is not only about promoting Mozilla's mission, but to create a new
way for web development - the Open Web.
I
think these are the guidelines which are more than mandatory for
discussion at the meeting, as well as the specific projects for
reaching the goal, of course. Some of our
intentions coincide with the EU's intentions, which is OK, because we
can apply for European Programmes which are implemented throughout
Europe. Others will be in contradiction
with the current atmosphere in the European Parliament, which is more
than normal.
Bogo
_______________________________________________
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community...@lists.mozilla.org
https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
-- Bogomil "Bogo" Shopov Mozilla Bulgaria http://bgzilla.org http://mozgull.bogomil.info +359 897 615128
Moltke
greetings from snowy Copenhagen!
I thought I'd briefy introduce myself and try to come up with some
observation and suggestions.
Alina, I read your draft, and I think you ask some important questions
about strategy which need to be addressed first. I also think you´re
very right that, unless we think about the things, "Drumbeat is
likely to only appeal to those who are already close to these issues
and fail to create much support".
One of the things I´ve wanted to do with some of the related projects
I've been involved with is to take the conversation up above the
trenches. So, with the documentary Good Copy Bad Copy (http://
www.goodcopybadcopy.net/) we tried to not close the door to those not
necessarily in favor of what "we", the digital natives etc - all agree
to. Same with FREE BEER (http://www.freebeer.org/blog/) - we tried to
tell people about free software / free licensing in a way that
appealed more to outsiders than just listing the - to us - obvious
advantages.
So, we should be asking ourselves how we reach those not already
considering freedom, net neutrality, and what you call "consumption
choices".
I think Firefox is a great example - so-called normal people that use
FF are not aligned with all the ideologies, but have a feeling they're
not just using the fastest, safest and most advanced browser. They
also feel part of a community, an identity they want to signal to
others. So we should think about how we can create momentum for
projects that are of high quality, are "user-friendly", fun and have
that same quality - something you want to share with others.
Anyway, that was just some random thoughts from me :) Back to work.
/Henrik
Bogomil "Bogo" Shopov - Mozilla Bulgaria
> Hey all,
>
> greetings from snowy Copenhagen!
>
> I thought I'd briefy introduce myself and try to come up with some
> observation and suggestions.
>
> Alina, I read your draft, and I think you ask some important questions
> about strategy which need to be addressed first. I also think you�re
> very right that, unless we think about the things, "Drumbeat is
> likely to only appeal to those who are already close to these issues
> and fail to create much support".
>
> One of the things I�ve wanted to do with some of the related projects
> I've been involved with is to take the conversation up above the
> trenches. So, with the documentary Good Copy Bad Copy (http://
> www.goodcopybadcopy.net/) we tried to not close the door to those not
> necessarily in favor of what "we", the digital natives etc - all agree
> to. Same with FREE BEER (http://www.freebeer.org/blog/) - we tried to
> tell people about free software / free licensing in a way that
> appealed more to outsiders than just listing the - to us - obvious
> advantages.
>
Free beer project was awesome (I cannot tell the same about the taste of
it :)))). Those projects can we the backbone of this one:
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/website/projects/Privacy_Fox
What do you think?
> So, we should be asking ourselves how we reach those not already
> considering freedom, net neutrality, and what you call "consumption
> choices".
> I think Firefox is a great example - so-called normal people that use
> FF are not aligned with all the ideologies, but have a feeling they're
> not just using the fastest, safest and most advanced browser. They
> also feel part of a community, an identity they want to signal to
> others. So we should think about how we can create momentum for
> projects that are of high quality, are "user-friendly", fun and have
> that same quality - something you want to share with others.
>
> Anyway, that was just some random thoughts from me :) Back to work.
>
> /Henrik
>
>
Carlo Frinolli | nois3lab
* The thinking on events is right on. We're working on a global 'train the trainer' plan to help people get good at running these events, which could plug into what you've written. Maybe with a kick off camp somewhere like Berlin? We should talk through in detail in Brussels.
* A core part of Drumbeat is about people promoting the web by *making and doing* -- making movies, web pages, books, demos or doing courses, events, etc. Just like with making Firefox, it's easier to build a community and have an impact if there is something concrete at the centre. This is missing a bit from the language in the Europe plan. A bit of wording could make this stronger, and would result in even better project ideas.
* The biggest place this is missing is in 'strategy' -- the strategy section doesn't include much about making and doing things. Mostly about advocacy and talking. That's also where we started w/ other Drumbeat discussions -- but ultimately decided more concrete things needed to be at the centre if we want to grow our community and impact. IMHO, that's a really critical part of what we're doing here.
* There is a significant difference between the 'what is Drumbeat?' text on the Europe page and on the main Drumbeat wiki. We should look at this in Brussels and see how if we can get this language more aligned.
Carlo Frinolli | nois3lab
So, with the documentary Good Copy Bad Copy (http://
www.goodcopybadcopy.net/) we tried to not close the door to those not
necessarily in favor of what "we", the digital natives etc - all agree
to. Same with FREE BEER (http://www.freebeer.org/blog/) - we tried to
tell people about free software / free licensing in a way that
appealed more to outsiders than just listing the - to us - obvious
advantages.
So, we should be asking ourselves how we reach those not already
considering freedom, net neutrality, and what you call "consumption
choices".
Carlo Frinolli | nois3lab
2. Drumbeat’s idea is leadership. We must understand that we are taking up this immense management and workload resource, because Mozilla's Mission encompasses the free culture (CC), open source, open standards, open content, new technologies, sharing, future web development and many other things, which makes us not the next bunch of people with ideas how to develop web, but makes us the people who WILL develop the web from now on.
On the other hand, Internet access and training must be promoted to all the Internet users.
3. First of all we have to have Web in order to have an open web. We must focus our efforts also in the struggle for neutrality of the World Wide Web, against data retention, against the violation of our private lives through DPI and other spying technologies and so on.
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/website/projects/Privacy_Fox
4. Another important task is to create the notion in everybody that WE are the community dealing with this. We must also create ourselves a new image, because 90% of the people believe that Mozilla is Firefox only, another 9% add Thunderbird in the equation, and only 1% actually know Mozilla's Mission and that it is the most valuable thing in our project. That is why we must not fail and we should weigh our capacities accurately.
5. DB is not only about promoting Mozilla's mission, but to create a new way for web development - the Open Web.
I think these are the guidelines which are more than mandatory for discussion at the meeting, as well as the specific projects for reaching the goal, of course. Some of our intentions coincide with the EU's intentions, which is OK, because we can apply for European Programmes which are implemented throughout Europe. Others will be in contradiction with the current atmosphere in the European Parliament, which is more than normal.
pa...@appcoast.com
I'm not really into this matter but I think technically could be great to release an OpenID (http://www.openid.net) provider of our own. And connect with that community. From a theoretical point of view, only gathering personal data to services who grants you total control of your decisions get you free
I would love to see Mozilla getting into webservices like OpenID, Social networking, Microblogging, ..
Bogomil "Bogo" Shopov - Mozilla Bulgaria
On 22/01/10 12:13, Carlo Frinolli | nois3lab wrote:
I'm not really into this matter but I think technically could be great to release an OpenID (http://www.openid.net <http://www.openid.net>) provider of our own. And connect with that community. From a theoretical point of view, only gathering personal data to services who grants you total control of your decisions get you free
Totally agree.
I would love to see Mozilla getting into webservices like OpenID, Social networking, Microblogging, ..
pa...@appcoast.com
On 01/22/2010 02:22 PM, pa...@appcoast.com wrote:On 22/01/10 12:13, Carlo Frinolli | nois3lab wrote:OpenID is a must, maybe something like mozid :)
I'm not really into this matter but I think technically could be great to release an OpenID (http://www.openid.net <http://www.openid.net>) provider of our own. And connect with that community. From a theoretical point of view, only gathering personal data to services who grants you total control of your decisions get you free
Totally agree.
I would love to see Mozilla getting into webservices like OpenID, Social networking, Microblogging, ..
Moltke
> it :)))). Those projects can we the backbone of this one:https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/website/projects/Privacy_Fox
>
> What do you think?
Hey Bogo
thanks!
Not sure I understand that 100%? Which projects were the backbone of
what?
Also, have you seen the stuff the Berkman Center has done in this
direction? I am thinking about Herdict in particular, which, as far as
I remember, also had a FF plugin?
Bogomil "Bogo" Shopov - Mozilla Bulgaria
>>> Free beer project was awesome (I cannot tell the same about the taste of
>>>
>> it :)))). Those projects can we the backbone of this one:https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/website/projects/Privacy_Fox
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
> Hey Bogo
>
> thanks!
>
> Not sure I understand that 100%? Which projects were the backbone of
> what?
>
>
an example and knowledge base for this project :
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/website/projects/Privacy_Fox
Bogo
> Also, have you seen the stuff the Berkman Center has done in this
> direction? I am thinking about Herdict in particular, which, as far as
> I remember, also had a FF plugin?
>
Gervase Markham
> I would like to share with you a draft I started writing a few weeks
> ago: http://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/Eu-Drumbeat .
Hi Alina,
(Perhaps the page has been updated a bit since this thread started. I'm
commenting on the current version.)
It's great that you are doing some thinking about how to bring Drumbeat
to Europe. :-)
I'd like to push back a bit on, or at least clarify, what you say, and
what Bogo seems to agree with, that the "European public is different
from the other cultures and we have been thinking that we need to adapt
Drumbeat."
I agree that one core idea can be explained in a variety of ways, and
you should choose the explanation which is best for your audience. My
concern is that your proposals change the core idea, rather than
adapting the explanation.
The definition of 'Drumbeat' from http://www.mozilla.org/drumbeat/ is:
"Mozilla Drumbeat is a global community of people and projects using
technology to help internet users understand, participate and take
control of their online lives."
I myself can't see any part of that core idea which is going to be hard
for us Europeans to understand. We are smart people :-) And it's been
said that there is a much stronger inclination towards openness and
personal control in Europe than there is in, say, America. So it should,
if anything, be easier to explain here than elsewhere. There's
definitely a discussion to have on how to present it, but I don't think
the core idea needs to change.
In general, it is really important that the definition of 'Drumbeat' is
as tightly defined as possible, and we do not blur the edges by talking
about things which aren't Drumbeat as 'Drumbeat'. This includes things
which are part of the Mozilla mission, and which Mozilla is already
doing. So, for example, making Firefox and Thunderbird is not Drumbeat.
I'm sure you would agree with that.
However, there are also some other things which aren't Drumbeat:
- telling people what the Mozilla Mission is and how important it is
- Getting people involved in the non-Drumbeat bits of Mozilla
- Revisualising the Mozilla Manifesto and making it more understandable
All of these things are important things. All of these things are things
Mozilla should be doing. Some of these things may be component parts of
individual Drumbeat projects, sometimes. But these things are not
Drumbeat itself. And I'm worried that your proposal suggests we do some
of these things, and call it "Drumbeat".
If we let the idea of what Drumbeat is get stretched in different
directions, it'll stop meaning anything. And then nobody wins.
What I want to avoid is Drumbeat being something different in Europe to
everywhere else, because I don't think that would benefit anyone. And I
don't want Mozilla's different activities to get all muddled up.
Does that make sense?
Gerv
Gervase Markham
> 1. Europe is different than the rest of the world. Here we have a huge
> diversity of nations and different ways of thinking mainly due to the
> political processes during the last 80 years, the different cultures and
> the fact that we are now trying to build a different kind of society
> through the European Union.
(...which is a project that not all Europeans support.) I don't think
Europe is different enough to the rest of the world that the idea of
"people, ideas and projects for the open web" needs changing. I'd be
interested in your comments on my reply to Alina regarding this.
> 2. *Drumbeat*’s idea is leadership.
I don't think that's true, though. Drumbeat is about decentralising -
helping people go off and build their own cool stuff. We can help them,
sure, but if everything goes through the centre, it will indeed be an
"immense management and workload resource", as you said - and I don't
think that's a good thing.
> Internet access and
> training must be promoted to all the Internet users.
I think providing Internet access to people is a great thing, but it's
another of those things which are great things but are not Drumbeat and
not the Mozilla mission.
In the past, in discussions about our mission, I've said "Mozilla's
involvement starts after someone is able to exchange packets with the
rest of the Internet". I still think that's true. We can't do
everything, and that's a good dividing line to draw. We could spend all
our resources ten times over on trying to bring the Internet to Africa,
for example. But it's not where our expertise is.
> 5. DB is not only about promoting Mozilla's mission, but to create a new
> way for web development - the Open Web.
Both creating and using :-)
Gerv
Gervase Markham
> Totally agree.
>
> I would love to see Mozilla getting into webservices like OpenID, Social
> networking, Microblogging, ..
Quite possibly (for some of the things you list) but I'm not sure
"Mozilla becoming an OpenID provider" is Drumbeat.
And if someone else said "I want to do a Drumbeat project! I'm going to
build an OpenID provider!", we would need to ask "what makes yours
different to all the other OpenID providers out there?". If the answer
were "it uses open web technologies better" or "it has much stronger
privacy guarantees", then it may make a good Drumbeat project.
Gerv
pa...@appcoast.com
gina cooper
The biggest place this is missing is in 'strategy' -- the strategy section doesn't include much about making and doing things. Mostly about advocacy and talking. That's also where we started w/ other Drumbeat discussions -- but ultimately decided more concrete things needed to be at the centre if we want to grow our community and impact. IMHO, that's a really critical part of what we're doing here.
To use a political example - Candidate Barack Obama inspired people to join his cause because he was an inspirational leader with an inspirational message. The message "Change" was nothing new in US politics. When I first heard his campaign go in that direction, I thought, "blah blah blah, tell me something I haven't heard before." People got behind Obama because they believed he could lead that change, and from there people accepted responsibility for enacting it (I won't go into my theories of what happened to that momentum after the election).
My point, being on the righteous side of cause is not enough to inspire people to join your cause. Arguments for the cause have to be made by leaders who inspire people to believe that a mission can be accomplished. That leader does not have to operate in a top down fashion. But movements and communities need leaders to grow, a face to go with a vision. People don't automatically know how to be their own leaders. What may look like a community of leaders to those on the inside, looks like a community of experts - a more closed kind of community - on the outside. Communities that appear closed don't grow.
I am worried about Drumbeat's goal of growing it's community while rejecting the need for an advocacy program with a leadership structure that can make arguments to large groups, the media, etc. Tactics are never a substitute for leaders.
Gina
_______________________________________________
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community...@lists.mozilla.org
https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
--
Gina Cooper
707.888.5977
http://middlecoastllc.com/
http://ginacooper.com/
http://twitter.com/ginacooper
Nathaniel James
Responding to Mark -
The biggest place this is missing is in 'strategy' -- the strategy section doesn't include much about making and doing things. Mostly about advocacy and talking. That's also where we started w/ other Drumbeat discussions -- but ultimately decided more concrete things needed to be at the centre if we want to grow our community and impact. IMHO, that's a really critical part of what we're doing here.
I think Alina has articulated an assumption about Drumbeat that is worth questioning - that growing the community is possible without strong strategy for advocacy. I know that there is a desire to have a kind of program where people accept responsibility themselves for being leaders. I agree with this! What I question is the ability to do this without having a strong advocacy component without a person who is the face of that advocacy.
To use a political example - Candidate Barack Obama inspired people to join his cause because he was an inspirational leader with an inspirational message. The message "Change" was nothing new in US politics. When I first heard his campaign go in that direction, I thought, "blah blah blah, tell me something I haven't heard before." People got behind Obama because they believed he could lead that change, and from there people accepted responsibility for enacting it (I won't go into my theories of what happened to that momentum after the election).
My point, being on the righteous side of cause is not enough to inspire people to join your cause. Arguments for the cause have to be made by leaders who inspire people to believe that a mission can be accomplished. That leader does not have to operate in a top down fashion. But movements and communities need leaders to grow, a face to go with a vision. People don't automatically know how to be their own leaders. What may look like a community of leaders to those on the inside, looks like a community of experts - a more closed kind of community - on the outside. Communities that appear closed don't grow.
I am worried about Drumbeat's goal of growing it's community while rejecting the need for an advocacy program with a leadership structure that can make arguments to large groups, the media, etc. Tactics are never a substitute for leaders.
Gina
_______________________________________________
community-drumbeat mailing list
community...@lists.mozilla.org
https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
gina cooper
My thoughts on advocacy are about creating a constituency - advocating the cause to people, not necessarily governments.
On Drumbeat's objectives:
Objective #1: Finding and setting up projects that excite us. Mostly from people we don't know yet.
People are not going to believe in the ethic of openness just because it is the right thing to believe in. Being right is not enough. Sure, your believers will show up and contribute projects, but if the point is to grow a movement, then that requires evangelizing in ways that excite those people we don't know yet, the not-yet-believers. It is never too soon to start.
To be honest, I cringe every time I see the mockups of the website and the tabs in the order "Projects-People-Events." People should be first. I understand the goal is about creating something tangible, but those tangible things are created by people.
By being project rather than people centered, the assumption is "if we build it they will come." Not true. It has to be about the people you want to reach, and it is a big assumption that those people will automatically recognize the value of drumbeat. I also don't think that building cool open projects is sufficient for communicating Drumbeat's values. Yes, important cool stuff will be created, but there is lots of cool stuff on the internet, lots of important causes, and so it takes more to break through and be _the_ cause people choose to support.
Creating a superior product and being on the right side of an argument should be enough to sell your cause. But how the world should work and how it works are two different things.
That is why I think it is important for Drumbeat to have a public voice, a recognized thought leader, an evangelizer in chief, for Drumbeat's values. That voice has to be a person, not a group of projects. Things, even if those things are awesome, can't replace people making arguments to other people. Arguments have to be authoritative to persuade, and authority comes from leaders.
As for other definitions of advocacy, as in to governments, my personal belief is that it is an essential unfilled role for someone, maybe not Drumbeat, but for someone. The recent Supreme Court ruling in the US that removes limits on corporations using treasury funds to support or oppose candidates should scare the hell out of any cause without the cash, connections or strategy for influencing outcomes.
I apologize for the tone of this email. I am very passionate about Mozilla's values because those values are about empowering people, something (because of technology) I experienced personally/politically in ways I never could have imagined (ask Mike Haggerty, he was part of it). I think communicating those values and introducing the world to the inspirational leaders behind the vision is an essential piece of strategy that should not be sidelined. Embrace the ambition of this project and embody it. That doesn't mean you have to be a cartoon character like some of the other leaders in the tech industry <cringe>.
PS: I think Nathaniel is spot on with his observations/analysis/strategy, but also agree that it is likely beyond the scope of Drumbeat - more something for the larger Mozilla organization, or for Mozilla to take a leadership role in organizing a coalition of organizations that already exist.
Responding to Mark -
The biggest place this is missing is in 'strategy' -- the strategy section doesn't include much about making and doing things. Mostly about advocacy and talking. That's also where we started w/ other Drumbeat discussions -- but ultimately decided more concrete things needed to be at the centre if we want to grow our community and impact. IMHO, that's a really critical part of what we're doing here.
I think Alina has articulated an assumption about Drumbeat that is worth questioning - that growing the community is possible without strong strategy for advocacy. I know that there is a desire to have a kind of program where people accept responsibility themselves for being leaders. I agree with this! What I question is the ability to do this without having a strong advocacy component without a person who is the face of that advocacy.
To use a political example - Candidate Barack Obama inspired people to join his cause because he was an inspirational leader with an inspirational message. The message "Change" was nothing new in US politics. When I first heard his campaign go in that direction, I thought, "blah blah blah, tell me something I haven't heard before." People got behind Obama because they believed he could lead that change, and from there people accepted responsibility for enacting it (I won't go into my theories of what happened to that momentum after the election).
My point, being on the righteous side of cause is not enough to inspire people to join your cause. Arguments for the cause have to be made by leaders who inspire people to believe that a mission can be accomplished. That leader does not have to operate in a top down fashion. But movements and communities need leaders to grow, a face to go with a vision. People don't automatically know how to be their own leaders. What may look like a community of leaders to those on the inside, looks like a community of experts - a more closed kind of community - on the outside. Communities that appear closed don't grow.
I am worried about Drumbeat's goal of growing it's community while rejecting the need for an advocacy program with a leadership structure that can make arguments to large groups, the media, etc. Tactics are never a substitute for leaders.
Gina
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Gervase Markham
> I think Alina has articulated an assumption about Drumbeat that is worth
> questioning - that growing the community is possible without strong
> strategy for advocacy.
I think that, in order to have that discussion, we need to be more
specific about what we mean by both "community" and "advocacy".
"Community": there are several possible communities associated with
Drumbeat. There will be communities around individual projects, and
there will also be "meta-communities" - communities around Drumbeat
itself. One around the website, and one around managing and working with
the whole "incubator for open web projects" idea that Drumbeat is.
Which community are you talking about growing?
"Advocacy": advocacy is like "writing" - it's too general. You need to
define what you are talking about advocating for.
E.g. We need to advocate the Mozilla mission better and more loudly.
MoFo has programs for doing just that. But they are not Drumbeat
(although they will hopefully encourage more people to get involved with
Drumbeat).
Can Drumbeat succeed without strong advocacy for the Mozilla ideals?
Perhaps, perhaps not. Will it be aided by such strong advocacy? Almost
certainly. Is that advocacy Drumbeat? No.
So what sort of advocacy do you mean?
Gerv
Gervase Markham
> Advocacy, by which I mean here efforts to influence governments and
> their policy-makers
That's not at all what I understood it to mean. This clearly shows the
need to define our terms carefully!
Gerv
Nathaniel James
Responding to Mark -
The biggest place this is missing is in 'strategy' -- the strategy section doesn't include much about making and doing things. Mostly about advocacy and talking. That's also where we started w/ other Drumbeat discussions -- but ultimately decided more concrete things needed to be at the centre if we want to grow our community and impact. IMHO, that's a really critical part of what we're doing here.
I think Alina has articulated an assumption about Drumbeat that is worth questioning - that growing the community is possible without strong strategy for advocacy. I know that there is a desire to have a kind of program where people accept responsibility themselves for being leaders. I agree with this! What I question is the ability to do this without having a strong advocacy component without a person who is the face of that advocacy.
To use a political example - Candidate Barack Obama inspired people to join his cause because he was an inspirational leader with an inspirational message. The message "Change" was nothing new in US politics. When I first heard his campaign go in that direction, I thought, "blah blah blah, tell me something I haven't heard before." People got behind Obama because they believed he could lead that change, and from there people accepted responsibility for enacting it (I won't go into my theories of what happened to that momentum after the election).
My point, being on the righteous side of cause is not enough to inspire people to join your cause. Arguments for the cause have to be made by leaders who inspire people to believe that a mission can be accomplished. That leader does not have to operate in a top down fashion. But movements and communities need leaders to grow, a face to go with a vision. People don't automatically know how to be their own leaders. What may look like a community of leaders to those on the inside, looks like a community of experts - a more closed kind of community - on the outside. Communities that appear closed don't grow.
I am worried about Drumbeat's goal of growing it's community while rejecting the need for an advocacy program with a leadership structure that can make arguments to large groups, the media, etc. Tactics are never a substitute for leaders.
Gina
Matthew Thompson
Mark Surman
Really enjoying this conversation. Slammed in meetings -- so no time for
full response. Will come towards end of the week.
Quick thoughts:
- Evangelizing and advocating for ideas is obviously works inside
Drumbeat -- especially re: bringing to new audiences. If you look
closely, the word 'understand' is in the one line mission statement.
- In many ways, this is exactly what Mozilla already does: with Firefox,
Mozilla is advocating for a particular vision of the web -- one based on
open technologies and participation. Not only have 10s of millions of
people voted (those who downloaded firefox because they get the cause)
-- this effort has been successful producing the social outcomes we were
aiming at (open web tech defines the web).
- It's exactly this experience that has lead us to the 'Drumbeat is
about making and doing things' mantra. Mozilla is good at taking big,
audacious, important ideas and transforming them into concrete projects
that people can participate in -- and that others can eventually use.
We've proven we can advance the ideas and values that are important to
use with this sort of approach.
- Nathan is right: direct policy advocacy is NOT a good fit for Drumbeat
or Mozilla. There are a long list of reasons for this, which we could
discuss on one of our calls at some point. But this is definitely
something I believe we should stay away from. That doesn't mean that
policy makers and politicians can't participate in Drumbeat as equal
players with everyone else -- that is both the spirit of the internet
and of Drumbeat.
As I say, great discussion. Will post more soon ...
ms
> nja...@onewebday.org <mailto:nja...@onewebday.org> | @OWD on Twitter
> www.OneWebDay.org <http://www.OneWebDay.org>
>
> Get Organized, Get Support at my.OneWebDay.org <http://my.OneWebDay.org>
>
> On Jan 25, 2010, at 11:36 PM, gina cooper wrote:
>
>> I'm afraid I opened a can of worms.
>>
>> My thoughts on advocacy are about creating a constituency - advocating
>> the cause to people, not necessarily governments.
>>
>> On Drumbeat's objectives:
>>
>> /Objective #1: Finding and setting up projects that excite us.
>> Mostly from people we don't know yet./
>>
>> /
>> /People are not going to believe in the ethic of openness just because
>> nja...@onewebday.org <mailto:nja...@onewebday.org> | @OWD on Twitter
>> www.OneWebDay.org <http://www.OneWebDay.org/>
>>
>> Get Organized, Get Support at my.OneWebDay.org
>>> <ma...@mozillafoundation.org <mailto:ma...@mozillafoundation.org>>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hey Alina and all
>>>
>>> Congrats on this.
>>>
>>> It's a good start in terms of thinking about Drubmeat in
>>> Europe -- and will be a useful framework for our FOSDEM
>>> working session.
>>>
>>> Looking at the details of the draft plan, there are some
>>> ideas that align well and add to Drumbeat thinking so far.
>>> There are also some questions -- things that are different
>>> than existing thinking.
>>>
>>> Things that are awesome already:
>>>
>>> * The general energy and leadership coming through in Europe
>>> is great. We haven't had many European projects proposed
>>> until now -- and now you guys are changing and improving this
>>> situation.
>>>
>>> * The thinking on events is right on. We're working on a
>>> global 'train the trainer' plan to help people get good at
>>> running these events, which could plug into what you've
>>> written. Maybe with a kick off camp somewhere like Berlin? We
>>> should talk through in detail in Brussels.
>>>
>>> * I really like the idea of a speaker's kit -- especially if
>>> we can do it creatively. OReilly has agreed to do a
>>> partnership w/ Mozilla and Drumbeat around this project:
>>>
>>> https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/website/projects/presentationchallenge
>>>
>>> .... during Global Ignite Week:
>>>
>>> http://ignite.oreilly.com/giw/
>>>
>>> So, we could tie the speakers kit into that idea.
>>>
>>> * The projects emerging in Europe on the FOSDEM page are a
>>> good start in terms of momentum. There is a question around
>>> 'building things' which I raise below -- which Carlo's
>>> community wireless speaks to. Good to get the European
>>> projects listed on this page:
>>>
>>> https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/projects/projectmanagement
>>>
>>> .... in this format:
>>> <http://www.fsfeurope.org/>)
>>> Email: alina....@fsfeurope.org
>>> <mailto:alina....@fsfeurope.org>
>>> <mailto:alina....@fsfeurope.org
>>> <mailto:alina....@fsfeurope.org>>
>>>
>>> Address: Linienstrasse, 141, 10115, Berlin, Germany
>>>
>>> T: +49-30-896779909
>>>
>>> Free Software! Free Society! - Join the Fellowship of FSFE -
>>> http://www.fsfe.org/join
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> community-drumbeat mailing list
>>> community...@lists.mozilla.org
>>> <mailto:community...@lists.mozilla.org>
>>> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Gina Cooper
>>> 707.888.5977
>>> http://middlecoastllc.com/
>>> http://ginacooper.com/
>>> http://twitter.com/ginacooper
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> community-drumbeat mailing list
>>> community...@lists.mozilla.org
>>> <mailto:community...@lists.mozilla.org>
>>> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> community-drumbeat mailing list
>> community...@lists.mozilla.org
>> <mailto:community...@lists.mozilla.org>
>> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Gina Cooper
>> 707.888.5977
>> http://middlecoastllc.com/
>> http://ginacooper.com/
>> http://twitter.com/ginacooper
>> _______________________________________________
>> community-drumbeat mailing list
>> community...@lists.mozilla.org
>> <mailto:community...@lists.mozilla.org>
>> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
>
Mark Surman
split into a new thread. This was originally about Europe and Drumbeat
-- and we definitely need get back to that topic as well.
On 10-01-26 8:02 AM, Nathaniel James wrote:
> nja...@onewebday.org <mailto:nja...@onewebday.org> | @OWD on Twitter
> www.OneWebDay.org <http://www.OneWebDay.org>
>
> Get Organized, Get Support at my.OneWebDay.org <http://my.OneWebDay.org>
>
> On Jan 25, 2010, at 11:36 PM, gina cooper wrote:
>
>> I'm afraid I opened a can of worms.
>>
>> My thoughts on advocacy are about creating a constituency - advocating
>> the cause to people, not necessarily governments.
>>
>> On Drumbeat's objectives:
>>
>> /Objective #1: Finding and setting up projects that excite us.
>> Mostly from people we don't know yet./
>>
>> /
>> /People are not going to believe in the ethic of openness just because
>> nja...@onewebday.org <mailto:nja...@onewebday.org> | @OWD on Twitter
>> www.OneWebDay.org <http://www.OneWebDay.org/>
>>
>> Get Organized, Get Support at my.OneWebDay.org
>>> <ma...@mozillafoundation.org <mailto:ma...@mozillafoundation.org>>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hey Alina and all
>>>
>>> Congrats on this.
>>>
>>> It's a good start in terms of thinking about Drubmeat in
>>> Europe -- and will be a useful framework for our FOSDEM
>>> working session.
>>>
>>> Looking at the details of the draft plan, there are some
>>> ideas that align well and add to Drumbeat thinking so far.
>>> There are also some questions -- things that are different
>>> than existing thinking.
>>>
>>> Things that are awesome already:
>>>
>>> * The general energy and leadership coming through in Europe
>>> is great. We haven't had many European projects proposed
>>> until now -- and now you guys are changing and improving this
>>> situation.
>>>
>>> * The thinking on events is right on. We're working on a
>>> global 'train the trainer' plan to help people get good at
>>> running these events, which could plug into what you've
>>> written. Maybe with a kick off camp somewhere like Berlin? We
>>> should talk through in detail in Brussels.
>>>
>>> * I really like the idea of a speaker's kit -- especially if
>>> we can do it creatively. OReilly has agreed to do a
>>> partnership w/ Mozilla and Drumbeat around this project:
>>>
>>> https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/website/projects/presentationchallenge
>>>
>>> .... during Global Ignite Week:
>>>
>>> http://ignite.oreilly.com/giw/
>>>
>>> So, we could tie the speakers kit into that idea.
>>>
>>> * The projects emerging in Europe on the FOSDEM page are a
>>> good start in terms of momentum. There is a question around
>>> 'building things' which I raise below -- which Carlo's
>>> community wireless speaks to. Good to get the European
>>> projects listed on this page:
>>>
>>> https://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/projects/projectmanagement
>>>
>>> .... in this format:
>>> Free Software Foundation Europe (http://www.fsfeurope.org
>>> <http://www.fsfeurope.org/>)
>>> Email: alina....@fsfeurope.org
>>> <mailto:alina....@fsfeurope.org>
>>> <mailto:alina....@fsfeurope.org
>>> <mailto:alina....@fsfeurope.org>>
>>>
>>> Address: Linienstrasse, 141, 10115, Berlin, Germany
>>>
>>> T: +49-30-896779909
>>>
>>> Free Software! Free Society! - Join the Fellowship of FSFE -
>>> http://www.fsfe.org/join
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> community-drumbeat mailing list
>>> community...@lists.mozilla.org
>>> <mailto:community...@lists.mozilla.org>
>>> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Gina Cooper
>>> 707.888.5977
>>> http://middlecoastllc.com/
>>> http://ginacooper.com/
>>> http://twitter.com/ginacooper
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> community-drumbeat mailing list
>>> community...@lists.mozilla.org
>>> <mailto:community...@lists.mozilla.org>
>>> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> community-drumbeat mailing list
>> community...@lists.mozilla.org
>> <mailto:community...@lists.mozilla.org>
>> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Gina Cooper
>> 707.888.5977
>> http://middlecoastllc.com/
>> http://ginacooper.com/
>> http://twitter.com/ginacooper
>> _______________________________________________
>> community-drumbeat mailing list
>> community...@lists.mozilla.org
>> <mailto:community...@lists.mozilla.org>
>> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-drumbeat
>
gina cooper
Probably an all-out *policy* advocacy program isn't the right fit for Drumbeat. Finding a Drumbeat-ready advocacy project should still be on the table.
http://www.computerworlduk.com/community/blogs/index.cfm?entryid=2725&blogid=14&pn=2
"Beyond that, I believe that Mozilla needs to think big – not just in terms of projects that it instigates and supports, but in terms of what it is trying to achieve. For example, there are currently very few prestigious organisations that can go to national governments and make credible comments about proposed legislation that relates to the Internet. Mozilla has the clout to do this, and really needs to start engaging much more directly with the institutions making the laws around the world. After all, companies like Microsoft (and Google) now spend large sums of money to lobby the people involved: if Mozilla doesn't try to act as a counterweight to the highly partisan campaigns they conduct, then it's missing out on a huge opportunity to make a major difference – which is really what Drumbeat is all about."
Thanks for the clarification!In my mind, the key word for what you're talking about is evangelism, and your points are well taken.I guess that I would just add some new thoughts based on this and further consideration.Probably an all-out *policy* advocacy program isn't the right fit for Drumbeat. Finding a Drumbeat-ready advocacy project should still be on the table. Furthermore, the kind of leader (or maybe leaders) you describe should, I think, be prepared to have a voice on very pressing policy issues of the day, those that impact the community and the "basic conditions" I was talking about. There are some very urgent debates, and some well-placed comments from Mozilla/Drumbeat can serve to strengthen the project and do the work of articulating the community's values. It also gives Drumbeat some spotlight during a news cycle to make that statement, but then pivot to "that's why Drumbeat is engaged in developing projects that help people take control of their online lives."If that's going to happen, some of the strategic work I outlined, esp around defining values, basic conditions, allies, etc., would be very valuable. If those are defined within the community, it would give the leader(s) the ground to stand on when it is appropriate or necessary to make a statement on a question facing governments.I see the work of Drumbeat evangelist(s), as Gina describes them, as twofold. First, Using the Web to tell the stories of Drumbeat and Drumbeat-aligned work in order to articulate those values to ever-broader audiences. It's important that this storytelling is framed in terms of broad human values and not littered with a lot of techie code. Tell it so my grandpa understands :) Second, strategic outreach to new communities that can benefit and should be involved in Drumbeat. This is hard work, but there are so many potential participants out there. "Build it, and they will come" won't work, neither will "publicize it to the 'general public' and they will come." Sincere, strategic, long-term outreach and relationship building will!Thanks, Gina.
nja...@onewebday.org | @OWD on Twitter
Get Organized, Get Support at my.OneWebDay.org
On Jan 25, 2010, at 11:36 PM, gina cooper wrote:
I'm afraid I opened a can of worms.
My thoughts on advocacy are about creating a constituency - advocating the cause to people, not necessarily governments.
On Drumbeat's objectives:
Objective #1: Finding and setting up projects that excite us. Mostly from people we don't know yet.
People are not going to believe in the ethic of openness just because it is the right thing to believe in. Being right is not enough. Sure, your believers will show up and contribute projects, but if the point is to grow a movement, then that requires evangelizing in ways that excite those people we don't know yet, the not-yet-believers. It is never too soon to start.
To be honest, I cringe every time I see the mockups of the website and the tabs in the order "Projects-People-Events." People should be first. I understand the goal is about creating something tangible, but those tangible things are created by people.
By being project rather than people centered, the assumption is "if we build it they will come." Not true. It has to be about the people you want to reach, and it is a big assumption that those people will automatically recognize the value of drumbeat. I also don't think that building cool open projects is sufficient for communicating Drumbeat's values. Yes, important cool stuff will be created, but there is lots of cool stuff on the internet, lots of important causes, and so it takes more to break through and be _the_ cause people choose to support.
Creating a superior product and being on the right side of an argument should be enough to sell your cause. But how the world should work and how it works are two different things.
That is why I think it is important for Drumbeat to have a public voice, a recognized thought leader, an evangelizer in chief, for Drumbeat's values. That voice has to be a person, not a group of projects. Things, even if those things are awesome, can't replace people making arguments to other people. Arguments have to be authoritative to persuade, and authority comes from leaders.
As for other definitions of advocacy, as in to governments, my personal belief is that it is an essential unfilled role for someone, maybe not Drumbeat, but for someone. The recent Supreme Court ruling in the US that removes limits on corporations using treasury funds to support or oppose candidates should scare the hell out of any cause without the cash, connections or strategy for influencing outcomes.
I apologize for the tone of this email. I am very passionate about Mozilla's values because those values are about empowering people, something (because of technology) I experienced personally/politically in ways I never could have imagined (ask Mike Haggerty, he was part of it). I think communicating those values and introducing the world to the inspirational leaders behind the vision is an essential piece of strategy that should not be sidelined. Embrace the ambition of this project and embody it. That doesn't mean you have to be a cartoon character like some of the other leaders in the tech industry <cringe>.
PS: I think Nathaniel is spot on with his observations/analysis/strategy, but also agree that it is likely beyond the scope of Drumbeat - more something for the larger Mozilla organization, or for Mozilla to take a leadership role in organizing a coalition of organizations that already exist.
nja...@onewebday.org | @OWD on Twitter
Get Organized, Get Support at my.OneWebDay.org
On Jan 25, 2010, at 11:00 AM, gina cooper wrote:
Responding to Mark -
The biggest place this is missing is in 'strategy' -- the strategy section doesn't include much about making and doing things. Mostly about advocacy and talking. That's also where we started w/ other Drumbeat discussions -- but ultimately decided more concrete things needed to be at the centre if we want to grow our community and impact. IMHO, that's a really critical part of what we're doing here.
I think Alina has articulated an assumption about Drumbeat that is worth questioning - that growing the community is possible without strong strategy for advocacy. I know that there is a desire to have a kind of program where people accept responsibility themselves for being leaders. I agree with this! What I question is the ability to do this without having a strong advocacy component without a person who is the face of that advocacy.
To use a political example - Candidate Barack Obama inspired people to join his cause because he was an inspirational leader with an inspirational message. The message "Change" was nothing new in US politics. When I first heard his campaign go in that direction, I thought, "blah blah blah, tell me something I haven't heard before." People got behind Obama because they believed he could lead that change, and from there people accepted responsibility for enacting it (I won't go into my theories of what happened to that momentum after the election).
My point, being on the righteous side of cause is not enough to inspire people to join your cause. Arguments for the cause have to be made by leaders who inspire people to believe that a mission can be accomplished. That leader does not have to operate in a top down fashion. But movements and communities need leaders to grow, a face to go with a vision. People don't automatically know how to be their own leaders. What may look like a community of leaders to those on the inside, looks like a community of experts - a more closed kind of community - on the outside. Communities that appear closed don't grow.
I am worried about Drumbeat's goal of growing it's community while rejecting the need for an advocacy program with a leadership structure that can make arguments to large groups, the media, etc. Tactics are never a substitute for leaders.
Gina
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http://middlecoastllc.com/
http://ginacooper.com/
http://twitter.com/ginacooper
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http://ginacooper.com/
http://twitter.com/ginacooper
_______________________________________________
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Carlo Frinolli | nois3lab
What I want to avoid is Drumbeat being something different in Europe to
everywhere else, because I don't think that would benefit anyone. And I
don't want Mozilla's different activities to get all muddled up.
Alina Mierlus
Hello Drumbeaters
I would like to share with you a draft I started writing a few weeks ago: http://wiki.mozilla.org/Drumbeat/Eu-Drumbeat .
This is the result of a series of discussions I had with other community members from Europe and people interested in spreading the word about Mozilla Mission.It is not very well structured yet, but I hope it is understandable. Feel free to add your ideas and feedback.
Cheers,
Alina
---
Alina Mariana Mierlus
Community Building and events/campaigns coordination
Free Software Foundation Europe (http://www.fsfeurope.org)
Email: alina....@fsfeurope.org
Address: Linienstrasse, 141, 10115, Berlin, Germany
T: +49-30-896779909
Free Software! Free Society! - Join the Fellowship of FSFE - http://www.fsfe.org/join
I would like to give a short answer to clarify the Drumbeat EU draft. First of all, thank you all for the feedback and very interesting discussions, this helps a lot ;).
The fact that, for the moment there are not activities in Drumbeat EU draft is because is still in the beginning. As Carlo said, mixing advocacy with activities (events and guerilla marketing) is how I would see Drumbeat in Europe.
Regarding advocacy (and thanks Gina and Nathaniel!) I would say that is critical in the further evolution of Drumbeat. And advocacy is not only *speaking*, at least in Europe (as an example is the EU Ballot screen, a result of FSFE - http://fsfeurope.org and other organizations *advocacy effort*). I think we have different visions about what advocacy means.
I also tend to agree on what Matt said, about projects - they can be different (and may include or may not include advocacy efforts). But considering the lifecycle of a project in the early stage it will include and *advocacy* effort (it can be from education to promotion among other people).
And finally, I have to agree with Carlo, we first need *to spread the word about Drumbeat*, to make people understand why Mozilla Foundation goes in this direction, what they can *make* for Drumbeat. I think is the part we still need to work. Not all people knows what "open" Internet/web means, and as I see, the aim of Drumbeat is to gather the attention of folks outside of Mozilla Project. Let's try to explain the "big image" of Internet to normal users and to start with the beginning: create a perfect environment for the future development of Internet and Drumbeat.
Mozilla has an interesting history, a powerful manifesto and strong values. Firefox took back the web and Drumbeat is meant to "take back the Internet"! (or at least, this is how I see the things). Let's think what led Firefox to a 25% marketshare in Europe (localization, advocacy, local communities and word of mouth marketing).
Looking forward to see you at FOSDEM and continue discussing on this :).
Cheers,
Alina
Mark Surman
I'm just reading back through the thread that was 'Drumbeat in Europe'.
There is alot in there on leadership, including your post below.
Personally, I agree that developing leadership is at the *core* of what
we need to do for Drumbeat to succeed. Leaders who will inspire people,
talk to the public, the press, etc.
In terms of an approach, the plan is very much to do what Mozilla has
always done -- build up leaders from the grassroots who are both making
things and shaping our vision. This is already happening:
- The people proposing projects are at the core of the leadership
structure we're building. Like Mozilla code module owners, these people
are leading concrete initiatives that will weave together to create the
overall mosaic that is Drumbeat. The web site includes built in ways to
point to and celebrate these leaders.
- We're also seeing people step forward to build Drumbeat community
infrastructure -- local events, blogging, reaching the press. To the
extent that these people are *articulating and driving* these
initiatives, these people are amongst our rising community leaders.
Bogomil's Drumbeaters idea is an early conception of how we might
recognize these people.
After a week in Europe, I am even more confident that these kinds of
leaders are emerging. People like Alina, Carlo, Bogomil, Kerim and many
others blew my mind w/ their willingness to step up and lead. There are
many other people in this discussion forum who have shown similar
qualities -- including you.
Of course, you also need a few people who are willing to step out front
to lead the group as a whole. That's partly my job, and is also a job
that will be picked up by others over time. Personally, my belief is the
best way to do this kind of leadership is to put 80% of your energy into
supporting and guiding grassroots leaders. That's how I'm spending my
time right now.
On last thing about timing and audiences: there will be a time for
speaking to a much broader audience, but that time is not now. Now it's
time to build a base of projects, leaders and communities. This base
won't be -- and currently isn't -- made up of techies. It will be made
up of teachers, filmmakers, artists, activists and others who have been
craving for a way to pitch in on Mozilla's work. We can easily engage
10,000's of these people before we get to the point of 'explaining the
open web to my grandparents'.
To pick up your Obamba metaphor, I'd heard about Barack he was starting
well over a year before the primary campaign started. He was building
his vision and his community so that 'change' could mean something out
of the gate when most people heard about it. That's what we're doing
right now with Drumbeat.
ms
PS. I didn't address the *policy advocacy* side of this thread.
Basically, I don't believe its a useful place for us to go w/ Drumbeat
at this point. If people want to talk about that in depth, we should
start another thread.
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