Plan to lead a discussion at Contact? What do you want to learn?
Venessa Miemis
we have a 'discussion topics' page on the Contact wiki, for those who
plan to lead a breakout session that day.
i listed 3 questions there:
- What are the critical questions you hope to discuss with peers at
Contact?
- What topics to you plan to lead a discussion about at Contact?
- What are you hoping to learn about or hear a presentation about at
Contact?
please feel free to add your ideas to the wiki here:
http://p2pfoundation.net/Potential_Discussion_Topics_at_Contact
if you don't know how to add to the wiki, you can also respond here
and we'll transfer your responses.
thanks,
venessa
Curtis Faith
David Hodgson
We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely. E. O. Wilson
Venessa Miemis
Jon Lebkowsky
~ Jon
Jon Lebkowsky (@jonl)
Polycot Associates
Douglas Rushkoff
Curtis Faith
Douglas Rushkoff
CulturalEngineer
I'd like to discuss:
How to establish a Commons-owned transaction network in established
currencies, the neglected but vital potential in the micro-transaction
and its networking., why such a network will naturally grow, and why
such a network may, in fact be a pre-requisite (or at the least a
profound assist) for moving to alternative trading mechanisms and a
distributed capability for credit creation.
I suppose what's confounded me a bit regarding what or how I should
present... is that its hard for me to pin down just what it is that
people need to know to help them get the concepts across.
For me its seemed from early on (Spring of '07) that this simple idea
for a micro-transaction... arising as a response to issues with U.S.
campaign finance ( think of it as sort of like buying a ticket for
$10 or $20... and that ticket allows you to conduct micro-transactions
with recipients you choose)... while important by itself leads to a
great and frankly needed opportunity.
I believe the micro-transaction has sufficient utility (much of it
still unrecognized)... that sooner-or-later almost everyone is going
to want to have that online capability... whether for political
purposes which is Chagora's genesis... or for news, journalism... or
the kind of healthier games and reward systems you're thinking about.
And when the capability for self-organization, for the networking of
those transactions is added on top of that simple capability...
then the system (or systems) offering it will naturally tend to
concentrate into no more than a few entities. (Like Facebook, most
will want to be where everyone else is or at least have access to that
population... )
What then is important to consider is that while the catalyst for the
creation of such a network is the micro-transaction... that's not the
only kind of transaction it can handle.
I believe this provides what may be the only opportunity to establish
a vital root for something much bigger...
Assuming the eventual near ubiquity of such a network (which I do...
just as the invention of the telephone has led to the ubiquitous
availability of 'voice' transaction)...
Opportunity arises for self-organized sub-groups within that larger
network to develop and implement local or specialized trading
mechanisms for their own purposes... (in other words I see these as
emergent properties of this network as it arises... IF it has
governance that allows it.)
Within a network that already is set-up for accounts and accounting,
its a simple matter for additional account networks handling different
'tokens' to be set-up for some sub-group within the larger whole.
I don't believe these will arise otherwise short of a complete
collapse of the current system. Without an environment that is
conducive and tolerant of their growth they'll be squelched before
they have a chance to establish stable roots...
And if the current system does collapse or become untenable, either
via inflation, deflation or some other general failure (which is not
unlikely)... the existence of this network provides a backup structure
for user's to creatively adapt and build a better system.
Money is a very unique technology.... its a social technology
dependent on shared beliefs and assumptions. As broken as current
mechanisms of credit-creation are... people are scared to death of
change in this area. I believe this network can provide a
'psychological bridge' so to speak to move people to a greater comfort
with new forms... by building a new structure in a neglected crack in
the old paradigm.
P.S. And the patent doesn't hurt either...
Douglas Rushkoff
Paul B. Hartzog
when you say 'live' do you mean live streaming video? or something else?...
I assume that there will be other forms of 'live' occurring as well:
blogging, tweeting, Google Plussing...
(video recording? twitvids?)
-Paul
--
--------------------------------------------------------
Future Forward Institute
http://www.futureforwardinstitute.com
paulbh...@futureforwardinstitute.com
--------------------------------------------------------
http://www.PaulBHartzog.org
PaulBH...@PaulBHartzog.org
--------------------------------------------------------
http://www.panarchy.com
PaulBH...@panarchy.com
--------------------------------------------------------
The Universe is made up of stories, not atoms.
--Muriel Rukeyser
Perceive differently, then you will act differently.
--Paul B. Hartzog
--------------------------------------------------------
Douglas Rushkoff
Here's how the day will work: In the morning, we'll assemble and hear about a dozen short "provocations" from some of our featured participants. These are intended to spur our thinking, teach us the latest concepts in net development - from gamification to alternative currency - and share the biggest challenges facing the net development community.
After that, Douglas Rushkoff will set the agenda, and facilitate the scheduling ofsessions that participants wish to convene during specific times throughout the day. There will be three time slots for these meetings, and up to twenty meetings occurring simultaneously. Participants are free to move from meeting to meeting. Each meeting will assign a moderator and a reporter. After a meeting is over the reporter will post a paragraph summary of the meeting's findings to an online BBS.
Midday, we will break for two hours to have lunch and experience the Bazaar - at the same time. The entire space will become a marketplace of demo stations and food carts. Participants, companies, and organizations who have signed up for table space in advance can now conduct demos, peddle their wares, and seek customers, collaborators, advisers, or even investors.
Bazaar demos may also be entered in the Innovation Awards. Judges, picked from among the featured participants, will observe the demos and ask questions.
After lunch, we will make additions and changes to our schedule and then continue with our convened sessions.
After the third meetings slot and an afternoon break, we will again come together as a group, review some of the ideas and initiatives to emerge from our meetings, and then vote on the three or four that we really want to see move forward in some fashion. Then we'll convene one more meeting slot to develop next steps for realizing these ideas.
Additionally, all topics reported will remain on the BBS so that participants - and the greater Contact community - can keep the conversation going. (The BBS can also be printed out by those who want tangible "takeaways" for themselves or their co-workers at home.)
At the end of the day, we'll wrap up with the Bazaar Cabaret. Demonstrations can continue, along with drinks, music and "edge" entertainment, and the announcement of the winners of the three $10,000 Contact Awards.
Around the world on the same day, those who share in our goals will be convening their own Contact Meetups. They will have access to the Contact BBS to report on their own meetings, and will be able to watch video of our provocations (as well as a few special videos we're making just for them).
Contact will also be documented by a video crew, and edited into several lengths and formats for participants to use. Following Contact, participants will also be free to continue and expand their conversations and collaborations using the BBS.
jooray
> By Live, I mean Live and in person in the same actual physical space.
> (Well, I acknowledge that people all over the world are sharing the
> same physical space, so let me try again.) By Live, I mean October
> 20, Angel Orensanz Foundation NYC, 9am.
the the set date is a good idea. And also after that. And I agree that
the best thing is to do it live.
I will be flying to NYC just for Contact and I will be there few days
before and few days after Oct 20. If some people are interested,
we could gather before and then make some small event wrapping
up and letting the discussion continue. What I expect is to meet
some really interesting people and I think we could make use
that we will share common space-time. I am willing to organize
these meetups (tips for places to do that are welcome, the
fallback plan can be one of the New York's hackerspaces
if there will be not too many people).
Where is the best place to organize that? Or does someone
think it is not a good idea?
Juraj.
Juraj.
Douglas Rushkoff
As for beforehand, I'm all for that, too. I'm totally involved in the details for Contact, but if people met beforehand - even just little groups - then they would be able to announce and convene some more focused sessions during the event to which everyone else would be invited.
So, for example, if some alt currency people got together and decided that the real obstacle they need to address is "blank", then they'd be able to make the best use of the knowledge in the room by applying it to the particular problem they've identified.
We're hoping for the "provocateurs" I pick to address the crowd at the opening to present some very particular and informed challenges that they are facing, as well, to ground the meetings in considered problems rather than having everything just emerge on the spot (which is fine, too, but not the only kinds of meetings I'm hoping will happen).
Juraj Bednar
> There's some talk about an after-event, a couple of days after Contact. Arthur Brock has been murmuring a bit about the possibility, and it could be a great way for ideas that have been "voted up" for immediate follow-through to gain some traction.
>
> As for beforehand, I'm all for that, too. I'm totally involved in the details for Contact, but if people met beforehand - even just little groups - then they would be able to announce and convene some more focused sessions during the event to which everyone else would be invited.
>
> So, for example, if some alt currency people got together and decided that the real obstacle they need to address is "blank", then they'd be able to make the best use of the knowledge in the room by applying it to the particular problem they've identified.
>
> We're hoping for the "provocateurs" I pick to address the crowd at the opening to present some very particular and informed challenges that they are facing, as well, to ground the meetings in considered problems rather than having everything just emerge on the spot (which is fine, too, but not the only kinds of meetings I'm hoping will happen).
OK. I would like to do the "alternative currency" meetup and maybe
attend any technological ones. I need only two things: A way to announce
it to people (on the web somewhere) and help with people knowing NYC
(I can try to do that remotely, I have no problem to make a reservation,
but I know almost no good places out there).
Thanks,
Juraj.
Douglas Rushkoff
Douglas Rushkoff
Also, just for clarity, I did not mean to convey that there was already a Meetup in advance of Contact planned in NYC to discuss "blank" about alternative currencies. I was trying to give an example of the kind of thing someone might convene a Meetup about if they were choosing to do one. I was attempting - poorly it seems - to set up a hypothetical scenario.
I am totally focused right now on the main Contact event, and while I think it's a great thing for people to want to meetup in advance of the event, I can't offer much support in that regard. I don't even live in NYC myself. But there might be people on this list interested in doing something or supporting you if you propose it clearly. And Jon Lebkowsky is our Meetup specialist for this event. I don't know exactly what he is planning, but he is here to help remote groups organize with Contact.
Juraj Bednar
> Or are you saying you want to call and host a meetup in advance of the conference in NYC, but that you don't come from NYC and need support in doing so?
I am coming to NYC few days before conference and will stay
few days after conference. I want to organize a meet-up in NYC,
I can do the organization part (reservation of a place
or choosing coordinates in central park if the weather is
right). I simply don't know the city well enough to choose
the place wisely.
I think New York Resistor hackerspace is one possibility.
It depends on how many people would come and are intersted
in a topic. It can be one larger table in a pub (without
large music) if it's for 10 people.
> Also, just for clarity, I did not mean to convey that there was already a Meetup in advance of Contact planned in NYC to discuss "blank" about alternative currencies. I was trying to give an example of the kind of thing someone might convene a Meetup about if they were choosing to do one. I was attempting - poorly it seems - to set up a hypothetical scenario.
Yet you "hit" my main interest which is alternative currencies
(and mesh networks).
So: I will organize the meetup, any suggestions about a place
of the meetup in New York City are welcome, I will take care
of reservation, writing up an intro, voting for date/time, etc.
If there are any other people who want to do meetups on different
topic before Contact, please let me know, we can work on organizational
part together.
> I am totally focused right now on the main Contact event, and while I think it's a great thing for people to want to meetup in advance of the event, I can't offer much support in that regard. I don't even live in NYC myself. But there might be people on this list interested in doing something or supporting you if you propose it clearly. And Jon Lebkowsky is our Meetup specialist for this event. I don't know exactly what he is planning, but he is here to help remote groups organize with Contact.
I expect only thing and that is a simple link or even a Twitter message
to let attendees know that there's a possibility to attend a meetup.
I will try to organize everything else. It's 21st century, so I don't
think me not being or living in NYC is that much of a problem :).
Juraj.
Bryce Lynch
> I am coming to NYC few days before conference and will stay
> few days after conference. I want to organize a meet-up in NYC,
I will be doing the same thing. I was hoping to join some people to
hack on projects in process at ContactCon.
> I think New York Resistor hackerspace is one possibility.
> It depends on how many people would come and are intersted
> in a topic. It can be one larger table in a pub (without
> large music) if it's for 10 people.
Please contact me off-list; I know a few people up there that I was
going to make inquiries of.
For what it's worth, I was considering pinging New York Resistor about
this as well.
--
The Doctor [412/724/301/703]
http://drwho.virtadpt.net/
"I am everywhere."
Jon Lebkowsky
Juraj Bednar
> And we should stress the network point - this is a decentralized network
> based on affinity, with the Contact Summit as a significant hub and
> instigator. While Contact Summit is a hub - connected to all the
> networks, it should be seen as a peer in a p2p network, and not as point
> of authority or responsibility for the action of others within the network.
Yes, we'll do that, we need Contact as a hub to do only one thing: help
us with announcement.
Can we use p2p foundation wiki as a basis for organization (list of
meetups, signing people in, etc.)?
Juraj.
Venessa Miemis
Keenan Dakota
We are going to be staying at Ganas in Staten Island. This is a cooperative that owns several adjoining houses that have been retrofitted, so they have several small meeting rooms. We will be there a few days before and a few days after the conference, so our team could act as "hosts" for the contact summit folks. I don't know if being on Staten island is a problem.
Anyway, here are the questions they asked:
"We'd love for you and Rowan to stay at Ganas while you participate in the technology and democracy conference. I'll leave it to Jenny to figure out whether you can cover your expenses by working here. As for hosting the small group conference, I can check with others and see if that's a possibility or not. Would the conference hosters or members be willing to pay anything for the room? What are the hours they would need it? for an afternoon, all day? would they need food? let me know more about it and then we can see if this is an option for us or not.
Susan"
So let me know and I'll let the folks at Ganas know.
Keenan
Venessa Miemis
Keenan Dakota
Keenan
JZ
discussion (with a NYC focus) without being aware of this G**gleGroup:
• Achieving a NYC directory/map of persons/groups that "should"
network 2gether & why (eg:wiserearth.org)
• Topics that address *small local achievable goals* that go in the
direction of larger goals.
Generally, I think it creates more of a challenge to constantly bring
up the world we want to develop and live in without knowing the world
as it exists right now. Finding and organizing "data" that we can
grow into intelligence about the world we live in will help us figure
out the routes to approach what we would like to 'shape' towards a
more positive direction for more people.
Question: Is it desirable (for those other than me) and possible for
us to collect all useful info about NYC that is online to be organized
into one repository/directory that could then be accessible via text
message so that it's accessible to anyone, not just those with
smartphones (?).
Proposition: For those of us who live in NYC, I would like to propose
that we collect NYC history, photos, data on networked groups (from
Wall Street to non-profits) + as much as possible. We could use
NYCwiki.org + google maps/googleEarth/open map application and
whatever else we want. I attempted to start a forum for this over a
year ago called "Know NY" (http://tinyurl.com/424sjsx) but did not
have the time and after it was posted to Cryptome.org and
Phibetaiota.net there was an avalanche of spam mostly from Russia.
I recently found these related links on mapping NYC from MIT's
sidewalk lab (http://slab.scripts.mit.edu/wp/links/critical-
cartography/):
• http://www.krisharzinski.org/nyc_maps.html
• http://blackdogonline.com/all-books/mapping-new-york.html
I am currently reading "The Works: Anatomy of a City" (http://
tinyurl.com/3qu87r8) which is on the operations of a big city and it's
modeled after NYC.
I started a free mobile demo using the dotgo.com platform. Send
"txtnyc" to 368-638 (spells DOTNET) for info related to NYC. I would
like to expand this if others find it useful. You can check the
latest subway info by sending "txtnyc" (space) "subup" to 368-638 as
well as weather by sending "txtnyc" (space) "w" to 368-638. It
requires no account or registration of any kind and no "smartphone."
By the way, these following topics listed in the proposed discussion
topics at http://p2pfoundation.net/Potential_Discussion_Topics_at_Contact
seem extremely related and I wonder why they are separate sessions:
• Social Technology and Emergent Democracy
• Bottom-Up Emergent Organization and Decision Making
Also, Douglas mentioned to think about what WE NEED from this event.
I need a paying job.
{ Jason Liszkiewicz }
| + Grripz.com
| + Re-configure.org
| + smart-city.re-configure.org
| + true-cost.re-configure.org
JZ
not double-post)
JZ
topics for ContactCon discussion (with a NYC focus).
• Achieving a NYC directory/map of persons/groups that "should"
network 2gether & why (eg:wiserearth.org)
Generally, I think it creates more of a challenge to constantly bring
up the world we want to develop and live in without knowing the world
as it exists right now. Finding and organizing "data" that we can grow
into intelligence about the world we live in will help us figure out
the routes to approach what we would like to 'shape' towards a more
positive direction for more people.
Question: Is it desirable (for those other than me) and possible for
us to collect all useful info about NYC that is online to be organized
just those with smartphones (?).
but did not have the time and after it was posted to Cryptome.org and
elsewhere.