Organizing (was: Reinvigorating the OAA movement)

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Alexandre Enkerli

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Jun 16, 2009, 6:05:10 PM6/16/09
to open-access-...@googlegroups.com
There are several services which help anthropologists congregate. For
instance, some of us have been using other WeFollow keywords, there
was a rather useful compendium of anthro-related blogs at the end of
last year, and there are anthropology-related groups, such as this
"twibe": http://www.twibes.com/group/anthropology
The resounding success of the OAC can be "a lesson to us all." Some
may not like a specific service (Ning, in the OAC case) but there's a
lot to be said about organizing through as many services as possible
and reach out to diverse people on these varied services.
Open Access is an important issue for all of us, regardless of our
individual or group connections to the AAA. In fact, even some
university presses are getting on board:
http://www.earlham.edu/%7Epeters/fos/2009/06/10-university-presses-endorse-oa.html

Let's get organized.

Alexandre Enkerli
http://www.informalethnographer.com/


On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 16:14, Jennifer Cool<co...@usc.edu> wrote:
>
> I see a lot in Joanna's question and exchange in this thread that speaks broadly to Kerim's initial question about how we might promote OA among AAA members. One is the issue of what type of posts are on-topic, another is the issue Kerim raised about being "user-friendly and conducive to strategizing and organizing."
>
> While traffic on this list has been minimal, and I understand that well may be part of its charter, that makes the list itself less useful for discussion and organizing. If this isn't the place, where can we have a general discussion about what OA is and isn't? What kind of education is needed? How to do outreach beyond those already "in the know" and how to do something effective @ Philly AAAs?
>
> The link between Twitter and anthropologists organizing Kerim noted is key. Off the cuff I'd point to http://wefollow.com/twitter/anthropologist where you can see all 30,821 Twitter users who describe themselves with the tag "anthropologist." These folks are finding each other and connecting in various ways and that shows the potential, if nothing specific re: organizing per se.
>
> cheers, Jenny//
>
> ---------------------------
> http://cool.org/portfolio/
> Twitter: jennycool
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: jkirk <jk...@spro.net>
> Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 8:49 am
> Subject: RE: Reinvigorating the OAA movement
> To: open-access-...@googlegroups.com
>
>>
>> Wait a minute, you brought it up: "Things pretty much drifted
>> along, until Twitter hit the fan.
>> > Suddenly anthropologists started organizing in a way I've never
>> > seen before. "
>> The alternet article says nothing about the relation you posited
>> between the appearance of Twitter and anthropologists organizing.
>> JK
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: open-access-...@googlegroups.com
>> [mailto:open-access-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
>> Kerim Friedman
>> Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 9:06 AM
>> To: open-access-...@googlegroups.com
>> Subject: Re: Reinvigorating the OAA movement
>>
>>
>> Since this question is off-topic for this list, let me just
>> provide two links and ask that you contact me off list for
>> further questions:
>>
>> http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/129319
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/magazine/07awareness-t.html?_r=
>> 1
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Kerim
>>
>> On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 8:57 PM, jkirk<jk...@spro.net> wrote:
>> >
>> >  Ok folks--I'm not on Facebook or My space, and have no
>> intention of
>> > getting on them, but I sort of know what they are, from
>> hearsay. Now
>> > there's Twitter. Would someone please explain the attraction of
>> this
>> > one for  anthropologists?
>> >
>> > Thanks
>> > Joanna
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: open-access-...@googlegroups.com
>> > [mailto:open-access-...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
>> kerim
>> > Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 1:44 AM
>> >
>> >
>> > Hi folks,
>> >
>> > First some history: Back in 2005-2006 a few of us tried to make
>> a
>> > call to arms to push the AAA to adopt Open Access. Instead, the
>> > AAA went the other way and openly opposed legislation that
>> would
>> > mandate OA for publicly funded research. At the 2006 AAA a
>> bunch
>> > of us, including some people from within the AAA, met and
>> > discussed the issue at the annual meeting. The conclusion was
>> > that the AAA did already support self-archiving, and so we
>> would
>> > focus on educating and promoting self- archiving among the
>> > membership. while continuing to lobby as best we can for
>> broader
>> > support for OA within the AAA. With that in mind we set up this
>> > list and the OAA website and blog, as well as the self-
>> archiving
>> > how-to document which can be found there:
>> >
>> > http://openaccessanthropology.org/
>> > http://blog.openaccessanthropology.org/
>> >
>> > Things pretty much drifted along, until Twitter hit the fan.
>> > Suddenly anthropologists started organizing in a way I've never
>> > seen before.
>> > Some new folks have come along to support OAA in various ways,
>> > and the Open Anthropology Coop (OAC) was founded:
>> >
>> >
>> http://openanthcoop.ning.com/profiles/blogs/open-access-anthropol
>> > ogy
>> >
>> > All this seems to have sparked renewed interest in promoting
>> OAA,
>> > which is fantastic. However, I don't personally find the Ning
>> > website to be very user friendly or conducive to strategizing
>> and
>> > organizing.
>> > Moreover we already have an existing community of 101 people on
>> > this list, so I'm encouraging people to come over her and sign
>> up
>> > if they are interested in helping out.
>> >
>> > So now what? That's really up to you all. I'd like to see ideas
>> > for further educating the AAA membership about the issues
>> > involved in OA, as well as why they should self-archive, as
>> well
>> > as discussions about how we can promote OA within the AAA. What
>> > shouldn't go here, however, are discussions about transforming
>> > the AAA or creating alternative structures. That belongs on the
>> > OAC/Ning website. The two of course are related, but think of
>> > this as the educational wing of the Open Anthropology movement!
>> >
>> > More specifically, I'd like to see concrete plans for action at
>> > this year's AAA. I won't be attending, but for those of you who
>> > are, and who care about these issues, I think it would be good
>> to
>> > start planning early.
>> >
>> > Cheers,
>> >
>> > Kerim
>> >
>> >
>> > >
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> >
>>
>
> >
>
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