Rebuild and Reboot: Visions, Invitations and Vessels

[Michael Maranda]

On October 30, following upon the Digital Excellence Conference
convened by the Chicago Digital Access Alliance, we are holding a
working session to establish an organization and network in service to
the field encompassing Community Technology, Community Media and
Community Networking, addressing and inviting all who have gathered to
remediate Digital and Social Divides under banners of Literacy,
Access, Inclusion, Excellence and Justice.

We believe that a new way of working together is emerging and that our
message to our communities is more pertinent than ever, and that we
are stronger when we establish resources in common and share solutions
freely across the network.

This is not a relaunch. It is something more profound. We honor the
heritage of our field by finding a way forward, one suited to our
present situation, one that builds upon what we have learned.

We have much experience in this community, and we are clearly ready to
refactor, rebuild and reboot the movement and the network. We will
determine the functions, services and capacities we need and desire
for the field, and we will coordinate efforts to bring them online in
a manner that serves the field as a whole, building upon capacities
already under development when possible and operating from a
perspective of shared, open stewardship.

We're looking to grow our field, and to demonstrate it's relevance to
every facet of community and civic life. Many are engaged in the work
and have not found us, their peer-community. We're looking to
establish a way for them to find us as we found each other, and for
all to find a way to take up a meaningful share of the work.

We would love for all who wish to come to be there. This is an open
call to everyone serving our field. You are invited to join the
working meeting on October 30, or to step up in any way that may
support this effort. (All are likewise invited to attend the Digital
Excellence Conference, October 29: http://dexcon2010.eventbrite.com/)

Many have already expressed support for this endeavor, but not all are
able to attend. For some, the obstacle is scheduling, for others
there are fiscal constraints. Perhaps we can find creative ways to
address the latter.

There will be several channels for involvement leading up to and
following the meeting. First among them is a discussion list:
http://groups.google.com/group/rebuild-reboot All who wish to attend
or otherwise support the work should subscribe and participate.
Please signify on that list whether you plan to join us for the
meeting or if you can support this effort in some other way.

Please also spread the word on this meeting and the conference. Tell
us who you think should be there. Better yet, tell them.

[Taran]

Michael,

I did promise to blog about DexCon (but haven't yet. Life...) and
would like to do so here, but I'm unclear about the time. Dexcon2010
is billed as the 29th from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; there's nothing about the
30th yet. I'll be there, of course, but the 'end time' will be kind of
important to traveling people as well. Should we work with 6 p.m. as
the end time?

T

[Pierre Clark]

Taran, the end time for the conference will definitely be 6:00 pm, and
in fact, since the last event is a networking mixer from 4:30 to 6:00,
if you don't stay for the mixer you can leave as early as 4:30 pm.
Thanks, by the way, for registering for the conference and I look
forward to seeing you.

Pierre Clark

--
Sent from my mobile device

[Pierre Clark]

Taran, just to clarify, the event on Saturday the 30th is a
post-conference event. Michael can share with you additional details
about the event.

Pierre

[Erich S]

What would the agenda (formal and informal) look like for both Friday
and Saturday? Initally, I planned to attend Friday only, but this
working session seems like a good idea. I will be traveling from
Philadelphia, on behalf of a sub-reciepent of a ARRA grant (semilar to
the one recieved in Chicago). Friday's events may "cover the
waterfront" for me, so I am trying to get an idea of Saturdays agenda/
focus before I finalize my travel plans. Please post a proposed
agenda as a file or page (if possible).

Erich

[Stan]

Hi, Stan here from Philly.

I've just registered for the Friday conference and will participate on
Saturday. Now I need to find out how I'm going to get there and where
I'll sleep... Any ideas? Thanks,

Stan

On Oct 1, 1:57 am, Michael Maranda <tropol...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Pierre Clark]

Hi, Stan and thank you for registering for the conference.

The Travelodge Hotel in Chicago, 65 East Harrison, which is three and
a half blocks south of the conference site, has rooms available for
$79.20 a nite for a room with a full-size bed; two nights with tax
(Thursday night and Friday night, checkout Saturday before the
Strategy meeting if you want to leave for the airport after the
meeting) will be $182.79 tax included (this is the prepaid reservation
rate). Or a room with two double beds for $119.20 a nite per room (2
people in a room) plus tax or $275.11 w/tax for the two nights @ the
paid in advance rate (20% discount). The hotel phone number is
312-427-8000 and the e-mail address is travelod...@yahoo.com.
You can go to their website @
http://www.travelodge.com/Travelodge/control/Booking/property_info?propertyId=10073
and book your room directly on the website. Peter Miller has said he
is attending the conference and I have given him the same hotel
information. You might want to check with him as far as him needing or
being a roommate.

As for airfare, Stan, you can check the website
http://www.cheapoair.com for your airfare; I found a roundtrip fare
from Pittsburgh for $174 to Midway Airport in the city, which is much
closer to the conference site than O'Hare Airport. You could actually
catch the Orange Line train downtown from Midway to Adams and Wabash
which is a block north of the conference site.

Hope this information helps and I will share more with you as I get
it. Looking forward to seeing you at the conference.

Pierre Clark

--

[Marlene Archer]

Hi Pierre,
Is there a women with whom I might share a room at the Travelodge?
Marlene

--- On Mon, 10/4/10, Pierre Clark <pie...@digitalexcellence.net> wrote:

[Stan Pokras]

Thanks Pierre,

This is just what I need.

Stan

--

* * *

Stanley R. Pokras, Executive Director Nonprofit Technology Resources (NTR)
Regional Coord, Community Technology Centers' Network (http://www.ctcnet.org/)
Chair, CTCNet of Delaware Valley, Regional Planning Committee.

Nonprofit Technology Resources
1524 Brandywine Street
Philadelphia PA 19130
215-564-6686 (day) 215-564-6642 (fax)
267-968-0407 (cell)
Find our "Home Page" at http://NTRweb.org

The information contained in this e-mail message and any attached
file is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the
recipient(s) named above. If the reader of this message is not the
intended recipient or an agent responsible for delivering it to the
intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received
this document in error and that any review, dissemination,
distribution, or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If
you have received this communication in error, please notify us
immediately by e-mail, and delete the original message and file(s).

[Pierre Clark]

Hi, Marlene. Several women have indicated through Michael Maranda that
they are coming to the conference but they have not confirmed yet to
my knowledge. I will check with Mike today and get the information and
send it to you @ your e-mail address.

Pierre Clark