Join us at the new site!
Matt Browner-Hamlin
comments and blog posts on the Roots Project email lists or websites
already, but I haven't yet formally introduced myself. You may
recognize my name or know me as Philo, my former blogging pseudonym. I
organized the "Crashing the Gates" action with Jay Ackroyd and I've
been involved with the Roots Project for about four months. I'm
currently helping Pachacutec and Jane move the RP onto the new site
(http://staterootsproject.org) and I'll be helping Pach and Jane handle
the front page content to start out with through blogpost promotion. If
you ever have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at
mbrowne...@goowy.com.
About a third of the Google Group RP members have made the transition
and registered at staterootsproject.org. This is a fantastic number,
but I want to personally invite those of you who have yet to register
to take the time to come over. Your voice will be missed if you don't.
The site is incredibly intuitive, plus Lambert and Pach have created
fantastic (and ever-improving) documentation on how to use the site
(http://www.staterootsproject.org/how_to_use_the_srp_site).
Additionally, a number of members have formed a Welcome Wagon to try to
answer basic questions new users might have
(http://www.staterootsproject.org/welcome_wagon).
One of the question that I've received from current RP email list
members is why we are transferring off of such an easy-to-use system.
The Google Groups have been a great tool to start organizing state
groups of like-minded activists. We've been able to accomplish a lot
and I know that I've personally learned a great deal about how
effective communities of strangers planning together can be. But the
Google Groups are also very limiting. Members can only see what's going
on on their state lists and opportunities for collaboration are lost.
Staterootsproject.org allows everything that emails cannot. Every post,
comment, calendar event, and poll is assigned a permanent URL and will
exist as institutional memory long after we would have emptied our our
email accounts. Members can take join groups all over the country.
Moreover, groups aren't limited to geography any more - people can
create affinity groups to work on issues, tactics, strategy, outreach,
and more. If you can think of it, there will be a space for in on the
new site.
So please, come over to the new site. We're building an incredible
community of citizen-activists and we have the power to force real
political change. I look forward to seeing you on the site!
Cheers,
Matt