Comments for Austin PPS blogs -- Dan http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan A blog about Participatory Society Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:23:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 Comment on afk by Dan http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=59#comment-203 Dan Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:14:46 +0000 http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=59#comment-203 away from keyboard. obviously not that far away, but awayer than usual. :) away from keyboard. obviously not that far away, but awayer than usual. :)

]]> Comment on afk by Marcus http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=59#comment-200 Marcus Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:59:16 +0000 http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=59#comment-200 AFK??? AFK???

]]> Comment on A counterproposal for a new IOPS by Slow and Steady… » Blog Archive » Talkin’ about a revolution… http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=57#comment-179 Slow and Steady… » Blog Archive » Talkin’ about a revolution… Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:46:40 +0000 http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=57#comment-179 [...] ours. And by “we” here I mean the larger PPS community. Dan mentioned this in a recent blog post that I recommend people [...] [...] ours. And by “we” here I mean the larger PPS community. Dan mentioned this in a recent blog post that I recommend people [...]

]]> Comment on A counterproposal for a new IOPS by Jon http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=57#comment-169 Jon Mon, 02 Mar 2009 01:56:36 +0000 http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=57#comment-169 Hey Dan, I was quite involved in trying to get ZCC off the ground, and while ZCC is on the back burner, I can't help but notice that your ideas look very similar to mine. I put up a temp website at participatoryweb.org so that I can have a place to put these kinds of tools. This may be a good place to start. Anyway, after spending a lot of time during the week sending out emails, I think this is where I'm going to focus my efforts unless someone else comes up with other ideas. Let me know if you're still interested, maybe we can work together on this. Jon Hey Dan,

I was quite involved in trying to get ZCC off the ground, and while ZCC is on the back burner, I can’t help but notice that your ideas look very similar to mine. I put up a temp website at participatoryweb.org so that I can have a place to put these kinds of tools. This may be a good place to start. Anyway, after spending a lot of time during the week sending out emails, I think this is where I’m going to focus my efforts unless someone else comes up with other ideas. Let me know if you’re still interested, maybe we can work together on this.

Jon

]]> Comment on A counterproposal for a new IOPS by Dan http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=57#comment-166 Dan Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:40:41 +0000 http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=57#comment-166 The way I'm thinking about it, we need different forms of communications for different purposes. I outlined 5 communications needs above, and my best idea as to what solution could meet those needs. If there are existing solutions to these problems, then all for the good, but the solutions I've seen so far don't work very well for the particular needs we have. (This is, after all, why I started Planet Parecon, because there was no equivalent place where people could easily jot down thoughts without pressure to produce something lasting.) I'm not sure which of those needs MA's blog or Z magazine already accomplish. I'm not saying they don't serve any purpose. The Z parecon site, for example, is the largest source of static content on parecon itself. But of the purposes I outlined above (besides the e-mail list and planet), which existing facilities do we have? The way I’m thinking about it, we need different forms of communications for different purposes. I outlined 5 communications needs above, and my best idea as to what solution could meet those needs. If there are existing solutions to these problems, then all for the good, but the solutions I’ve seen so far don’t work very well for the particular needs we have. (This is, after all, why I started Planet Parecon, because there was no equivalent place where people could easily jot down thoughts without pressure to produce something lasting.)

I’m not sure which of those needs MA’s blog or Z magazine already accomplish. I’m not saying they don’t serve any purpose. The Z parecon site, for example, is the largest source of static content on parecon itself. But of the purposes I outlined above (besides the e-mail list and planet), which existing facilities do we have?

]]> Comment on A counterproposal for a new IOPS by Eli http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=57#comment-165 Eli Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:50:32 +0000 http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=57#comment-165 great ideas, but isn't there already a few places like this? Albert's blog, Zmag, and there was a vanparecon, but it got trashed, anyone see new ones? great ideas, but isn’t there already a few places like this? Albert’s blog, Zmag, and there was a vanparecon, but it got trashed, anyone see new ones?

]]> Comment on How large is ParSoc movement? by Tayssir http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=40#comment-140 Tayssir Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:26:38 +0000 http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=40#comment-140 I don't think it's ugly at all; it's clean and spare like a blog aggregator should be. Looks fine to me. (I mean, if you enjoy tweaking, I might suggest removing the black lines around the blue headers. And the other black lines could be grey or dashed. I get this from Edward Tufte's idea to minimize the amount of "ink" you use, so your information stands out, and the structure you have in place doesn't distract the eye more than it needs to.) I stumbled on your blog during some googling, and am just glad to know that there actually are Parsoc/Parecon blogs out there; I'd been looking around for such things, and really worried that Z was the only place. I've been really looking for day-to-day lessons from Parecon-like groups, and so far all I've really found is NewStandard and an old article on Mondragon Cafe... I don’t think it’s ugly at all; it’s clean and spare like a blog aggregator should be. Looks fine to me. (I mean, if you enjoy tweaking, I might suggest removing the black lines around the blue headers. And the other black lines could be grey or dashed. I get this from Edward Tufte’s idea to minimize the amount of “ink” you use, so your information stands out, and the structure you have in place doesn’t distract the eye more than it needs to.)

I stumbled on your blog during some googling, and am just glad to know that there actually are Parsoc/Parecon blogs out there; I’d been looking around for such things, and really worried that Z was the only place. I’ve been really looking for day-to-day lessons from Parecon-like groups, and so far all I’ve really found is NewStandard and an old article on Mondragon Cafe…

]]> Comment on How large is ParSoc movement? by Dan http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=40#comment-139 Dan Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:43:30 +0000 http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=40#comment-139 Hi Tayssir, Thanks for the comment! It's pretty jarring to find somebody commenting on your little half-awake diary, but nice to know it's being read. :) I really suck at HTML templates, especially early in the morning. But I updated the planet template to be more functional, if also a bit more ugly. Does it look like an improvement? Maybe I'll find somebody to help make me templates that are both beautiful and functional. Hi Tayssir,

Thanks for the comment! It’s pretty jarring to find somebody commenting on your little half-awake diary, but nice to know it’s being read. :) I really suck at HTML templates, especially early in the morning. But I updated the planet template to be more functional, if also a bit more ugly. Does it look like an improvement? Maybe I’ll find somebody to help make me templates that are both beautiful and functional.

]]> Comment on How large is ParSoc movement? by Tayssir http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=40#comment-138 Tayssir Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:48:42 +0000 http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=40#comment-138 Hi! For Planet Parecon, could you please either put a "(read more)" link for each blog entry, or publish them in full? I'm wanting to link to Planet Parecon, but I think people will get the impression that everyone's making really short blog posts and miss the meat of the posts. I know that was my belief until I tested it by clicking... ;) Hi! For Planet Parecon, could you please either put a “(read more)” link for each blog entry, or publish them in full? I’m wanting to link to Planet Parecon, but I think people will get the impression that everyone’s making really short blog posts and miss the meat of the posts.

I know that was my belief until I tested it by clicking… ;)

]]> Comment on tools before rules by Andrea http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=27#comment-8 Andrea Sun, 30 Nov 2008 23:27:43 +0000 http://austinpps.org/blogs/dan/?p=27#comment-8 Hi. I think I am very on board with what you are talking about in this entry. I've often thought about how rarely people are truly motivated to act at a federal level, but those same people can be really involved on a local level (whether in politics, social movements or economic initiatives). So people respond more enthusiastically to issues which affect them (which makes complete sense). So that would indicate a trend towards local governance is best. But then again the hierarchy as you described is just so darn enticing because of its efficiency. So a clever way to exploit both of those positive qualities is to organize the hierarchy so that it is responsive to smaller more manageable local groups. I just read a book called America and the World where Zbig Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft talked about what they thought the next president had to focus on. Something they both agreed on was the need for the president to restructure his departments so that each one was working on a narrower topic while sharing information between departments more effectively. They actually compared this idea directly to Wikipedia and said that the difference in organizing that kind of a structure in politics is that it has to be deliberately implemented (where as in the corporate world it often develops sua sponte). I don't see why a similar information-spreading and responsibility-delegating system couldn't be similarly imposed from a federal to local level. Does it defeat the purpose of democratic, participatory ideals if it is imposed? And I had a question for you: what do you mean by "best practices?" Hi. I think I am very on board with what you are talking about in this entry. I’ve often thought about how rarely people are truly motivated to act at a federal level, but those same people can be really involved on a local level (whether in politics, social movements or economic initiatives). So people respond more enthusiastically to issues which affect them (which makes complete sense). So that would indicate a trend towards local governance is best. But then again the hierarchy as you described is just so darn enticing because of its efficiency. So a clever way to exploit both of those positive qualities is to organize the hierarchy so that it is responsive to smaller more manageable local groups. I just read a book called America and the World where Zbig Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft talked about what they thought the next president had to focus on. Something they both agreed on was the need for the president to restructure his departments so that each one was working on a narrower topic while sharing information between departments more effectively. They actually compared this idea directly to Wikipedia and said that the difference in organizing that kind of a structure in politics is that it has to be deliberately implemented (where as in the corporate world it often develops sua sponte). I don’t see why a similar information-spreading and responsibility-delegating system couldn’t be similarly imposed from a federal to local level. Does it defeat the purpose of democratic, participatory ideals if it is imposed? And I had a question for you: what do you mean by “best practices?”

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