Author: Emmett O'Connell (Page 160 of 177)

When I was at Evergreen, one of the best classes I was in was taught by Doug Schuler. It was about a concept called “Community Networks,” which where efforts to expand social capital online using open and civic minded networking.

I’ve been reading about the concept of using libraries as “third places” in communities and how libraries can use their public education mandate to get into the business of pushing for civic dialogue, and I ran into a reference to the civic/community network movement. That led me to do a quick read-up on community networks, and I discovered that the steam pretty much died down on the movement around the late 1990s. If you take a look at the Seattle Community Network homepage, you will see a somewhat retro looking design.

What seems to have happened is that community networks rose early on in the internet world as BBSs, a free network than anyone could dial into. This was during the time when not every dial-up led to the internet, and providing a free network, accessible to anyone, was of great civic importance. But, when the walls between these networks broke down, access became more easily available and the internet world moved into HTML, the community networks followed. They built lists of civic organizations, gave free web space to worthy groups, and tried to be as open as possible.

But, they didn’t become widespread enough to counter to increasingly commercial side of the internet. And now, in the case of the SCN at least, they seemed to have gotten stuck in that first generation of the HTML world. While social software has taken off, community networks have either died or not moved into this new world. Community is being built on the internet, but not in the directly local fashion intended by the community network movement.

In Doug’s class is some of us tried to start a community network in Olympia. I can’t remember what would have been so hard about that, but we never really got it off the ground. Now, the makings of a community network is starting to be built in Olympia. The most exciting part of the new Olympia Community Network is that it holds most important something that was lacking in those HTML community networks: dialogue.

It’s ironic that because of the limitations of software in the 90s that one of the main ingredients in actual community (talking to people) couldn’t happen easily in community networks. Anyway, at Olyblog.net, the best thing is the back and forth between the folks there. More on that later.

With new, free software now available and a new interest in building community online in the progressive community, would now be a good time to revive the community network movement?

As a side note, Doug’s class did inspire me to do OlympiaToday.com, a community newsite that, for a few months at least, got me some college credit and taught me a lot about community, Olympia, building websites and tons of other stuff. You can still see the remnents of that site here.

I have a neighborhood association. I’m going to their meeting next Tuesday. More on that later.

I’m blogging over at BetterDonkey here. This is going to be fun.

My first post is about Tacoma’s idea to reform their taxing system, repealing much of their existing taxes including B&O, and insituting a wide ranging user fee system. While I don’t mind Tacoma leading the way, I think this kind of system would work in a city with a lot of state government offices that don’t pay a lot in city taxes.

Bill O’Reilly, theologian:

Every company in America should be on its knees thanking Jesus for being born. Without Christmas, most American businesses would be far less profitable…

Or they could, if they were of that persuasion, thank Jesus for being born because he died to redeem us. But, forget that, because Christmas is all about the head door buster deals at Walmart.

Beaumont, Texas:

Beaumont Police spent much of Monday answering questions about the incident Friday that sent Walmart shoppers scurrying for open air. Black Friday became big trouble at the Beaumont Walmart after scores of bargain seekers say they were pepper sprayed by an off duty Beaumont Police officer working security.

Officer Aive Ownby says he warned the crowds several times to get back and stop pushing. Ownby said after his warnings were ignored he was forced to use his pepper spray, an action police say was justifiable.

Grand Rapids:

Police think five people were involved in an assault at a West Michigan WalMart. The same place where several people were trampled when the store opened.

It happened at the WalMart in Cascade Township Friday morning.

Orlando:

In Orlando, a man cutting the line in a Walmart was attacked by a group of angry shoppers. Walmart staff had to be called in to quell the situation.

Thanks Jesus.

For someone who wakes up early enough to watch the garbage guys, this is funny:

We have these cool new trucks in Olympia where there’s an articulated arm like on the Space Shuttle and it grabs the cans and hoists it overhead and dumps the contents into the truck. So, the first can gets emptied, the arm goes halfway down, then back up and waits at the top, and I’m thinking some of the linoleum is stuck in the can.

The guy gets out of the truck, climbs up on top of the truck and starts putting stuff back into the can and I’m thinking, “Oh no, what did I do now? No debris allowed? Is it filled with lead or asbestos? Did the metal strips jam the compactor?” — not likely, I know.

I run upstairs and get on some pants (I’ve already had a cup of coffee, so I’m thinking ahead) and go out and ask the guy as sweet as I can, “Is there a problem?”

The guy smiles at me and says, “No. No problem, unless you count me forgetting to open the top of the truck as a problem.”

I wish Olympia Report had comments, I would comment there.

And I didn’t notice it. Before he quit his race for city council, there was tons of writing from John G. and even a resume. Oh well. From what I can tell, he only blogged about the Olympia City Council once, and not even directly.

Over at Western Democrat I implied that I didn’t agree with David Sirota’s post about the shifting schedule of the Democratic primaries. Shifting primaries good, caucuses not so good he said:

…we need to be on the lookout for those who are trying to use the current primary process negotiations and the desire to shift the primary process to actually make the process more insular, and less conducive to insurgent forces. What am I talking about? Well, just look at the states the DNC is considering moving up ahead of New Hampshire – they are Nevada and Colorado.

Those are great states that would offer a lot if they became more important in the nominating process. However, they are caucus states, not direct election primary states. And most who have worked on campaigns will tell you, the caucus process is far more under the thumb of the party establishment than direct election primaries. In other words, frontloading the Democratic Party primary process exclusively with caucus states (regardless of the virtues of any of those particular states) could actually make the primary process even more impossible for candidates outside the establishment to compete.

Look, I’m not saying having Iowa and New Hampshire as the two major primary states is perfect. But I am saying that if we are going to shift around the map, mess with how presidential nominations are awarded, and further frontload the process, we should be looking to states with direct election primaries. At the very least, we should make sure there is an even split at the beginning of the process between caucus and direct election primary states.

The Democratic Party establishment is insulated enough as it is. We need reforms that aren’t going to further empower the party big wigs to anoint a nominee – we need reforms that are going to open up the process to populist insurgents that will kick the establishment into gear and finally start winning elections again.

Last year, the caucuses in Washington state were a real, grassroots events. There was some advertising (I think), but most of the politicing was personal. I went to Dean meetups for months leading up to the caucuses, but at the last minute I was convinced to stand undecided. I was actually part of a group that got one vote out of our precinct for uncommitted. It was a real, political civic experience that went way beyond the typical air war type of campaigning with an impersonal (mail in sometimes) vote at the end.

I don’t have a problem with voting in general elections, but in terms of party primaries, I’m convinced that local, grassroots caucuses are better than direct primaries. They may result in some strong armed candidates by entrenched powers, but they also reward engagement. The winners show up and fight.

I’m reading and learning about muni wi-fi lately. Been talking over email, considering impact… all that fun stuff. If you’re really all that interested, here are my posts so far on it:

Two ways to look at muni wi-fi
Oly Muni Wi-fi update
Muni Wi-fi (in Oly)?

If a city-wide system (with its dual streamlined gov’t plus free wifi) just isn’t in the cards, and a downtown central network would be too hard, too costly or people just wouldn’t like it, what why not establish wi-fi networks at the Olympia Library and the Olympia Center?

The Florida Marlins get permission to move and now Portland is all aflutter with the possibility that major league baseball might move to the Rose City. This is a bad idea, for several reasons, but mostly because it would be bad for the Mariners, and for the Portland team as well.

Here are my two main reasons, which I’ll expand on when I have the time:

1. Television market. Right now, Seattle has a decent chance at being succesful over the long term because they have a monopoly over a mid to larger sized television market. If you split that market with Portland, the Mariners would be left with a much smaller tv market, lessening their revenues drastically, and putting both the Mariners and the Portland MLB team in Milwaukee land.

2. No one seems to want to argue for a Mexican based MLB team. There have been two teams founded in Canada, and there have been some MLB road games played in Latin America. From a strickly economic point of view, putting a team in say Monterrey, Mexico makes sense. Three million people, highest quality of life of any major Mexican City, and close to other MLB markets.