The great folks at Free Geek Chicago have produced a nice video — worth a watch, spread the word.
Anyone who puts in 24 hours of service at FGC comes away with a refurbished machine and a great group of friends.
The great folks at Free Geek Chicago have produced a nice video — worth a watch, spread the word.
Anyone who puts in 24 hours of service at FGC comes away with a refurbished machine and a great group of friends.
Posted in Chicago, civic entrepreneurship, community, education, excellence, gift economy, grassroots, Illinois, open source, positive media, social justice | No Comments »
On Friday, October 29 we open the next chapter in the Community Technology, Networking and Community Empowerment Movement at the Digital Excellence Conference in Chicago at DePaul University: http://dexcon2010.eventbrite.com/
Three tracks:
Special Honorees: Carl Davidson, Julia Stasch and Rep. Constance Howard
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee
Registration: http://dexcon2010.eventbrite.com/
As a recognition of our common heritage, past members of the network are eligible for the early bird rate.
For more information or to donate/volunteer contact Pierre Clark. (312) 473-0373 or registernow@digitalexcellence.net
Posted in Chicago, civic entrepreneurship, civic garden, commons, community, community informatics, education, excellence, friends, GIO, grassroots, Illinois, Internet, media history, network, news, politics, positive media, process, public, social justice, strategic roadmapping, wireless chicago | No Comments »
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.
Michael Maranda
Rebuild-Reboot Committee
Posted in blogospheric, Chicago, civic entrepreneurship, commons, community, community informatics, EFN, ethos, excellence, friends, gift economy, GIO, grassroots, Illinois, Internet, media history, network, news, open space, politics, positive media, process, public, social justice, social source, strategic roadmapping | No Comments »
Join us this Sunday for Chicago COUNTs – a NetSquared Camp! Great for non-profit and social benefit sector and for socially-minded technologists and media mavens.
In the afternoon I’ll be co-facilitating an Open Stewardship Session.
Posted in blogospheric, Chicago, civic entrepreneurship, commons, community, community informatics, excellence, friends, gift economy, grassroots, Illinois, Internet, media history, network, one web day, open space, positive media, public, social justice, social source, strategic roadmapping | 1 Comment »
The folks at Free Geek Chicago have offered perhaps the most ethical, honest and authentic statement on funding in the non profit world.
Here’s an excerpt from their Community Funding Statement outlining their experience of funding relationships:
The entire document is certainly worth a read, and they are worthy of community support. If I had a chunk of cash on hand, I’d send it over no strings attached.
Posted in Chicago, civic entrepreneurship, community, ethos, excellence, gift economy, GIO, grassroots, Illinois, Internet, network, news, philanthropy, positive media, social justice | No Comments »
What’s the next stage for the Digital Excellence movement? How can we better connect our respective efforts, and better serve the city and region in which we make our lives?
Recently, CityCamp was convened in Chicago. It brought people from all over the continent and from as far away as the UK. It also brought a lot of Chicagoans out of the woodwork. There are aspirations for a more locally focused event.
It’s time to advance a synoptic view of our efforts in Chicago …. we need to map our mutual efforts and when describing our separate efforts to each other and to others, to do it in a way that paints a picture of how we are connected.
Towards that end, I implore you to join with me in advancing Civic Discourse and Collaboration in the Chicago Region, utilizing the e-democracy.org platform and model.
There are several things that need to be done:
Posted in Chicago, civic entrepreneurship, commons, community, community informatics, excellence, grassroots, Illinois, politics, positive media, process, public, social justice | No Comments »
Funny how the other night, WTTW/Chicago Tonight covered 4G wireless communications and there was no historical reference to City’s intention (or interest) in establishing a city-wide wireless network several years back. We get stuck on the totemism of the new technology and don’t discuss any deeper issues of collective investment in our common destiny. This is the City where we privatize everything, and sell off (or sell out?) our future first.
Posted in Chicago, ethos, excellence, Illinois, public, wireless, wireless chicago | No Comments »
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