More Hallway than conference (without the hallways!)

<p>Jason Mogus said of the [lk:webofchange.org|Web of Change] (in quoting a past participant) that it is more hallway than conference room. That would be correct if there were hallways (or conference rooms for that matter). The designed sessions were really just jumping off points for amayzing interactions between individuals and small groups. Looking back it is hard to identify which was which. The whole experience was so organic.</p> <p>One exercise that originally I found difficult and depressing even was a session that involved repeated questioning. We asked a partner "How do you lie?" over and over again. Having the opportunity to talk to someone who may have been a stranger a few hours eearlier about something so personal was very powerful. I think that everyone probably realized they lie a whole lot more than they like to think. I know I did. Not the big lies. Not intentionally and consciously deceitful, but in little ways we all don't always tell the truth, even when it is just through hyperbole.<br /> <img src="http://static.flickr.com/28/47279104_f399df519d.jpg" width="200" /><br /> We also engaged in a conversation between someone from the future, after we were dead, and we explained to them what we did to bring about the important changes in the world that are on the verge of taking place. It was sad to think about the position that our society is in right now: war, violence, enverironmental degredation, inequality and fear. Yet it was also hopeful and encouraging to think about how we can be part of changing these paterns. I paired up with a wonderful person who i have come to know...

A different World

<p>It is going to be hard to blog about the experience of attending the [lk:webofchange.org|web of change], and it might take a whgile to tease out some of the professional lessons to be learned from all the conversations, but I'll try.</p> <p>First: when you take a bunch of people out of their environments and place them in a beautiful place without the intteruption we are so used to (instant messenger, cell phone, email constantly coming in, sirens, street noise, etc…) they can really push the ball much further down the field. I am having some significant difficulty readjusting from that free space of easy conversation and brilliant people at your fingertips, and the QUIET, to my life in Manhattan with construction noise, helicopters and sirens.</p> <p>While Hollyhock was restorative, it may have spoiled me! There is also somethign to be said that it took me nearly 2 days to get there and 2 days to get back between the airplanes, car rides, and ferry trips.</p> <p>Big sky, night stars, and the sound of ocean opened up my mind making it easier to meet new people and think new thoughts, and follow them all the way...

Blogging from Web Of Change, Cortes Island, B.C. CA

<p>I am sitting here looking out over the Giorgia Straights from [l:http://maps.google.com/maps?q=cortes+island,+Canada&ll=50.111552,-124.981842&spn=0.086802,0.227657&t=k&hl=en|Cortes Island] in British Columbia, Canada for [lk:webofchange.org|The Web Of Change] conference.</p> <p>So far the conference has been woderful. I have met some very interesting people and heard about many interesting projects and concepts.</p> <p>The land is beautiful. The food is superb. I don't want to return to NY.</p> <p>I am going to go outside and listen to the waves wash over the beach. I can blog...

NYC Election Night Recap

<p>AS some of you may know I have been doing a fair amount of work (volunteer) for Rosie Mendez, after having provided some data services and a civicspace website at the beginning of the year.</p> <p>Well, Rosie, the grass roots, progressive candidate in a crowded 7 candidate field won a decisive victory with 36% of the vote, double her closest challenger. The NYT endorsed candidate came in 3rd!</p> <p>Rosie ran an all volunteer GOTV operation, we hit a small supporter list of 400 6 times in the last 3 weeks, we had an open rate on those emails ranging from 20 to 25%, the volunteer coordinator acknowledged the email campaign as an effective means of turning out vols.</p> <p>The unofficial tallies can be seen here <a href="http://ny1.com/ny/Election/2005primary/index.html?page_name=manhattan" title="http://ny1.com/ny/Election/2005primary/index.html?page_name=manhattan">http://ny1.com/ny/Election/2005primary/index.html?page_name=manhattan</a></p> <p>the scariest part of it is that the election basically cost $25 a vote for Mendez, her nearest opponent spent something like $50 a vote. This is with 4:1 public matching funds. Most of the expenses of a campaign are related to mailings.</p> <p>Andrew Rasiej techno-wonderkind got thoroughly trounced garnering a mere 5.9% of the vote coming in 4th behind a guy i never heard of. the Incumbent managed to pull 48% of the vote, beating my favorite, Norman Siegel, by 18%. Oddly, the candidate's own prohibition against street postering probably did him in more than any other single campaign decision. <a href="http://ny1.com/ny/Election/2005primary/index.html?page_name=citywide" title="http://ny1.com/ny/Election/2005primary/index.html?page_name=citywide">http://ny1.com/ny/Election/2005primary/index.html?page_name=citywide</a></p> <p>Freddy Ferrer, 3 time candidate for Mayor and 3 time Bronx Borough president does not appear to have managed to win the necessary 40% +1 vote to avoid a runoff with Anthony Weiner (my favorite). I actually...

Berkeley Daily Planet: Doing Well By Doing Good

<p>[via <a href="http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=09-06-05&storyID=22242">Berkeley Daily Planet</a>]:</p> <p><cite>Poole likens CivicActions to a virtual company. "Ther's no bricks and mortar at all. We have no property, no stuff," he said.</cite></p> <p><cite>Each member has connected to the others by Internet telephone, text messaging, computers and other gear, and the team members are expert at — you guessed it — multitasking.</cite> </p><p>Some nice coverage of my firm...