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Re: [ox-en] Re: [ox] fields of practice



Hi all:

I have been subscribed to the list for 11/2 years now. I have spoken up
once before, during a time when I couldn't really go into anything in
depth. Now I have actually spent some time in "practice".

On Tue, 2003-10-07 at 01:39, franz schaefer wrote:
hi franz!

On Mon, Oct 06, 2003 at 06:08:48PM +0200, Franz Nahrada wrote:
[...snipped...]

a) improving the tools of cooperation:

yes. i was thinking about giving them an "opentheory" site for the
preperation of texts..etc.. the problem is: most people there are not
technically inclined.. so in some cases it was hard enough to teach them how
to use email efficiently..

 i guess this is the main reason why the possibilties first had an impact in
the development of software: because the people who develop software have
the best skills to use of the net. (and where there was a lack of tools in
some earea they simply created them.. ) this is changing thought: on the one
hand easier and better tools on the other hand people are learning to use
them. the imporant question is how to give motivation to the people to learn
to use the tools. it is a chicken and egg type problem: as long as the tools
are not used the tools are not imporant for them and there is no motivation
to learn them...


b) improving the base of cooperation: How do we get people to participate
in free projects? I mean this is not a question of "motivating", as it
might sound, but rather "enabling" and "inspiring".

  where i think that the question of "motivating" is where the analogy
between the work of free software production and that of volunteer politics
is most interesting. the problem of enabling is a bit different. on the free
software side all they need is a computer, a linux CD and a net
connection and eventually someone who gives a brief introduction..
the net connection could do a lot for the political field as well, but
obviously it is not enough.... 


I am involved in two projects right now to try to bring the
possibilities of wikis to volunteer politics, one with traditional
electoral politics, and one with a local social forum effort.
Interesting things happen when you try to apply theory to the real
world. First of all, the "chicken and egg" problem really hits you in
the face (nothing like both egg and chicken on your face). In addition,
the division between theory and practice is not so neat as in physics.
The "non-techies" are very perceptive about the political dimensions of
the technology. They sense that the radically democratic nature of wikis
could play havoc with their power structures, which, despite all
protestations to the contrary, are still significantly H...



mond.


-- 
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   .                Franz Schaefer         GPG KeyID: CFA2F632
  ..             +43/699/172 01 007     Fingerprint: 57C2 C0CC
  ...             schaefer mond.at         6F0A 54C7 0D88 D37E 
    ...          http://www.mond.at/       C17C CB16 CFA2 F632

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