(most of receivers in BCC to prevent unintended replyfloods)
Marcin Jakubowski of Open Source Ecology wrote today:
"I published the OSE CEB proposal v0.1. It deserves some attention. Can
you pump it up through your networks?
There is some hard-core, breakthrough rocket fuel for global
transformation in that humble 4-pager, if one can see through it:
http://openfarmtech.org/weblog/?p=379"
I read through the proposal and I got really, really astounded.
Marcin was absolutely right.
This is the first blueprint ever of community supported manufacturing
that I seriously encountered - and it is a bomb!
Many synapses clicked in my head. I saw the relations with
Frithjof Bergmanns New Work concept - but in an entirely
different new light - and I saw the immediate relevance
to connect with Mohammad Yunus social enterprise concept.
And I suddenly saw the possibility to solve the problem
how p2p production rises to the level of serious manufacturing
world-class products.
A social entreprise is an enterprise that works at zero profit,
re-investing possible gains or rather bringing down the market
price to the cost price. It has no profit motive, this is where
the need for a mission or task comes in to fill the void.
Such an enterprise is not a corporation, but is based on a
constitution, on democratic control of its shareholders which
equal users and stakeholders in absence of dividends on shares.
No interests or license fees to pay. With special licenses community
supported manufacturing plants could be privileged against
for-profit plants. The could keep workers rights alive AND deliver
superior products, supported by the brainpower of global developer
communities. New Work would NOT ONLY work in decentralized
production cafes, but also in large industrial plants - and the two
worlds would be intrinsically linked.
Recently I attacked frithjof for his intention to create
New Work Enterprises as a commercial venture. But here is
a valid alternative: a community share system to build
up large operations.
I began to toss the thought in my head what would be the
economic development of such a share without dividends;
that it could absorb extra savings and still provide some
economic security within the monetary system because it
could still hold some value and hence be sold on need.
A p2p stock exchange would be a living possibility. Value
would be determined by community need and identification with
the product. Stockholding could mean some privileges,
but not the dirty ones.
So I follow Marcins proposal with conviction. Here is the
direct link to the file and a then text transcript for those who
are too lazy to download it:
http://openfarmtech.org/OSE_CEB_Proposal.doc
Franz Nahrada
********************************************
CEB Open Business Plan – Community Supported Manufacturing
Joseph.dolittle gmail.com - 10.25.08 – v0.1
Abstract: Herein we provide a short overview of the Open Source Ecology
(OSE) enterprise development model and deployment plan. The plan is for
Community Supported Manufacturing (CSM) of a high performance, open
source, Compressed Earth Block (CEB) press – The Liberator – by end of
March, 2009. This is OSE's first product release. We propose an innovative
economic model, with replicability as one of its key features.
Introduction
What is our CSM model? It is a collaborative, open source, replicable,
risk-sharing model of production where:
(1) You (large amount of people or stakeholders) participate in and pay
for the development process and fabrication facility
(2) You get a product at cost
(3) We (Open Source Ecology facilities) perform the development work, up
to the building of a fabrication facility.
(4) We provide training and support for any fabricator interested in
replicating the enterprise
(5) We operate an enterprise ourselves for purposes of direct business
model testing
(6) We put all earnings into further open source research and development
Value Proposition
We are offering:
(1) a high performance CEB press (3-5 bricks per minute production)
(2) CSM production model
(3) Low cost (about $5k), or about $20k less than the competition
Goals by March, 2009
(1) Off-grid fabrication facility
(2) Robust and flexible production capacity of 4 machines per week
(3) Replicability of above
a. Documentation
i. Fabrication procedure
ii. Machine operation and construction techniques
iii. Open business model
b. Development of supporting, open source equipment
i. CEB machine itself for building the production facility
ii. Swingblade sawmill, also for facility construction
iii. Computer controlled XYZ oxy-acetylene/plasma torch table for
preparing and cutting metal
iv. Steel casting ability for structural members (if resources allow)
v. Control electronics fabrication for XYZ table (if resources allow)
Basic Program
The basic program consists of developing, testing, and neocommercializing
the following open source equipment by end of March:
1. CEB machine itself for building the production facility
2. Swing-blade sawmill, also for facility construction
3. Computer controlled XYZ oxy-acetylene/plasma torch table for preparing
and cutting metal
The budget for the basic program is on the order of $3-6k per month.
Extended Program
Progress beyond the basic program depends on the level of crowd funding
and other support received. Each month's funding cycle description will
contain a basic and accelerated funding proposition. If resources allow,
we will achieve these milestones by end of March:
4. Steel casting ability for structural members related to the CEB press
5. Metal casting for a steam engine, towards: off-grid facility electrical
power; LifeTrac power source; and Solar Turbine electrical power
6. Babington flash steam generator for steam engine as backup power
7. Control electronics fabrication capacity for XYZ torch table,
consisting of a precise, computer controlled router
8. Deployment of RepRap for mold-making, applied to metal casting
These milestones contribute to a deeper product ecology surrounding the
CEB press. The budget for the extended program is on the order of $6-9k
per month.
Product Ecology
Our present, basic product ecology - of which the CEB machine is a part –
is the following:
This package provides a large fraction of infrastructure for building
Global Villages. Indeed, it is capable of providing 100% of high quality
food, fuel, energy, and housing needs for a local population – based on
local resources. It includes a fabrication aspect – through advanced
digital fabrication techniques. Combined with plant and animal genetic
stock – the entire package is self-replicating It also has the capacity to
span just about all of physical production, as embodied in the broad
fields of agro-ecology and flexible fabrication. The relevant scale of
human organization stemming from this infrastructure is from a single
family to a large village. Implications of this package for regenerative
development and economic transformation are profound.
Certain details of this package may change. At present, OSE considers this
to be the most simple, multipurpose, robust, and ecological technology
base - which provides the largest range of services with the least amount
of tools.
Seeking Collaborators
We are looking for:
(1) Investors
(2) Funders, benefactors, and grants
(3) On-line donations
(4) On-site development and engineering support
(5) Flexible fabrication trainees to staff CEB production after March
(6) Publicity people for promoting this work
(7) Interested end-users for preorders
Basic Funding Strategy
The basic mechanism for contributing, outside of contacting the
development team (joseph.dolittle gmail.com) is a PayPal donation site,
http://openfarmtech.org/support.html. The donation page also contains
instructions for donating by mail.
We are employing a Product Release Fund. This means that full
documentation for DIY builders will be released after a quota is reached.
We are setting this quota at $20,000 – the value proposition described
above – as means to address the freeloader dilemma and as a means to
provide additional fuel to OSE research. All of this money will go to
further project development. Collection of the Product Release Fund will
begin after March. Donors who contribute $50 or more prior to April, 2009,
will receive early release documentation – full documentation that is
slated for release after production begins at OSE facilities. We feel that
anyone who is really interested in building their own machine will see
this $50 investment as well worth its cost – and the money goes toward
actual product development. Those who are interested in a turnkey machine
may purchase one from us, at an estimated price of $5k.
We also have a reward structure for Angel Investors – those people who
contribute $1000 or more to the project. These people are entitled to a
one-time $1000 discount from their cost of a CEB machine, if they decide
to purchase one from us.
Collaboration and What You Can Do
These are the general tasks that are to be performed for product release:
(1) Technical development of torch table, additional prototypes of the
Liberator, further field testing, and construction of fabrication facility
(2) Recruit fabricators-in-training for the CEB machine
(3) Continue crowd funding and resource development
(4) Recruit engineering support
(5) Publish multimedia and technical documentation
(6) Publicize this work to stakeholders
(7) Collect preorders for the CEB machine, with $2k down payment
What you can do:
(1) Circulate this proposal, blog about it, put up a funding button on
your website on our behalf
(2) Donate to this work at http://openfarmtech.org/support.html
(3) Contribute content online at
http://openfarmtech.org/index.php?title=CEB_Proposal
(4) Seek engineers, builders, and others for technical and economic review
(5) Come to Factor e Farm to do development and engineering support
(6) For students – engage in in-service learning projects at Factor e
Farm, with a recommended stay of 1 month
(7) Become a fabricator for CEB machines at Factor e Farm
(8) Contact stakeholders for donations, engineering support
(9) Help with field testing of the Liberator in another location – needs
to be in a warm climate, and must have access to earth-moving equipment
_________________________________
Web-Site: http://www.oekonux.org/
Organization: http://www.oekonux.de/projekt/
Contact: projekt oekonux.de