Everyone and their granny is calling things “Labs” or “Hub” or “Workshop” or “Hackathon”. “Edgeryders Labs”, while technically correct for this format, sounds semantically tired to me.
But @Nadia is right that we need a name to denote an action-oriented, many-to-many offline conversation, that “shakes up” the normal online Edgeryders process and enriches it with new juice, new people, new relationships. So I am trying to look in new directions for metaphors and naming ideas. One, of course, is the direction of the medieval monasteries. For example, the scriptorium is the hall where monks copy manuscripts. The word comes from the Latin word for “writing”. So, scriptorium would be a place for writing together. If we can find a Latin verb that describes what we do at LOTE, we can add the suffix -ium or -eum to denote the space. Another lovely Latin word (not a verb!) is artifex, artisan or maker. Chapter 57 of the Rule is dedicated to the artifices monasterii.
A second direction is evolution. LOTEs are variability engines: they create new variants in our thinking, as we get exposed to interesting people and far-out ideas. Most new variants “die”, but some take hold and change our way of looking at the world forever. Maybe we could call it recompositorium, the place of recombining, but the Latin is a bit stretched. Evolution is itself a Latin word (it comes from the verb evolvere, that means “drag forward by rolling”), but I cannot make it into a place in a convincing way.
Actually OuiShare Labs (that got @Nadia inspired) is a group of people, a community [around open source code and sharing economy]. The event was called a Camp and treated like a camp: coliving-coworking-sharing-experience.
In a way i see it as going back to the traditional way of learning - we share a space, we “hunt” and prepare food together, and have conversations and activity sessions that bring us closer to some goal or enhance skills.
Edgeryders Village?
But a curious Latin phrase would resonate very well with unMonastery.
… recompositorium! That subject is too deep for my english, but… What about sailing? Old and new routes, journeys, a lot of needed tacks (virada en español), and, eventually, a harbor (¿harbour?) or a haven, where you rest, recompose things, a place and a time to think and recharge
Both Haven and Harbour are good, I’m drawn by the idea of a harbour, that these nomads come into moor their boats at LOTE - travellers of an open sea. Perhaps also because I was always drawn to the iconography of Lulzsec and the Lulzboat, as well as the pirates bay’s stunt for the Venice Biennale. Could we generate a narrative that makes sense around the EdgeHarbour?
Found this. Mm haven is a bit tricky, harbour will be translateable to most languages and contexts. Haven also impies somewhere where you hide. Harbour somewhere you dock, often temporarily. Let’s go with Harbour? and make the LOTE4 symbol a sailboat/ship? Ola is really great at making very very simple logos like for the unMonastery. But maybe others up for producing a Logo/ visual profile for us? I think Marc’s sister volunteered at some point to help with visuals?
If we’ve agreed, let’s put it up as a task on the list (to then also go into makerfox needs)?
Just wondering about the image of the ´boat´ for the Logo… Isn´t it a little obvious?..
Though I really haven’t a better idea to offer… It seems to make sense having the concept transformed visually onto something that would communicate also other ideas: the routes, time, evolution … ´just thinking…´
(I´ll keep this in mind. Might be offering some graphic experiences in the next days. Let´s see if I end up achieving something good enough to share.)
Latin name and a common name for terms we use like in zoology: Factore mutantem for changemaker (correct my latin, I’m making it up) and scriptura vulgata for a write-up. Hackathon is a bit tricky, though.
An unconference is a participant-driven meeting. The term “unconference” has been applied, or self-applied, to a wide range of gatherings that try to avoid one or more aspects of a conventional conference, such as fees, sponsored presentations, and top-down organization.
…then that’s probably a format already widely used. That’s not an issue in itself, except it may not reflect the depth of relationships and focus on projects and common work which people here seem to be onto… unConference is a definite part of the event format- the provisional draft programme already reflects it, but apparently we’re off to actually inventing our own format.
I remembered that alchemists used the formula solve et coaugula, dissolve and combine. Now alchemists are not exactly my heroes, but maybe we could use coaugularium, without even stretching the latin too much. Or, more simply, studium.
I like the direction here with metaphors that recognise that we have an emphasis on continuity and long running projects. The events become less isolated happenings and more points of meeting in a stream of continuously running projects, where we come together to do the parts of our ‘work’ which are best done in-person, and then disperse again back to the diverse places where we’ll continue work / exploration / development, or regroup in other places.
So this sailing metaphor idea neatly maps projects to sailing / the journey, and events to docking in a port / harbour.
Interestingly pushing the sailing metaphor to the limit reveals that the docking in the harbour is not about getting work done, it’s about refuelling, rebuilding your ship, information exchange, connection with old friends who live in that harbour and travellers who happen to be in port at the same time. The bulk of the actual work must happen ‘at sea’.
It is a nice reminder to use well each other’s time when we meet physically. “What are you doing?” “I am writing an email related to my work.” “Put it away, man, let’s go listen to the presentation instead! The real work happens at sea.”
Hey James, yes I do like the way you describe it - it´s easy 'to put in images’. :-)
Got me thinking… at the same time:
Unlike the liberating effect of wide open sea, that allows the solitary inner process of change and growing to occur - sailing - project(s).
Anchoring in a Port might also “offer up some work” when, one will meet an interesting exterior dynamically unexpected.
This might end up revealing surprisingly unimaginable routes - from those that might had been planned or foreseen before…?
Probably this words have the same latin root - In portuguese: Harbour = Porto / but also / Door = Porta.
New projects are built, other projects happen to meet closure.
I guess that depending on the scale you’re working on, the event might be a project in it self, a wide territory to explore…
Meaning I imagine there are several kinds of processes - “ to work the minds for widen openness” absorbing the peculiar character of gathering, sharing and stewardship. Could be one… I don´t know. Does this make any sense (?..) I’m thinking out loud)
(PS. I really hope I can make it to lote4, Nadia <3
Scotland is great. Starting to feel I´m living here, I’m still harbouring!
Now it’s a Season of endless days, really, really nice.)
Rita, thanks! I think they look promising, especially the first two - the latter where there are many pieces is starting to look like a labyrinth and reduce the sea effect. Love the colouring! what do others think?
