Everything is going to be a mistake. You fall into stuff that you weren’t looking for. Everyone’s head is full of ideas of what the lote4 is, but it’s in the things we say and do. Someone needs to make sense of what is there, reading and finding the invisible story that’s being written. Connecting the dots we sum up our thoughts. This is an experimental co-writing exercise to see how it can be done without burdening one person with telling the continuing story of how we are becoming a community, and how the different tools, technologies, projects, conversations and events help us get there.
The original document can be read here.The text did not in fact become a floating narrative, just typed up thoughts, and lots of conversation which was unrecorded.
- We need a set of baseline goals for Edgeryders.
The Grand Plan:
“Changing the way we live and work. And WHY we work.”
Narratives:
“What’s the enabler/ driver of the points/dramaturgy? Two different storytelling strands. What’s our story inwards: our story for ourselves. And what’s our story(stories) outwards: for others who don’t use any of our words, concepts or share our values.”
2. Edgeryders is ultimately a community. How does it work?
Community #1 (platform):
“I personally think the platform works well for exposing projects and ideas. It is a good broadcasting tool and information pool. However my impression is that conversations are less likely to happen, mostly driven by the same people. Also a sense of “not listening”. It may be just me. ”
“No it’s not just you: there is something about online conversation that brings out the alpha streaks in a lot of us. Its much easier to listen when you feel you have time- someone , Jeff I think said something about there not being enough time to meet and learn from everyone… ”
Community #2 (the gathering):
“At LOTE 4 For a brief moment…3 days, we discovered what it could feel like when we are in deep community. We transcended distance and fast forwarded into connections that normally take years to build. People focused on the importance of face-to-face conversations. Maybe it’s also about listening to understand vs listening to reply? This time it felt like family… “like I already knew everyone there from online meetings.” someone remarked.”
“For me it’s like time stands still at LOTE events or this one. Total calm that I speak to whomever I speak to and we just take time to really meet one another and hangout. Like when we were kids, you could just hang without a mission. We need time for this and to give ourselves space to be able to make time for this. Rita asked: why dont you just have coffee with the people around, don’t you know nothing happens before you just spend time with people? But it’s the same question as why don’t you just spend time having coffee with people and not “do anything when you are home”. What does a week without a plan feel like?”
“I was able to get some answers. It seems like a general session of people presenting what edgeryders is to them and then to let people ask questions would make the process that I went through at LOTE more accessible. I learned a lot about the economic and technical structures and history through the unconference component – in which we were able to propose sessions at the end of the weekend that addressed topics that emerged throughout the beginning of the weekend. I am not sure all people knew how to propose a session or get involved but once I did that I ended up presenting in several sessions without even planning for it.”
“LOTE was great because I felt there was exchange (listening as well as talking). And that created a basis for trust.”
“But when asked what we would take away, or change from the experience it seemed the answer was more, not less of anything.”
Community #3 (feeling):
“How can the sense of community can be preserved after the conference. Also it seems the key thing we had somehow underestimated in all the practicals is this togetherness thing. What it means and why everything is so different, better, when you are doing it with people you like.”
“Perhaps we are all a little disappointed because Utopia is so close.”
“We should identify ourselves by the way that we act not what we wear etc. We dont want to be superhumans, but a supercommunity. We’re all regular Clark Kents. Or Ubuntu. Survival of the animals with the best networks, best communication and collaborations. Strength of bonds.”
“Feeling part of a community, feeling safe and supported is an enabler for building visionary, and ambitious things together. Building deep relationships that we really can rely on versus inviting in new and more people. What are enablers? Why did having the building again feel so empowering and what enabling infrastructure do we need- physical, monetary and relational? Staying and leaving. Leadership and first follower.”
- What are the things that are missing for the functioning of the community?
Listening:
“The platform support talking but not listening.”
Time:
Listening takes time.
“Aspects and the importance of time turned out to be one of the most important lessons: our relationship to it, deliverables etc, as being a key element. We have to think about.”
“How the relationships deepen and grow in time. If you had enough time, you would spend it with your family?”
@mariabyck, @Nadia, @Bezdomny, @Dorotea, please feel free to add and edit - I basically just created a structure around the different thoughts so they make more sense.