Changes between Version 1 and Version 2 of projects/techies-of-color/proposal


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Timestamp:
Oct 16, 2011, 9:12:55 PM (14 years ago)
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Jamie McClelland
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    22
    33This program provides an intense, supportive mentored training program for activists of color to become professional-level, politically progressive and movement involved technologists. At the end of a 12 month program, the trainee will be able to perform all server administration functions as well as basic code writing and other skills needed to plan, maintain and upgrade any organization or movement's technology as well as advise organizations on the selection and use of technology and software available.
     4
    45No other program of this type exists in this country.
    56
    67
    78== The Importance of the Internet ==
     9
    810The converging crises in the major capitalist economies, the precarious state of the world environment, the political crisis in government in so many of the world's countries and the usurpation of government authority by international banks and committees have brought humanity to a point of urgency and increasing certainty that something must be done to save itself.
     11
    912When all else fails, human beings come together to communicate and figure out how to survive; that is our legacy as a species. And humanity has been forging ahead in doing that with world-wide efforts like the World Social Forum and the Climate Control movement and, of course, the Internet.
     13
    1014The Internet, a community of more than 1.9 billion people world-wide, is among humanity's principle responses; it's humanity's way of facilitating the communication necessary to make all this collaboration possible.
     15
    1116At the same time, the global crisis against which we're mobilizing depletes the resources required to build gatherings of large numbers of people. They are too large to put on, too expensive to get to and not capable of broadening the number of poor people attending. If we are going to ensure the progressive movements' continued collaboration world-wide and the broadening of those movements, we are going to have to use the Internet and that is the reason why humanity invented it.
     17
    1218== The Importance of the "techie" ==
     19
    1320In that context, the role of technologists becomes critically and centrally important. Techies are the leaders of the Internet because they run its technology and lead the work on its software. In that context, progressive techies (technologists who are part of or sympathetic to the Social Justice movement) have a very special role to play:
     21
    1422 * most progressive techies' political perspective prioritizes the use of the Internet and development of its software for organizing (rather than exclusively commerce or individual, personal communications although both these functions are important and beneficial);
    1523 * their commitment to Free and Open Source Software makes them central to a struggle that is fundamental to the Internet's future;
    … …  
    1826
    1927== The Problem ==
     28
    2029There is one serious flaw in this promising picture, particularly in the United States:
     30
    2131Techies, the Internet's leaders, are mainly white men. This means that, while people of color can do a lot on the Internet, the management of the machines that serve the Internet; the creation and development of the software that runs it; and the power and ability to control and maintain the technology are usually not in the hands of people of color.
     32
    2233For the most part, progressive techies are very conscious of this and consistently lament the situation. But, up to now, not very much has been done about it.
     34
    2335The situation threatens the movement's successful use of technology in its organizing work and deepens the “digital divide” that has long plagued movement Internet use. Without people of color involved in the maintenance, planning and direction of the Internet it is impossible to provide communities of color the fullest access to this powerful tool and the huge International community that uses it.
     36
    2437== Who Does What and Why is That Important? ==
     38
    2539To characterize and understand the dimensions of the problem, we need to understand the varying levels of engagement activists have with the Internet.
    2640Most of us use the Internet and its related technologies in our work. We rely on it to function and to do what we want it to and what it says it will do. We have integrated the Internet into our political work and, to some extent, we design our political work around the Internet's capabilities -- even unconsciously -- day after day.
     41
    2742We write distributed materials and design their distribution based on our email lists. We have come to frame our ideas based on what they will look like on a website. We increasingly get our information from the Web rather than newspapers or other media. As individual activists, we have come to rely on email as our primary form of communication. Our activism is increasingly Internet-based.
     43
    2844And we rely on a few of us to administer and develop these resources and guide the rest of our movement in their use. To define those people a bit better:
    29 # Office Tech Staffers actually install and maintain websites and email programs and their work is critical to the functioning of any organization on-line. Many larger organizations have one of at least one person with these skills on staff; those who can't afford such a professional full-time have access to one or more for hourly work.
    30 # System Administrators perform several vital functions:
    31    * -- keep the servers and systems that run the web, email and other services functional;
    32    * -- install and upgrade the system software that actually runs servers
    33    * -- build servers and networks when necessary
    34 -- are there when something major breaks down; when the staff who run websites can't figure out a problem they're having; when a new server, networked computer or router must be installed, fixed or upgraded.
    35 In short, these are the people who run the system.
     45
     46'''Office Tech Staffers''' actually install and maintain websites and email programs and their work is critical to the functioning of any organization on-line. Many larger organizations have one of at least one person with these skills on staff; those who can't afford such a professional full-time have access to one or more for hourly work.
     47
     48'''System Administrators''' perform several vital functions:
     49 * keep the servers and systems that run the web, email and other services functional;
     50 * install and upgrade the system software that actually runs servers
     51 * build servers and networks when necessary
     52 * are there when something major breaks down; when the staff who run websites can't figure out a problem they're having; when a new server, networked computer or router must be installed, fixed or upgraded.  In short, these are the people who run the system.
     53
    3654What is interesting is that many people look at the Internet and, like most of us who drive cars, see only the "vehicle" that moves and gets us places. They see the websites and they work with the email and they interact with lists. And when something goes wrong, they talk to their Office Tech Staffer who then either "fixes" it or, when a more specific skill set is required, makes a phone call to some other person most of us never see or meet.
    37 # Software Developers
    38 develop software and, using many of the same skills mentioned above, they write and improve the software that is often used for organizing tasks on the Internet. In addition, they lead discussions of the user communities that guide and drive improvements to that software. Over the next two or three years, we expect this large community to:
    39 Develop “alternative” Social Networking software that is free of corporate control and safe and secure
    40 Redefine rapid on-line communication to supplement email and to widen the kinds of material that can be emailed and make that process much faster
    41 Massify the connection between the Internet and hand-held devices like cell phone
    42 Popularize, improve and simplify database information systems that can include many more capabilities than that currently available
    43 Massify the alternative audio and video distribution systems (including radio and tv) to make them completely accessible to communities through the country
    44 Build alternative, shared information storage and distribution systems based on home or office plug-in servers that will revolutionize information sharing, security and storage.
     55
     56'''Software Developers''' develop software and, using many of the same skills mentioned above, they write and improve the software that is often used for organizing tasks on the Internet. In addition, they lead discussions of the user communities that guide and drive improvements to that software. Over the next two or three years, we expect this large community to:
     57 * Develop “alternative” Social Networking software that is free of corporate control and safe and secure
     58 * Redefine rapid on-line communication to supplement email and to widen the kinds of material that can be emailed and make that process much faster
     59 * Massify the connection between the Internet and hand-held devices like cell phone
     60 * Popularize, improve and simplify database information systems that can include many more capabilities than that currently available
     61 * Massify the alternative audio and video distribution systems (including radio and tv) to make them completely accessible to communities through the country
     62 * Build alternative, shared information storage and distribution systems based on home or office plug-in servers that will revolutionize information sharing, security and storage.
     63
    4564The developments are imminent. They are being worked on currently. As they progress, they will fundamentally change the Internet, the way we use it and the number of people who will use it.
     65
    4666Those who develop these software projects will be effectively leading the design of human communications in this country and world-wide for the next decade.
    4767
    4868All of these roles are played by a "techie".
     69
    4970Techies run systems, develop software, make major decisions about how we are going to use the Internet and what tools we will need. Unquestionably the final decision on Internet issues is still in the hands of very large and powerful corporations but the day to day, month to month decisions about what happens on the Internet are in the hands of techies. They run the Internet in a very practical sense. They can close it to people or open it up to the world. They determine how it will be used and how it will develop. They are the Internet's day to day leadership.
     71
    5072== Empowering Ourselves Through the Techie ==
     73
    5174The importance of the Techie of Color is underscored by a summary of the distinctions present in organizing communities of color.
    5275
    5376This area of organizing:
    54 * is aimed at a population with particular, culturally and historically driven approaches to information, how to get it and how to share it
    55 * demands that organizers respect, work with and incorporate the myriad organizations who have been doing work in these communities for decades
    56 * must respect and encompass the cultures, work styles and communication  styles prevalent in these communities.
    57 * must confront unique and often excruciating forms of oppression and isolation that other communities might not be completely familiar with.
     77
     78 * is aimed at a population with particular, culturally and historically driven approaches to information, how to get it and how to share it
     79 * demands that organizers respect, work with and incorporate the myriad organizations who have been doing work in these communities for decades
     80 * must respect and encompass the cultures, work styles and communication  styles prevalent in these communities.
     81 * must confront unique and often excruciating forms of oppression and isolation that other communities might not be completely familiar with.
     82
    5883And so, if technology is to be effectively used in these communities, people from these communities must participate in its development and implementation.
    5984The absence of people of color in these ranks is both disempowering and, ultimately, destructive to the entire Social Justice movement.
    60 1 -- This lack of representation is actually a lack of empowerment. The important contributions people of color make in combating racism, raising issues that are hidden by color, diversifying the "recipient" population and so much else simply doesn't "get" to the Internet's techies and users as it could and should. Too often, the movement's functioning on the Internet represents the recolonization of people of color.
    61 2 -- Software development is never geared to people of color. Since techies do the software development, that software frequently falls short of incorporating the true needs, culture, generalized perceptions and stages of development that exist within communities of color. This is true at the planning stages up to the testing stages in which people of color are seldom involved.
     85
     86''This lack of representation is actually a lack of empowerment.'' The important contributions people of color make in combating racism, raising issues that are hidden by color, diversifying the "recipient" population and so much else simply doesn't "get" to the Internet's techies and users as it could and should. Too often, the movement's functioning on the Internet represents the recolonization of people of color.
     87
     88''Software development is never geared to people of color.'' Since techies do the software development, that software frequently falls short of incorporating the true needs, culture, generalized perceptions and stages of development that exist within communities of color. This is true at the planning stages up to the testing stages in which people of color are seldom involved.
     89
    6290The amount of money, time and energy wasted or misdirected by this situation is inestimable. It's impossible to estimate the investment made by organizations of color into proprietary software running servers, the money poured into the wide array of Windows software, and the dependence on proprietary software like Google's array of aps and social networking software like Facebook.
     91
    6392We have recently seen Google's strategic orientation in the deal it has made with Verizon to develop "access tiers" on the Internet which would virtually destroy the Internet as originally conceived. And the social networking tools, which stress one to one communication comprised of a few words, are actually contradictory with real organizing and movement building.
     93
    6494In truth, the progressive techie community has made many efforts to develop free and politically productive alternatives to these software packages but those efforts have not yielded usable programs in part because the progressive movement doesn't see the need and doesn't give this effort much support. This problem is particularly difficult for people of color; while people from all communities use Google aps and Facebook, young people from communities of color depend on it.
     95
    6596And this trend continues with specific need situations.
    66 For example, a simple attempt to acquire census data on specific areas of the country on-line -- a
    67 need many organizations now have -- can cost a small fortune: often in the tens of thousands of dollars. That is a server-based software solution that could be developed by technologists and be offered to organizations for free if the interest were there.
    68 3 -- Far too little effort is made among techies in this country to combat technology barriers that keep people of color off-line, a situation that would definitely improve if there were more techies of color. 
    69 While it is true that many young people of color now use the Internet in this country, that use has not crossed generational lines as it has with the majority communities. And that community of "young users" is constrained to very limited use patterns: mainly the kind of social networking software that,
    70 as we said above, allows for one to one communications but makes organizing very difficult.
     97
     98For example, a simple attempt to acquire census data on specific areas of the country on-line -- a need many organizations now have -- can cost a small fortune: often in the tens of thousands of dollars. That is a server-based software solution that could be developed by technologists and be offered to organizations for free if the interest were there.
     99
     100''Far too little effort is made among techies in this country to combat technology barriers that keep people of color off-line,'' a situation that would definitely improve if there were more techies of color. 
     101
     102While it is true that many young people of color now use the Internet in this country, that use has not crossed generational lines as it has with the majority communities. And that community of "young users" is constrained to very limited use patterns: mainly the kind of social networking software that, as we said above, allows for one to one communications but makes organizing very difficult.
     103
    71104There is very little software development that would facilitate organization among people of color and that's because people of color are not doing software development.
    72 4 -- The Internet is, of course, a world phenomenon and one of its greatest contributions is uniting the world through its communication. The necessary and politically powerful collaborations among techies from various countries and parts of the world are crippled by the lack of background diversity among US- based techies. It's difficult to truly develop a collaboration when the US techies are all white and not reflective of the entire US culture.
     105
     106''The Internet is, of course, a world phenomenon and one of its greatest contributions is uniting the world through its communication.'' The necessary and politically powerful collaborations among techies from various countries and parts of the world are crippled by the lack of background diversity among US- based techies. It's difficult to truly develop a collaboration when the US techies are all white and not reflective of the entire US culture.
     107
    73108Our program is designed to attack this problem head-on: by increasing the number of top-tier, front-lines techies.
    74109
    75110== The Skills We Seek to Distribute ==
     111
    76112We want to train activists of color and make them techies by providing them the following skills as outlined in this graphic.
    77113As the above graphic shows, the program would provide full training in three areas:
    78114
    79115Server Administration:
    80 Server Operating System Maintenance
    81 Web Server Installation, Updating and Maintenance
    82 Email Program Maintenance Along with Anti-Spam and Security Software
     116        * Server Operating System Maintenance
     117        * Web Server Installation, Updating and Maintenance
     118        * Email Program Maintenance Along with Anti-Spam and Security Software
    83119
    84120Software Development and Use:
    85 Configure and maintain basic software packages include Content Management Systems like Drupal and WorkPress, Database Systems, and Network Communications systems
    86 Manage and configure Mail List and Email services
    87 Write and code basic programs to respond to essential organizational needs
     121        * Configure and maintain basic software packages include Content Management Systems like Drupal and WorkPress, Database Systems, and Network Communications systems
     122        * Manage and configure Mail List and Email services
     123        * Write and code basic programs to respond to essential organizational needs
    88124
    89125Capacity Development:
    90 Help Define Technology and Software needs
    91 Write Tech Use plans for organizations
    92 Assist in getting Technology to influence organizing
     126        * Help Define Technology and Software needs
     127        * Write Tech Use plans for organizations
     128        * Assist in getting Technology to influence organizing
    93129
    94130But each of these areas also fertilizes others. For example, server administration skills greatly enhance capacity building because the admin has the most global understanding of what is possible, what is extensible and what is needed for each task. Software Development and Use clearly feeds Capacity by creating the tools that are need to building an organization's capabilities.
     131
    95132What is important to understand is that, for the most part, people of color are only involved in the Capacity Development area and, because they are not involved heavily in the other two areas, they  either operate at less efficiency or, in many cases, not at all.
     133
    96134== What Do We Do? ==
     135
    97136This program's primary goal is to train a group of people of color to become proficient techies with skills in server administration, web and email administration and trouble-shooting and basic software development including the ability to construct basic scripts in Drupal and similar content management systems.
     137
    98138After a one year program of intense on the job training with constant support from a fully qualified "mentor", the trainee will be proficient enough to actually run Linux servers, perform installations, diagnostics and upgrades, maintain the server system and  provide all the capabilities and services described above.
     139
    99140The trainee will also have benefited from a full year of intense discussion and reflection on the political significance of his/her work, the issues a progressive techie confronts and the problem of relating to other activists and how to deal with those problems.
    100 The goal is to recruit 10 to 12 techie trainees and 5 or 6 techie mentors. Each
    101  mentor will be assigned two techie trainees.
    102141
    103 The trainees are people of color activists currently working for a grass
    104  roots organization in some tech capacity. The mentors are fully-trained,
    105  practicing server administrators/technologists.
    106 That mentor will be the techie's support person and trainer, guiding
    107  the techie through the training program while providing the trainee full
    108  technical support and assistance.
     142The goal is to recruit 10 to 12 techie trainees and 5 or 6 techie mentors. Each mentor will be assigned two techie trainees.
    109143
    110 While the overall focus of the training is pre-determined, the mentors and trainees will together determine the curriculum
    111  and focus in an initial convergence meeting and series of phone and email consultations.
     144The trainees are people of color activists currently working for a grass roots organization in some tech capacity. The mentors are fully-trained, practicing server administrators/technologists.
     145
     146That mentor will be the techie's support person and trainer, guiding the techie through the training program while providing the trainee full technical support and assistance.
     147
     148While the overall focus of the training is pre-determined, the mentors and trainees will together determine the curriculum and focus in an initial convergence meeting and series of phone and email consultations.
    112149
    113150= Schedule =
    … …  
    115152The program begins with an in-person prep training that will cover:
    116153
    117  * a workshop on racism designed to make the mentor more sensitive to
    118  and conscious of racism as an obstacle in political and technology
    119  work.
    120 
    121  * a linux install fest in which trainees will receive netbooks on which
    122  they will install linux. The netbooks will serve as their primary
    123  console for conducting the work of the year. We hope to have several
    124 (if not all) of the mentors there.
    125 
     154 * a workshop on racism designed to make the mentor more sensitive to and conscious of racism as an obstacle in political and technology work.
     155 * a linux install fest in which trainees will receive netbooks on which they will install linux. The netbooks will serve as their primary console for conducting the work of the year. We hope to have several (if not all) of the mentors there.
    126156 * assigning mentors to trainees
    127 
    128157 * developing both group and individual curriculum and benchmarks
    129158 * establishing both group and individual methods of communication
    130159
    131 The initial prep training is designed to begin easing people into what
    132  will be a very new environment for both mentor and trainee.
     160The initial prep training is designed to begin easing people into what will be a very new environment for both mentor and trainee.
    133161
    134 The mentor will have the new experience of confronting racism in a
    135  highly supportive environment which treats the racism, not as a kind of
    136  white person's "original sin" but as a social problem affecting all
    137  people that must be challenged in ways that are specific and relevant to
    138  groups of people.
     162The mentor will have the new experience of confronting racism in a highly supportive environment which treats the racism, not as a kind of white person's "original sin" but as a social problem affecting all people that must be challenged in ways that are specific and relevant to groups of people.
    139163
    140 The trainee will confront a new experience akin to building a car motor.
    141  For the first time, this person will actually install, configure and
    142  come to understand the operating system that dictates much of his or her
    143  communications.
     164The trainee will confront a new experience akin to building a car motor.  For the first time, this person will actually install, configure and come to understand the operating system that dictates much of his or her communications. 
    144165
    145 As the year goes on, the trainee works toward specific benchmarks:
    146  defined by specific developmental tasks as well as interactions with the
    147  staff or constituency of the organization sponsoring the server.
     166As the year goes on, the trainee works toward specific benchmarks: defined by specific developmental tasks as well as interactions with the staff or constituency of the organization sponsoring the server.
    148167
    149 Three additional times over the course of the year, all trainees meet in
    150  a convergence with the mentors to discuss the ongoing training program.
    151  These gatherings are designed to take up global issues (like race
    152  patterns within technology and its flowing relationships), new
    153  technologies, major technology developments people should know about and
    154  over-all program issues. They are mandatory and a critical part of the
    155  program.
     168Three additional times over the course of the year, all trainees meet in a convergence with the mentors to discuss the ongoing training program.  These gatherings are designed to take up global issues (like race patterns within technology and its flowing relationships), new technologies, major technology developments people should know about and over-all program issues. They are mandatory and a critical part of the program.
    156169
    157 Upon completion of the training, the trainee is a techie. They will be
    158  incorporated into all MF/PL techie groups and lists, supported by MF/PL
    159  with any possible work available and, through the MF/PL network, will
    160  make relationships with all kinds of technologists from which the
    161  individual techie and his/her organization will benefit.
     170Upon completion of the training, the trainee is a techie. They will be incorporated into all MF/PL techie groups and lists, supported by MF/PL with any possible work available and, through the MF/PL network, will make relationships with all kinds of technologists from which the individual techie and his/her organization will benefit.
     171
    162172== Program Specifics: ==
    163 1 -- A call is issued to many organizations of color seeking applicants. 
    164 2 -- Applicants are selected by a team from the sponsoring organizations. 
    165 3 -- Interviews are conducted with each selected applicant and then applicants are assigned their curriculum based on their skills and needs and assigned a mentor.
    166 The work curriculum would usually include:
    167 a -- building a server, prepping it and maintaining it either for the techie's organization, some organization identified by the techie's organization or May First/People Link. The techie would then maintain the server.
    168 b -- developing website capabilities, email systems and mail list systems on that server and maintaining them
    169 c -- developing a technical support system for that organization
     173
     174 1. A call is issued to many organizations of color seeking applicants. 
     175 1. Applicants are selected by a team from the sponsoring organizations. 
     176 1. Interviews are conducted with each selected applicant and then applicants are assigned their curriculum based on their skills and needs and assigned a mentor.  The work curriculum would usually include:
     177  * building a server, prepping it and maintaining it either for the techie's organization, some organization identified by the techie's organization or May First/People Link. The techie would then maintain the server.
     178  * developing website capabilities, email systems and mail list systems on that server and maintaining them
     179  * developing a technical support system for that organization
     180
    170181These areas of proficiency will make this person a qualified server administrator.
    171182
     183== Mentor Role ==
    172184
     185The mentor is the living response to a call being made by many activists, particularly within the Climate Control movement, to "take responsibility and give back". Progressive white techies know they have been privileged over activists of color and, for the most part, want to respond by turning that around.
    173186
    174 == Mentor Role ==
    175 The mentor is the living response to a call being made by many activists, particularly within the Climate Control movement, to "take responsibility and give back". Progressive white techies know they have been privileged over activists of color and, for the most part, want to respond by turning that around.
    176187The mentor's role is to guide the mentee through the curriculum, provide all technical support and question answering needed, share all skills necessary and provide the opportunity for discussion of the social and political context for this work.
     188
    177189The course would be mentored by the MF/PL technologist who will meet with the techie at least once a week, answer any phone calls the mentee might make with questions, and conduct email communications on any and all topics related.
     190
    178191Every two months, mentees will gather in a location (probably two locations in the country) for a two day "seminar" with one of the program leaders about what they are learning, how the course is going, what could be changed, what kinds of political developments are taking place that affect their movements, etc.
    179192The program will award certificates of proficiency to all who finish it. We believe this process will take 12 months in most cases although it is possible that a trainee could finish the course in a year.