Changes between Version 1 and Version 2 of ussf_book_chapter
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- Sep 19, 2008, 4:01:10 AM (16 years ago)
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ussf_book_chapter
v1 v2 1 1 2 "...to get folks to think about technologists as a part of the movement and not a means to an end." 2 3 3 "...to get folks to think about technologists as a part of the movement and not a means to an end." 4 5 Josue Guillen (The Praxis Project) Co-Chair, Communications Working Group 4 --Josue Guillen (The Praxis Project) Co-Chair, Communications Working Group 6 5 7 6 An event as remarkable, unprecedented and complex as the US Social Forum was sure to present enormous opportunities and daunting challenges for all its organizers and participants. … … 9 8 We at May First/People Link knew that from the start. And as technology organizers, we knew that the USSF would inherit both the already complex and nuanced relationship our movements in this country have with technology and the dependence on technology that the Social Forum movement has had world-wide. 10 9 11 As Director of the Brecht Forum Liz Mestres (who's been to other Social Forums, including the first in Brazil) put it: "Th Social Forums could not have happened without the Internet and the technology. It would have been impossible."10 As Director of the Brecht Forum Liz Mestres (who's been to other Social Forums, including the first in Brazil) put it: "The Social Forums could not have happened without the Internet and the technology. It would have been impossible." 12 11 13 12 In fact, in an important way, the Social Forum movement and the Internet are the same development. Battered by decades of social, political and economic dysfunction and repressed in our attempts to carve out an antidote (often by ineffective or unwilling governments), humanity now returns to its roots. We are doing what we have always done since our inception as a species and doing what makes us distinct and successful: reaching out and collaborating. … … 21 20 And it has changed our lives and it is impossible for us to return to the way things were before it. 22 21 23 We are, all of us, part of a huge movement thrusting forward into this "other world" the Social Forum talks about and trying, clumsily, chaotically and inconsitently, to do it together as a world. The Internet is, among so much else, clear proof that "another world is possible ".22 We are, all of us, part of a huge movement thrusting forward into this "other world" the Social Forum talks about and trying, clumsily, chaotically and inconsitently, to do it together as a world. The Internet is, among so much else, clear proof that "another world is possible." 24 23 25 24 So it's easy to understand the immediate relationship between the USSF and technology: from the very start, USSF organizing relied on the now accepted protocols like email and mail lists and websites. The reliance on those tools to reach out, announce intentions and begin planning was automatic; at this point in our history, our use of these things isn't a choice, it's an automatic response. … … 33 32 While it was clear to us that technology would be critical to this event and would help define its character and democracy, the leadership had given precious little attention to this area of the forum. Given the fact that much of our movement views technology as not much more than a useful tool and views techies as mere mechanics, that didn't surprise us. But it was grounds for concern. 34 33 35 There was a vacuum and we wanted to address that problem in the best way politically. Communications Committee Chair Josue Guillen puts it best: "We didn't move to fill the vacuum; we organized into it ".34 There was a vacuum and we wanted to address that problem in the best way politically. Communications Committee Chair Josue Guillen puts it best: "We didn't move to fill the vacuum; we organized into it." 36 35 37 36 Once the commitment was made, the challenge was clearly defined: how do you organize the technology of a Social Forum? … … 39 38 Organizing the Tech Team 40 39 41 "It was an amazing experience, actually. It was totally collaborative, I learned a lot, and helped others learn. It was a bit high pressure at times, but that was actually a good thing - it really fostered and fueled that collaboration."40 "It was an amazing experience, actually. It was totally collaborative, I learned a lot, and helped others learn. It was a bit high pressure at times, but that was actually a good thing - it really fostered and fueled that collaboration." 42 41 43 Michelle Murain42 --Michelle Murain 44 43 45 44 There are progressive technologists all over this country. They work individually or in small collectives, often isolated from each other and always grappling with the problem of how to provide our movements with the technology they need to do their work. … … 123 122 A couple of days before the Forum was to launch, we noticed that the website had slowed down appreciably under pre-event registration and began a discussion of what that meant. This site would crash under the load it was about to take on. 124 123 125 Our tech team worked all night right before the Forum to split the database portion of the Drupal installation from the site itself: a solution that returned the site to pea ck performance. There was no recurrence of the latency throughout the Forum.124 Our tech team worked all night right before the Forum to split the database portion of the Drupal installation from the site itself: a solution that returned the site to peak performance. There was no recurrence of the latency throughout the Forum. 126 125 127 126 If I'm an indicator, we thought our problems were over although we were conscious that nightmares could arise. We had no idea that our worst one was about to occur. … … 169 168 This was no small task because our movements' culture in this country continues to rely on the face to face work that has been the mainstay of organizing for this country's entire history. In that culture, it's easy to view the Internet as just another tool and to take it for granted. Nobody who worked on the United States Social Forum will even take it for granted again. 170 169 171 Says Daniel Kahn Gilmor: "Initially, the leadership seemed to want a typical "contractor" relationship to the tech -- the tech team saw it as more of an mutual organization activity. Since the whole theory of the forum was "another world is possible ",i was pleased that the leadership seemed to mostly come around to seeing the merits of approaching tech work like they'd approach any other communication opportunity.170 Says Daniel Kahn Gilmor: "Initially, the leadership seemed to want a typical "contractor" relationship to the tech -- the tech team saw it as more of an mutual organization activity. Since the whole theory of the forum was "another world is possible," i was pleased that the leadership seemed to mostly come around to seeing the merits of approaching tech work like they'd approach any other communication opportunity. 172 171 173 172 "I felt that by the forum itself, the tech team got good respect from leadership and other forum participants, in spite of the tension and stress inherent in the process."
