Sam Osborne's Posts - Urgent Evoke2024-03-29T09:08:59ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsbornehttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2209246930?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://www.urgentevoke.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=14kdo75p6jscx&xn_auth=noTornado!tag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-05-12:4871302:BlogPost:1471152010-05-12T01:03:27.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
I'm in Wisconsin, USA. We get some tornadoes here, not as bad as some further south, but a few every year. Sever weather could be tracked and tweeted, collected, disseminated and stored.<div><br/></div>
<div>We also get a reasonable amount of flooding, which could be dealt with similarly.</div>
I'm in Wisconsin, USA. We get some tornadoes here, not as bad as some further south, but a few every year. Sever weather could be tracked and tweeted, collected, disseminated and stored.<div><br/></div>
<div>We also get a reasonable amount of flooding, which could be dealt with similarly.</div>Currency around the housetag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-20:4871302:BlogPost:974062010-04-20T04:37:35.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
My fiancee and I are trying out an alternative currency to keep track of our chores and divide the labor. At the end of the week we can 'bank' our notes or 'buy' them out of the system with US dollars so we don't have deal with inflation. The money has to first buy supplies, so basically if you don't supply a good or a service (working around the house, dinner, dishes, etc.) you'll wind up buying the cleaning supplies and possibly paying the other person (a pittance, it's mostly a symbolic…
My fiancee and I are trying out an alternative currency to keep track of our chores and divide the labor. At the end of the week we can 'bank' our notes or 'buy' them out of the system with US dollars so we don't have deal with inflation. The money has to first buy supplies, so basically if you don't supply a good or a service (working around the house, dinner, dishes, etc.) you'll wind up buying the cleaning supplies and possibly paying the other person (a pittance, it's mostly a symbolic gesture). The monies can also be used for non-chore interpersonal demands (mostly foot and back rubs). There's no coercion, we made a "requested services" list around the house and set a price for basic chores - to be done at our leisure, but have to get done. Whoever doesn't do the chore, pays for it to be done."The End of Money...tag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-18:4871302:BlogPost:957302010-04-18T04:12:58.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
<a href="http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/the_end_of_money_and_the_future_of_civilization/">...and the Future of Civilization</a>", by Thomas Greco, Jr. is a fantastic book. Within its 200 some pages you'll find both the problems to our modern money system and Greco's proposed solution(s) which is primarily the idea of mutual credit, or credit clearing - where we generate the money in the system with the goods and services that we provide to the system, and investment occurs as a…
<a href="http://www.chelseagreen.com/bookstore/item/the_end_of_money_and_the_future_of_civilization/">...and the Future of Civilization</a>", by Thomas Greco, Jr. is a fantastic book. Within its 200 some pages you'll find both the problems to our modern money system and Greco's proposed solution(s) which is primarily the idea of mutual credit, or credit clearing - where we generate the money in the system with the goods and services that we provide to the system, and investment occurs as a separate engine from the normal exchange of goods.<div><br/></div>
<div>I really enjoyed the <a href="http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/02/ff_futureofmoney/all/1">wired</a> article, and I wonder what role paypal really could play in something like Greco Jr.'s mutual credit/credit clearing system.</div>2020: Water awareness daytag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-18:4871302:BlogPost:957062010-04-18T03:34:28.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
World water day 2020 celebrates the third anniversary of the entire world having access to clean water. Melting polar ice has led to higher sea levels, but this has offset the slowly increasing levels of salt from desalinization plants around the globe. Utilizing an efficient black water purification system, grey water irrigation, natural filtration, widespread distillation technology and solar purification coupled with a widespread water awareness and conservation ideology - less is…
World water day 2020 celebrates the third anniversary of the entire world having access to clean water. Melting polar ice has led to higher sea levels, but this has offset the slowly increasing levels of salt from desalinization plants around the globe. Utilizing an efficient black water purification system, grey water irrigation, natural filtration, widespread distillation technology and solar purification coupled with a widespread water awareness and conservation ideology - less is more.<div><br/></div>
<div>World water day 2020 celebrates not water, but alternatives to water - better ways to do the things we might not have to use water for. Using heat and sand, saltwater (as well as saline leftovers from desalinization) and other abundant resources to fill in for some ways we use freshwater now, including sanitation.</div>
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<div>World water day 2020 is an exposition, a worldwide event showcasing functional technologies for the modern home that free up your fair share of water for drinking and sharing with anyone who needs it. Stories from around the globe will be told of the three years since clean water reached the entirety of human society. A history of water exhibit will show off interpretations of water and water symbolism through a plethora of media; from the ancient to the modern.</div>
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<div>There will be workshops and conferences at all levels, a place for networks to meet face to face, planning and brainstorming the continuing problems of managing the planet's resources as populations continue to rise, along with temperatures and ocean levels.</div>
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<div>Coping with the long term effects of rising carbon dioxide levels - World Water Day 2020 is about looking to the future and finding answers.</div>http://www.cityofmadison.com/water/documents/EBMUDwatersmartguidebook.pdfnot exactly what I'm looking for with my ACT4 tag, but some really useful information for everyone, not just businesses, thoug…tag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-16:4871302:BlogPost:942142010-04-16T07:16:54.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
<a href="http://www.cityofmadison.com/water/documents/EBMUDwatersmartguidebook.pdf">http://www.cityofmadison.com/water/documents/EBMUDwatersmartguidebook.pdf</a><div>not exactly what I'm looking for with my ACT4 tag, but some really useful information for everyone, not just businesses, though it's definitely geared towards industry. Searchable tags make it pretty easy to maneuver through it's incredible length.</div>
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<div>إن شاء الله I'll be back with plenty more later...…</div>
<a href="http://www.cityofmadison.com/water/documents/EBMUDwatersmartguidebook.pdf">http://www.cityofmadison.com/water/documents/EBMUDwatersmartguidebook.pdf</a><div>not exactly what I'm looking for with my ACT4 tag, but some really useful information for everyone, not just businesses, though it's definitely geared towards industry. Searchable tags make it pretty easy to maneuver through it's incredible length.</div>
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<div>إن شاء الله I'll be back with plenty more later... hopefully a video of something I did.</div>underground irrigation takes salinization off list of agricultural problemstag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-16:4871302:BlogPost:941752010-04-16T06:31:07.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
<a href="http://launch.org/presentations/view/5/subsurface-vapor-transfer-irrigation">http://launch.org/presentations/view/5/subsurface-vapor-transfer-irrigation</a><div><br/></div>
<div>I'm real curious what happens with the leftovers that have to be flushed out, but this seems like a real possible solution when it comes to agricultural water usage and world fresh water needs - also, perhaps this is something that could be refined and utilized in dozens of other ways.</div>
<a href="http://launch.org/presentations/view/5/subsurface-vapor-transfer-irrigation">http://launch.org/presentations/view/5/subsurface-vapor-transfer-irrigation</a><div><br/></div>
<div>I'm real curious what happens with the leftovers that have to be flushed out, but this seems like a real possible solution when it comes to agricultural water usage and world fresh water needs - also, perhaps this is something that could be refined and utilized in dozens of other ways.</div>2020: headquarters inauguration banquettag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-16:4871302:BlogPost:941732010-04-16T06:16:08.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
It's all falling into place.<div><br></br></div>
<div>I'm in a building that is growing enough food to care for all of the residents, a sort of communal, company working space atop a tower of private housing for employees, families and really anyone willing to participate. Fortunately close to a large, flowing body of water, what was a simple sewage system a decade ago has now been turned into an elaborate heating, cooling and power generating system - used, pressurized water and sewage, repurposed…</div>
It's all falling into place.<div><br/></div>
<div>I'm in a building that is growing enough food to care for all of the residents, a sort of communal, company working space atop a tower of private housing for employees, families and really anyone willing to participate. Fortunately close to a large, flowing body of water, what was a simple sewage system a decade ago has now been turned into an elaborate heating, cooling and power generating system - used, pressurized water and sewage, repurposed and purified - which also supplies the building's irrigation needs. The people who live and work here are my peers, friends and co-cause-rs, we believe in creating a world in harmony with itself. We believe in applying "religious" values like community participation, social obligation, modesty and moderation, stewardship of the sacred world we inhabit, which includes acting out of love for our fellow human beings, without all the dogmatic pressure that seems to dominate the religio-scape.</div>
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<div>The cooperative NGO that we've networked together promotes pluralism and community building in our human interaction, through shared space and open communication on all relevant (as determined by the participants) topics without punitive retaliation; harmony with the environment in our production and habitats by utilizing methods that mimic, cooperate with and perhaps even improve upon natural systems for same (the -1 footprint, where everything we do improves where we are); and, an emphasis on quality over quantity, a less is more philosophy regarding technology and it's impact on our lives (avoiding the hype, while focusing on the functional).</div>
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<div>Proper building positioning in terms of the sun's path across the heavens allows for diffuse but bright lighting during "working hours." Energy needs are met by a combination of the pressurized grey-water system and the hydrogen fuel cell refuse management system, as well as solar panels (primarily associated with supplemental lighting), micro-wind rigs and a back-up, biomass fueled generator.</div>
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<div>Tonight, we're dining on a meal grown completely in house, except for the goat which was traded for in labor from a local farmer. We "updated" some of his irrigation and electricity needs; by increasing the efficiency of late 20th century farming techniques and electrical needs, and opting away from becoming overly specialized, more food can be grown using fewer natural resources - the surplus of which is not considered profit and can instead be reinvested in the entire community. A bonus to those who bear the burden of the big decisions, instead of those that make them.</div>
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<div>The real power of the future lies in international networking between peers of all levels of expertise in every possible field.</div>power your Evokation sustainably!tag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-16:4871302:BlogPost:941482010-04-16T04:30:00.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
<div>I decided that I wanted to make my Evoke playing sustainable by powering the ways that I play it with clean energy. For me this means I've got to get enough power to run my router/cable connection (and preferably recharge my laptop overnight) and also get my laptop and cellphone charging up, off the grid.</div>
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<div>My first choice is to set up a micro-wind generator, and hardwire it directly to an outlet for my router/computer charger. I actually have a fairly local…</div>
<div>I decided that I wanted to make my Evoke playing sustainable by powering the ways that I play it with clean energy. For me this means I've got to get enough power to run my router/cable connection (and preferably recharge my laptop overnight) and also get my laptop and cellphone charging up, off the grid.</div>
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<div>My first choice is to set up a micro-wind generator, and hardwire it directly to an outlet for my router/computer charger. I actually have a fairly local option and a decent amount of wind along my south facing wall. I'm looking into this:</div>
<div><a href="http://www.securewindenergy.com/micro-wind-turbines.php">http://www.securewindenergy.com/micro-wind-turbines.php</a></div>
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<div>As an alternative, or another more portable means, I want to look into designing a solar panel and battery rig. I found this pre-made model, but it's costly. If the field test is to be believed it might even work during the summer months and I haven't been able to cost out the DIY version of same, let alone even see if it's something I'm capable of.</div>
<a href="http://www.earthtechproducts.com/solargorilla-powergorilla-combo-kit.html">http://www.earthtechproducts.com/solargorilla-powergorilla-combo-kit.html</a><div><br/></div>
<div>Also, a bike charger for phone/ipod/possibly computer. I hope to do some tinkering this weekend. As is normally the case, somebody had already done it (Mark Hoekstra, RIP):</div>
<div><a href="http://geektechnique.org/projectlab/511">http://geektechnique.org/projectlab/511</a></div>
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<div>I can't do much about how my ISP does their business, I tried to ask them a <a href="http://ask.charter.com/index.jsp?interfaceID=1&requestType=NormalRequest&source=1&question=what%20does%20charter%20do%20to%20keep%20their%20environmental%20impact%20low?">question</a> but it didn't work. I did write them a <a href="http://theworldatmyfeetmyheadintheclouds.blogspot.com/2010/04/letter-to-my-cable-company-about.html">letter</a> asking them what they're doing to make their infrastructure and fleet of vehicles sustainable and friendly to both the environment and their customers futures, but I haven't heard back - and they don't make it easy to contact them.</div>
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<div><br/></div>d.light -edtag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-14:4871302:BlogPost:919812010-04-14T04:34:46.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
<a href="http://www.dlightdesign.com/about_leadership.php">http://www.dlightdesign.com/about_leadership.php</a><div><br></br></div>
<div>from their "Our Capabilities" page:</div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(95, 95, 97); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"At D.light, we use the best design principles - usually reserved for the 10 percent wealthiest - and apply them to meet the needs of households without…</span></span></div>
<a href="http://www.dlightdesign.com/about_leadership.php">http://www.dlightdesign.com/about_leadership.php</a><div><br/></div>
<div>from their "Our Capabilities" page:</div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(95, 95, 97); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"At D.light, we use the best design principles - usually reserved for the 10 percent wealthiest - and apply them to meet the needs of households without access to reliable electricity. We have a team of engineers, industrial designers and human factors specialists who specialize in developing high quality energy solutions for extreme affordability. We are continually expanding our product lines to provide comprehensive consumer product solutions. We design all our products with great care, providing designs that are relevant for different cultures and environments."</span></span></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#5F5F61" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br/></span></font></div>
<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#5F5F61" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">found this on the third or fourth page googling off the prompts.</span></font></div>
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<div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#5F5F61" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">their products are also available on amazon.com</span></font></div>March 10, 2020 - dinner from local gardenstag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-13:4871302:BlogPost:910072010-04-13T05:33:44.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
Whether it's from mine, or if I'm on the road staying with peers and friends, March 10, 2020 I'll be dining on food that is grown in the region I'm in. I hope to be bouncing around the world by then, so I couldn't say for sure where, but I believe that urban agriculture is the future, and that the open exchange of the produce will produce strong communities - I hope to be having dinner in one of those.
Whether it's from mine, or if I'm on the road staying with peers and friends, March 10, 2020 I'll be dining on food that is grown in the region I'm in. I hope to be bouncing around the world by then, so I couldn't say for sure where, but I believe that urban agriculture is the future, and that the open exchange of the produce will produce strong communities - I hope to be having dinner in one of those.Madison, Wisconsin let's get agricultural!tag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-13:4871302:BlogPost:909972010-04-13T05:23:13.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
This was intense. I started with bewilderment - it seemed like there were so many possibilities, though nothing specific leapt straight to mind for me.<div><br></br></div>
<div>I did a google search for urban agriculture madison, and started with the <a href="http://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/blog/index.cfm?Id=177">letter from the mayor's office.</a> From there I found out about the Congress for the New Urbanism, and though I don't have the cashola to join there cause, I made a login for the…</div>
This was intense. I started with bewilderment - it seemed like there were so many possibilities, though nothing specific leapt straight to mind for me.<div><br/></div>
<div>I did a google search for urban agriculture madison, and started with the <a href="http://www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/blog/index.cfm?Id=177">letter from the mayor's office.</a> From there I found out about the Congress for the New Urbanism, and though I don't have the cashola to join there cause, I made a login for the website and sent a letter to my local coordinator. Being a novice academic, I'm also looking into writing a paper for their conference next year, which, it just so happens, is in Madison, WI; my town.</div>
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<div>I'm just starting my own garden, but last year I started a facebook group called, "<a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=87737700117&ref=ts">Sustainable Living: Madison, WI</a>" and tonight I sent a message to the <i>very</i> quiet membership, comprised mostly of mine and my fiancee's friends, in an effort to get us <i>ALL</i> growing gardens, sharing our wealth and trying to get some gardens started in the lower-income sections of town. I also posted a craigslist <a href="http://madison.craigslist.org/forums/?act=Q&ID=156011491">discussion thread</a> and a <a href="http://madison.craigslist.org/grp/1689626374.html">group</a> to the same end.</div>
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<div>If anybody here is in the Madison area, lets get together (at least electronically) and make something happen - otherwise, it seems like this might be a really simple way for different groups of gardeners to start networking on the local, regional, national and even world wide levels.</div>
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<div><br/></div>food insecurity in south-central Wisconsin, specifically Madison and the Dane country areatag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-12:4871302:BlogPost:894902010-04-12T04:14:26.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
The <a href="http://www.dcfm.org/">Dane County Farmer's Marke</a>t is an absolutely incredible experience - it is the largest "producer-only farmer's market" in the country. "FoodShare" cards are accepted at the farmer's market, which I think is brilliant - it is like the anti-subsidy - the government winds up paying the farmers so people who wouldn't have access to good food, do.<div><br></br></div>
<div>In my search for food and hunger issues in my area, I came across…</div>
The <a href="http://www.dcfm.org/">Dane County Farmer's Marke</a>t is an absolutely incredible experience - it is the largest "producer-only farmer's market" in the country. "FoodShare" cards are accepted at the farmer's market, which I think is brilliant - it is like the anti-subsidy - the government winds up paying the farmers so people who wouldn't have access to good food, do.<div><br/></div>
<div>In my search for food and hunger issues in my area, I came across <a href="http://www.foodsecurity.org/cfa_outsideca.html">http://www.foodsecurity.org/cfa_outsideca.html</a> straight from the main mission page, and I sent an email to the contact for a 13 year old survey of the area regardin the region's food system. inshallah, I'll hear back soon - and at least know what that all means...</div>
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<div>I also found a program about six blocks away from my apartment, MOM; which I'm going to try to find out a lot more about.</div>
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<div>Lastly, I found out that I might qualify for "FoodShare" as a full time student - I should would love to be able to not pay interest on my food...</div>
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<div>Although the area that I live in is practically famous for its farmer's market, and is very supportive of ideas like community gardens as well as MACSAC AND CSA programs, I am going to have to do some more research, because I know there are low-income areas of Madison that don't have a local grocery store - I want to know what's being done for them.</div>
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<div>Madison has decent public transportation, I think I'd like to see some free buses from these areas to the farmer's market, from 6-9am on Saturday and Wednesday, free buses to the Farmer's market, and from 9am-12pm, free buses back. Sounds like it's time to talk to my local representatives.</div>
<div><br/></div>April 11, 2020 - Where am I, what am I doing?tag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-11:4871302:BlogPost:893322010-04-11T23:54:10.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
Best case scenario, I'm living my dream - traveling the country on a lecture tour but getting my hands as dirty as possible, promoting and working with organic farmers around the world as an effort to promote positive, shared values between cultural and religious groups. I see myself speaking with American audiences, but also doing much of my work around the south coast of the Mediterranean and taking regular trips to Europe.
Best case scenario, I'm living my dream - traveling the country on a lecture tour but getting my hands as dirty as possible, promoting and working with organic farmers around the world as an effort to promote positive, shared values between cultural and religious groups. I see myself speaking with American audiences, but also doing much of my work around the south coast of the Mediterranean and taking regular trips to Europe.Gavin Newsomtag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-11:4871302:BlogPost:893072010-04-11T23:05:16.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
I'm tagging Gavin Newsom as my social innovator to shadow. He's the Mayor of San Francisco and he's running for Lieutenant governor of California - he's fairly easy to follow.<div><br></br></div>
<div>I've got his website bookmarked, I follow his twitter account and I am a fan of his on facebook - I gave him an @msg, introducing him to "Evoke."</div>
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<div>His actions as mayor have included efforts with the homeless, universal healthcare for the residents of San Francisco, although…</div>
I'm tagging Gavin Newsom as my social innovator to shadow. He's the Mayor of San Francisco and he's running for Lieutenant governor of California - he's fairly easy to follow.<div><br/></div>
<div>I've got his website bookmarked, I follow his twitter account and I am a fan of his on facebook - I gave him an @msg, introducing him to "Evoke."</div>
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<div>His actions as mayor have included efforts with the homeless, universal healthcare for the residents of San Francisco, although they were later annulled by the state courts Newsom allowed same-sex marriages, and he also brought the idea of open source software to the city government - promoting participation as well as bringing more transparency to the government.</div>secrets of social innovationtag:www.urgentevoke.com,2010-04-11:4871302:BlogPost:892752010-04-11T22:37:08.000ZSam Osbornehttp://www.urgentevoke.com/profile/SamOsborne
I really like #4 on Amy Smith's list of "rules for design in the developing world," "create transparent technologies."<div><br></br></div>
<div>I think that building on what's been done in San Francisco with using open source technology to promote participation by creating a more transparent and inclusive government model is inspiring.</div>
<div>article about:…</div>
I really like #4 on Amy Smith's list of "rules for design in the developing world," "create transparent technologies."<div><br/></div>
<div>I think that building on what's been done in San Francisco with using open source technology to promote participation by creating a more transparent and inclusive government model is inspiring.</div>
<div>article about: <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/01/22/open-source-san-francisco/">http://mashable.com/2010/01/22/open-source-san-francisco/</a></div>
<div>things that are actually being done with it:</div>
<div><a href="http://datasf.org/showcase/">http://datasf.org/showcase/</a></div>
<div>as well as: combining <a href="http://www.seeclickfix.com/citizens">http://www.seeclickfix.com/citizens</a> with twitter (<a href="http://twitter.com/sf311">http://twitter.com/sf311</a>)</div>
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<div>I'd like to see this become far more widespread, and though I'm an American living in the United States, I think if there are half as many mobile phones in Africa as it seems like there are, twitter could be huge. Much like twitter and youtube were used in Iran after the elections to report and coordinate, violent areas and trouble spots could be tweeted and either avoided or taken care of.</div>