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Barbelith and what it can do

14:19 / 16.09.03

Barbelith doesn't need a mole. But maybe we need a project. Something to strenghten the sense of bond not only amongst the members, but between each member and the board itself. Barbelith is a little bit like that stupid ship from The Authority, only weaker: We can't get beamed to *any* spot on Earth instantly, but we do have outposts. Brazil, France, Scotland... where else? Maybe we could design tasks or projects: environmental, political, magickal, I don't know - to be carried out, not majorly revolutionary things, but small improvements, absurdist interferences, artistic performances... We could stir things up, get some action going - and maybe more importantly, we can have good laughs.

I recognize this is a very blurry sketch, but you can see where I'm ging: Barbelith benefits from a certain global presence, why not use it?

With Tom being as busy as he is, maybe he could do consulting (after all, its his board name that's gonna be used) to volunteers who would want to assemble "cells" (I know that this term may evoke the wrong images in most peoples heads, but listen, I'm talking about something as easily arranged as flash mobs or fotolog meetups. With cool points awarded for using an Invisibles-evoking meme).

I'm sure other people will have more interesting ideas from this point on, but this is the basic structure: Barbelith members from a region of the planet meet and carry out actions (I'm sure the already existent gatherings happening around the globe could be used to other goals than getting wasted - not that's anything wrong with that...).

It could be fun, it would strenghten the sense of community!

...we could take picturessss...

Does it have any legs? Anyone up for Barbelith census? The possibilities are endless (well, not really endless, but I'm sure there's quite a few of them).

Tryphena Absent

14:36 / 16.09.03

Woo, have you been reading global frequency again Jade?

15:07 / 16.09.03

It would work if we had a mission, but we don't. First mission: get a mission!

15:09 / 16.09.03

that's where *you* enter, schputz!

Tryphena Absent

15:14 / 16.09.03

Can I be Miranda Zero... or Skank Zero Hopeless Savage, that could be fun?

15:19 / 16.09.03

Ah, the limits of one's imagination...

15:26 / 16.09.03

Isn't this already being done with This thread in the Magick?

Maybe you were thinking of something less ethereal, Jade. Something a little more practical and active.

I am not sure what individuals would like to do, but taking on any challenge to create a needed change is terribly revolutionary. (Here on Barbelith?...revolution?) Oraganising? Geez, a challenge in itself.

I can only make suggestions here (of course) but, my preference would be for correcting the current waste of humanity's energy on consumerism. It rather makes me ill. Llike hungry little catapillers, we chew up the leaf we live on.

Isn't it time all made like butterflies?

15:30 / 16.09.03

Geesus, spelling is a challenge for me today.

15:40 / 16.09.03

I like the idea of people being special barbelith reporters or something. Basically if there's a news story going on relatively near you, you go and get photos and first hand commentary and post it somewhere central.

15:46 / 16.09.03

Points:

we can create categories for action:

ARTS | POLITICS | ENVIRONMENT | etc

one mail account to each category - arts@server.com, for instance. people write to determined e-mail addresses to be enlisted in 1 or more categories. e-mail administrator organizes people by country. to activate one cell in a country, said country must have at least three agents.

each month we post a task for each category. the task must be of course broad in its goals, because the politico-environmental-artistic background won't be the same everywhere - or just let agents themselves take care of their own business (thus ensuring more specific goals being accomplished): they can meet at a pub, get wasted, talk bollocks, decide what they want to do, do it and report back with pictures.

more to come...

16:11 / 16.09.03

Tom said: "I like the idea of people being special barbelith reporters or something. Basically if there's a news story going on relatively near you, you go and get photos and first hand commentary and post it somewhere central."

Let's talk about "somewhere central":

Extend the Barbelith realm with 2 more websites. Oh, nothing big going on, I know people wouldn't have the time... maybe 1 simple weblog to put up news gathered from wherever there are Barbeloids in the planet, + lots of snazzy pics. Password given to all Barbelith reporters.

-one simple website (barbelith.com/thelounge, fr instance)where agents can click on a map thing (or something, or something, or. something.) and see:

a) What's the meetup* goal for that country in that month (if we decide to go for the meetup thing) or:

b) a place where *the agents* would input what's their goal for that month, and input reports of past meetups and what was achieved etc. Like a central were agents go to check stuff up.

..more to come. (Where are the enterprinsing types, btw?? Life is not only joycore. It's workcore, too...)

----------------------------------------
* - I'm avoiding the term "mission", lest the grownups start making faces and pointing at me.

16:56 / 16.09.03

OMG..this is soo cool. Barbelith just makes me feel like a big kid sometimes. Yes! Sneaking around in some covert mission to report back to Barbelith HQ....Well, I am chuffed to bits...

this post will self-destruct in 10...9...8...7..

18:11 / 16.09.03

Don't forget we've got the wiki--it might not be precisely what you want technically but it'd be easy to set up.

Scrambled Password Bogus Email

18:22 / 16.09.03

Does it have to make sense or have a *good* point??

Cos I still like the idea (can't find the link now, over in switchboard somewhere)of lobbying for a vote of no confidence box on ballot papers here in the UK.

You know, a kind of "None of the above" option on voting papers, to express complete disgust and lack of interest in ANY of the 'candidates' for an election.

Hell, Phony Blair got in by a record breaking majority in an election which also smashed records for lack of electorate giving a shit. Something like 25% of the electorate in Liverpool didn't even fucking bother.

Now, pundits and shitheads will tell you that is down to ignorance and apathy and ill educated scallies not understanding the process.

But the rest of the country fared little better. I forget the stats right now, but very few of the enfranchised masses in this wonderful democracy turned out to vote at the last election.

Maybe I'm dead wrong, and people really don't care at all. But I have this feeling, "balls to bones", that if the option existed to declare an opinion of absolute mistrust in any of the standing candidates, then I for one, and loads of my acqaintances, would cross it just for the anarchy factor.

Would you??

So the idea is, set up an online petition, advertise and viral email the whole shebang around, get the signatories, and send the fucker to parliament, your MP, Phony Blair, every bastard, demanding a "None of the above" box on ballot papers as a way of registering the malcontents.

That way, at election time, you at least get to see your disgust COUNTED. Just writing "BOLLOCKS!" on the card and posting it is discounted and never numerated (??Bit pissed, can't think of the bastard word).

Hey, it won't change much, and might be a straw man, but I LIKE the idea, and it's easy and quick to set up.

noneoftheabove.com is free btw.

Any takers??

Scrambled Password Bogus Email

18:27 / 16.09.03

Also, if it really goes, I'll make the fucking tune ('Vindaloo' style), and it can be punted to TV networks, local radio, record companies, whatever, with proceeds funding the campaign (guvnor).

We'll have a huge Barbe-bash down at me studio, and every one can join in the crowd pleasing chorus.

We can all attend the Ivor Novello awards.

I'm tellin' ya, it's a winner.

Matthew Fluxington

18:38 / 16.09.03

Why does this really need to be about anything? Can't it be argued that it's a GOOD THING that this place has evolved beyond having a strict meaning and purpose?

Why the need to expand? I understand all of your enthusiasm, but I do think it is important to keep ourselves grounded in reality.

Humble goals, modest achievements >>> Grandiose goals, relative failures

Scrambled Password Bogus Email

18:40 / 16.09.03

It doesn't...

But there is fun to be had outside of relentless typing and falling off of ones chair.

Just switch off your television set and go out and do something less boring instead, WEY!

18:47 / 16.09.03

Why does this really need to be about anything?

It doesn't, Flux. It's only a *suggestion*, see?

Because it's easy. It's gregarious. And it's fun. Like the gatherings, capice? Certainly they don't threaten to turn Barbelith into a tool solely for scheduling visits to the pub. It hasn't yet, at least. And it will be FUN. C'mon. You can't really be *that* old...

Matthew Fluxington

18:54 / 16.09.03

Well, I guess we COULD find a way to turn this place into something that can give us Stoli Donut in our lifetime, or supply every last one of us with pancakes that you can wear.

18:56 / 16.09.03

Flux = Whatever, dude.
Just take your unnecessary condescending attitude away before people start thinking your present aim is to become a watered down, not-trying-enough version of Flyboy...

11:49 / 17.09.03

***bump***

(fuck it. I'm not willing to let it die without some fight)

14:03 / 17.09.03

I'm all for the vote of no confidence box, I go to the ballot each time and don't vote, my discontent should be noted dammit!

14:55 / 17.09.03

Yeah, Quantum, but I think this is one step too much ahead, innit?

First we have a lot of setting up to do with the project.

I think you should create a new thread about your idea, and try to gather as much support as possible. Thanks for thinking of one practical use this project could handle. This gotta show 'em...

14:58 / 17.09.03

This sounds like you're plowing up some potentially fertile ground.

You're talking about something like flashmobs, right? Figuring out ways to use this technology and the social network to *do* something.

I love that.

The problem is coming up with the *something* to do, right? Because not everything is going to inspire everyone to get off their butts and *do*.

As a note (and this observation takes me kinda by surprise), this is exactly what the Switchboard used to be for. Now, it's more news bulletins and current events discussion. But it was set up to be an actual switchboard, helping activists coordinate, thus the name.

Part of the problem, I suppose, is that although we're spread over the globe with some concentrations, there's not too many of us in any one place. What a board like this is useful for is in developing ideas, which can then be made into concrete things by one or two people. Like Persephone's T-shirts, or (more significantly) the Jenny Everywhere project. I'd point to that as a major success along the lines that you seem to be talking about here. Moriarty set some goals, and accomplished them. Results are still forthcoming (as mentioned in the New York Times -- Jenny's *in* the "paper of record"!).

Except you're talking more field agent does X, then reports back to the site. BioDynamo was sort of doing that for a while, informally.

A "Barbelith Does..." area/project sounds like a lot of fun.

I'd be more than happy to help out with news gathering/proofing/editing copy -- I kind of do that for the zine already, such as it is currently. What else could I do?

15:20 / 17.09.03

You could call it "Barbelith: Praxis."

16:56 / 17.09.03

As a note (and this observation takes me kinda by surprise), this is exactly what the Switchboard used to be for. Now, it's more news bulletins and current events discussion. But it was set up to be an actual switchboard, helping activists coordinate, thus the name.

Yeah, I remember that... along with the various attempts at some sort of major gathering or another... the closest of which I achieved was meeting a barbelither at Burningman and the occasional meet-up locally.

So while it would certainly love to see more production of "stuff" I couldn't say what... How about some fund raising efforts? More t-shirts and the like? The ZINE was grand and it's sort of sad to see the same article still on that front page for how long now?

Over time I've come to the loose belief that information has a sort of "narcartic" effect... on me at least... and so my current life situation is based more on what I can achieve individually rather than as a part of this amorpheus collective, though I have a great adoration for what happens here when I check in...

20:05 / 17.09.03

"...not majorly revolutionary things, but small improvements, absurdist interferences, artistic performances... We could stir things up, get some action going - and maybe more importantly, we can have good laughs."

Not like anyone is likely to believe anything written by me now, but:

this is the "manifesto" of the newly established T.R.W. in a nutshell. The only thing missing is the "first" creedo: remember to try, if you can, to think for yourself & ~ (not think) for somebody else.

If you look around with some care and attention, then you'll see it (but don't look at most of my posts for this over the last couple days, I've been in a combination of circuits 2 & 5, and the flight/fight circuit is shifted to "fight" (not really so much today unless someone wants to take a swing, but maybe not even then...on a related note, I was chatting with a friend on the phone, filling him in on what I've been up to, and he--and I--can both respect the courage it takes to stand up to a person who is being a bully) I think that much is reasonably clear.

11:35 / 18.09.03

I have something on the works, sweeties. Sit under a tree with a good book and an apple and wait.

16:58 / 18.09.03

I'm not sure anymore what barbelith can do besides fight amongst itself for superiority. very sad.

I am sure that barbelith can't fart, unlike me.

I fart in your general direction, barbelith.

And your mother was a hamster.

but not mod's hamster because it is a boy.

Unless your mother was a boy.

Was your mother a boy?