The plug computer is a mini linux server, meaning it can host website, databases, and applications. The open-mesh routers can then extend a mesh wifi network, making the shared applications available to the community.

Perhaps most intriguing aspects of this solution are the low cost and high portability/configurability. The hardware infrastructure can accomplished at under $200, depending on the desired network range (server is $100 and the routers are $30 each), and they could come already setup with the required (open-source) software, including pre-configured applications. Because the software is not proprietary or hardware specific, it could be easily distributed and modified. The hardware itself is componentized with a small form factor, so it too would be highly portable and configurable.

Lowering the technical barrier to setup would be critical to adoption, so I’m exploring what software and applications to include in a default package, how much documentation to include, and what pre-configured options to use in order to mitigate the time and cognitive overhead required to get a community network up and running.

Wordpress has the advantage of a standalone installation and very strong developer documentation. A standalone package is attractive because it does not rely on third party hosting, and could operate on a local mesh network without internet connection. Ning, on the other hand, is a hosted solution and the documentation is less comprehensive. However, setup is a cinch.

My inclination right now is to prototype a solution in Ning, then create a standalone Wordpress package that can be installed on any server. I will probably end up creating custom plugins, especially for wordpress.

This conceptual model creates a set of new services that allow the smallest viable subset of social systems, the community (however you define it), to enjoy the fruits of globalization without being completely vulnerable to its excesses.

Robb believes that resilient communities are both a buffer and a preventative measure against massive destabilization at global and national levels, such as we’ve observed with the continuing economic crisis, and that we could see through cascade failures of vital infrastructural networks (like the power grid) through systems disruptions, i.e. sabotage. We can mitigate our vulnerability by circumventing our reliance on sprawling, highly interdependent networks through self-sufficient, localized nodes, aka resilient communities.

His argument is compelling, rooted in political, economic, and social theory, as well as real world examples. It is both frightening and engaging. This scope of the topic is mind boggling, and its implications are extreme. On the one hand we keep chugging along until catastrophe stikes; on the other, we drastically change the way we live. Either way, Robb is talking about a major paradigm shift, away from our current way of life. On the surface, it seems a romantic notion, but perversely so. The idea of reconnecting with your local community and the environment has the sort of pastoral appeal of a Wordsworth poem. However, the reality of it is more grim. As a result my feeling of commitment to local movements has taken on an urgent tone, and I feel compelled to take action.

That is where my thesis begins. I am struggling with nailing down a specific project, but the focus will decidedly be community building in Brooklyn, probably around DIY groups (urban gardeners, hardware hackers, craftspeople, etc). My expertise in web development along with the short timeframe is leading me in the direction of a website/mashup. I’ve considered creating a site to host listings of events(classes, farmer’s markets), locations (storefronts, hackerspaces, studios), and projects (documentation and schematics). Discussion would be a theme throughout, but maybe not explicitly defined in a forum style application.

I will update further as I continue to research, design, build, and test.

Working with communities is a strong interest of mine. I want to encourage sustainable, resilient networks in my communities and to create a “curriculum” that can guide other communities to do the same.

Some of the groups I’ve been thinking about:

• Oracle, AZ artists collectives
• Carroll Gardens CSA
• Carroll Gardens small businesses

Oracle, which I discussed in a separate post, is interesting because I have a personal connection to the artistic pursuits of the community, based on my experience as a painter and working with Etsy. Furthermore, Oracle represents what John Robb calls a “resilient community“, as far as I can tell. There is creativity not just in the arts, but also in lifestyle, with residents whoa operate by sustainable principles and sometimes even “off the grid”. One challenge I’ve identified is that the group has many fractured sub-groups which all have fuzzy boundaries. I would need to hone in on a smaller, more specific group to take action. Also, there is the obvious challenge of distance. Almost all of my participation would be remote. This could be an interesting issue to examine in itself, how to teach technology using technology, remotely. However, this aspect is less interesting to me.

Carroll Gardens CSA has some of the same qualities as Oracle, though membership is much more clear cut and it is hyper-local to my environment. It has a focus on sustainability and represents the qualities of resilient communities. I am also a member, which gives me more credibility and access to group leaders. I feel the CSA may be a better approach due to proximity and discrete membership. In addition, the CSA coordinator recently made an email appeal for volunteers, so the time is right.

Carroll Gardens small businesses are also hyper local with a clearer membership that the Oracle artists’ community, but the intentions of each business are not necessarily aligned with one another. While I know several business owners pretty well, the overhead of organizing communication across business owners could be high enough to supersede other efforts.

Right now the goal is to narrow the scope of my ideas into something I can accomplish over the next few months. Not a lot of time!

I’ve discovered a better way. The missing links were SIPdroid for Android and Datajack 3G. SIPdroid allows calls via Junction Networks OnSip service (per minute VOIP), and datajack gives me unlimited 3G at $40/month, no contract. The datajack is a usb device that is intended for use with laptops, but I discovered that it has a T-mobile SIM that can be popped out and inserted into an unlocked phone (an Android G1 dev phone in my case). I have Google Voice setup with my OnSip number, and the GV app on the phone. I have yet to determine how to make calls from GV with the OnSip number, but for now I simply specified my caller id as my name and GV number in the OnSip admin panel.

I just returned from visiting family in Oracle, AZ. I’ve been there before, but this visit was particularly inspiring. I observed the richness of the community and landscape, and the pervasive creative spirit.

Light Festival at Triangle L Ranch in Oracle, AZ

The town’s small size (population 3500), low visibility, high concentration of artists and creative people, and low saturation of technology tools make it the ideal testing ground for new approaches to social tech and tools to enrich community and connectedness. The town has a website and many of the artists there have some web presence. However, social tech goes much further than having a website. It leverages a variety of online and offline services, some customized, some 3rd-party. Furthermore, it’s important to democratize the technologies so that everyone in the community may use them.

I’m in the process of deciding how I might contribute to building a technology foundation for the community, while giving them the tools they need to continue building. Beyond specific technologies, training and education would be in order. Finding a few community leaders that can be proponents of the initiative, as well as some volunteers to take on and share technical training would be the main goals. Maybe a collaboration in Oracle can serve as a model for other small communities to spring-board into a more connected space. If you know of similar initiatives, please leave your comments.

I hope that this prototype can serve as an inspiration for Etsy to develop a similar feature, or at least to implement a location search method to their API (this would make it much easier for developers to create similar apps).

Update 12.28.2009
Etsy Around is now Etsy Local. Added geolocation and limited search results to show more recent listings.

All in all, feeling good about the move. Good riddance, ATT.

The ability to post comments on previous “blips” created an even more asynchronous experience than chat, that was engaging and fun. Also, youtube and image embedding was useful for trolling. My biggest gripe was that running it in firefox on my netbook was painfully slow and my screen could barely accommodate the UI overload. Nonetheless, it felt good to ride the Wave. If they can improve performance and get more people signed up, I would certainly use it more.