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permaculture - Re: Let's continue a global directory on-line...

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  • From: Skye <skye@tortuga.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Let's continue a global directory on-line...
  • Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 20:02:20 -0600


Hola a todos

A long time ago, in Permacultures' once-upon-a-time time, the global
directory was the task of the Institute (there was only one, back
then!!). At one of the national conferences (Yarrahappenin, I think)
Marlyn Wade (the then secretary for the Institute) announced that they
no longer had the resources, mainly people and time, to maintain this
task. Recall that this was back when access to internet meant you had to
be very fluent in MS-DOS. The IPJ people at that conference obviously
felt that this was an important service to the newly developing PC
community, and so offered to continue the service. My impression at that
time, was that it was not seen to be a financially rewarding operation,
but rather an essential service that someone should undertake.

So much for history. Obviously we need to contact the IPJ people (if
that is possible prior to 2000) and see what they think about all this.
I suspect that the operation is still one of service, that the charges
for the hard-copy is really only a way to partially off-set the incurred
expenses, rather than a lucrative operation. I suspect they may welcome
the opportunity to off-load the task to someone else. Obviously that
part is conjecture, so, again we need to contact/communicate with them.

I personally feel an on-line service would be far more useful to me than
the hard-copy (and I can get one easily when return to Aust late each
year - unlike most of you). The inefficiency of mail here in Mexico
means a great deal of my communication is via internet - so its easier
for me to have a copy of the directory in my computer. I am also rarely
at my home office, so again I'd rather carry a copy of the directory on
the hard disk of my laptop, than have to carry yet more paper in my
backpack.

We also need to have a more up-to-date, reliable version. When I first
came to Mexico I checked the directory for Mexican contacts. With the
hindsight of experience I now know that most of the entries for Mexico
either ceased to exist years ago, have moved (so the data is useless) or
never existed in the first place. At least three times in the last three
years I have emailed the IPJ with the latest information (from my
experience), to date none of those changes have appeared in the
directory. So, for those who want to visit/communicate with Mexican PC
groups, forget the directory - its worse than useless.

In saying that, I am not being critical of the IPJ. I am only saying
that it is a task, which they took on as a service and which I believe
is a pain in the ..... to them. And therefore does not have high
priority.

In fact, the fact that they are off-line and hard to contact worries me
for reasons more important than the directory. I know they have been
struggling a little finacially in recent years, so I hope their current
lack of communication does not indicate something more serious than just
overworked and underpaid staff. Going back to the days of Terry White,
the IPJ was about the only way for us to maintain some form of contact
and exchange of information. And, even in these days of instant internet
information, I still eargerly look forward to each new edition (even if
it is three months in getting to me). It has always been a valuable
service and a high quality production, I hope it survives as long as
Permaculture does.

Back to the discussion at hand. With their permission/blessing/support I
would like to see an on-line version (which any of us can print out and
give to those without internet - and there are still many) which is
organised on a distributed, self-maintaining basis. A number of nodes
around the place (Marsha, April, Dan, me, IPJ...) hold a current copy in
their websites, as mirror sites. Through the IPJ, our own WEB pages,
national conferences, this listservor ...we let everyone know that it is
their responsibility to contact one of those nodes, with the current
information, if they want to be included. The node contacted, adds the
data to their copy and then emails the new version to the other mirror
sites.

We could get all heated up in a discussion about how do we control the
information, make sure it is correct etc. Personally, I'm into "out of
control" - thats how large integrated and interacting systems evolve and
grow (take ecology as an example). You want to be listed, you send the
right information. If an address ceases to exist - one of us will know
sooner or later (and in the meantime we are only wasting a kilobyte or
so in a few computers).

Thats my contibution.

Thanks for listening
Skye
--
Skye - Apdo # 391, Patzcuaro, Michoacan, CP. 61600 México.
fax (52) 01 (434) 24743
Profesor y diseñador en Permacultura
Director del Instituto de Permacultura de México A.C.
Talleres de desarrollo humano, planeación participativa y
economía comunitaria.






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