Open Source Ecology Forums

Alastair

Hi Everyone,
My name is Alastair and I live in western France, near Nantes, and have just signed up as a True Fan of OSE. I am 44, ex-software development now in sales (aargh) but looking to escape (and eventually help replace) the system. I was born in the USA, but grew up under the regime of Margaret Thatcher in the UK.

I am involved in the Zeitgeist Movement locally but I am looking for a more practical way to contribute. The French are conservative people and they really like to see something concrete before believing anything (and who can blame them)!

I have come to understand that the Resource Based Economy model is all very well in theory, but it is much like seeing a distant oasis across a burning hot desert. Firstly, you are really not sure it isn't actually a mirage and anyway you don't have the tools and skills available to traverse that desert. So, one thing that I am looking at Open Source Ecology to provide, is a number of those tools and skills, even if it eventually leads us all somewhere other than a particular theoretical ideal, but at least away from our destructive course we are currently on.

We are just locally kicking off a project which we call Techno-Gaia which intends to build OSE machines, participate in the overall culture and propagate the distributed business model suitable for a post-scarcity society. We have only a hand-full of people and an old industrial garage of 160m² but are looking to have a formal launch in March 2012 and attract more people to our group.

We would love to show some kind of technology at that event but it is unlikely that we will have time to build anything as the garage needs repairs first. However, if anyone has any Open Source technology (such as RepRap or indeed anything) which they could exhibit or lend us, that would be fantastic!

Anyone in the Western France area (or indeed from anywhere) is very welcome to come and join us.

mjn

Have you gotten in touch with the OSE Europe group? They are planning OSE communities and development activities across Europe and might be a resource for you. Have a look at http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/OSE_Europe.

- Mark

Matt_Maier

You could build mock-ups of the machines out of foam-core board, or whatever equivalent they have in France. Carboard would work. Then people would "get" what you were talking about.

Alastair

Hey Mark and Matt,
Thanks for your comments.

Yes, I have spoken to a number of people at OSE Europe and joined their forum. Our interest at Techno-Gaia is primarily on promoting the adoption of Open Source Technologies to existing activities (improvement rather than replacement) which is not the current focus of the OSE Europe group. However, we are staying in touch.

We have fixed our launch date as 10 March 2012 which will occur at our workshop (currently empty ex-garage). We are inviting everyone we can think of to exhibit their inventions and technologies. Any advice or offers gratefullly received!

I understand about mock-ups but we are really hoping to actual build real machines so this would be something of a come down. We do have money for equipment but we are sorely lacking expertise. We are searching locally also.

Anyway, we hope to launch our website soon so I will post when we do that.

Again, thanks for the input. And apologies for the delay in replying.
Alastair

ansen

Hello Alastair,
I am not sure where in France you are based... hope you are proceeding well with your project techno-gaia.

Around Montpellier we are starting the OSE project. if you want to follow us or to contribute visit www.osefrance.fr
if your project is proceeding well we can link to your page or give you space in the blog.

give us updates :)
cheers
Andrea

Howdy, Stranger!

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