Slow+Community

Inspired by this [|blog post]


 * What do we mean by "Slow Community?"**
 * A community that does not only place value on rapid response and participation, which can continue to exist even if the pace of passing messages/signals slows down...
 * A community that is aware of/reflects upon its own processes in order to ... learn? Enjoy?
 * Some sense of quality, not just quantity of participation (how do we define quality?)
 * This is more than "information overload, right?
 * (DP) What do we mean by "Community"?
 * A group of people who interact around some shared issue over time - NW

(DP) **What are some emerging examples of "Slow Communities"?**
 * Success stories (even modest ones)
 * http://www.km4dev.org (suggested by Bev)
 * http://healthylivingrituals.blogspot.com/
 * http://www.myhomemyplanet.org.au & http://www.masg.org.au (Geoff Brown - Castlemaine in Victoria has recently become a transition town and is leading the way in terms of tackling climate change. Lots of artists and musicians live there and "downshifters from Melbourne)
 * "Fast community" war stories -- showing consequence of going too fast: focus on problems not opportunities, jumping to solutions, not taking responsibility, defeatism, blame game, dependency on community 'leaders', anger and fear not reason, lack of community cohesion


 * What are community indicators of a "slow community?" How is it different from a barely-alive community or a "much too speedy" community? :-)**
 * Time for connection and relationship
 * Time for reflection, self awareness (individual and community) and learning
 * Is it less, or slower? Simpler, or simply slower?
 * A community that stops and "notices" what is actaully happening in the moment
 * Present and aware ... NOT too future focused (cause its unpredictable anyway) and looks backward to learn from mistakes and success stories
 * Is there something here about left brain/right brain shifts or integration?


 * What are the challenges of a "slow community?"**
 * Moving quickly enough to ensure sustainability without becoming "too fast" or "barely-alive"?
 * Successful Slow communities attract and lot of attention and funding ... they can get placed on a pedestal ... this adds to the pressure to get "outcomes" and more success (Geoff Brown)


 * What might a "Slow Community Movement" look like?**
 * Sharing practices to encourage reflection (from a participant/facilitator perspective)
 * Looking at the bridges between online and offline in the health of a community
 * Tools that help people manage their multi-membership in a number of communities
 * Tools that give us an experience of simple to use
 * Time to look and think deeper -- innovation, creativity
 * Be deeply connected to what you are acting with/upon (David Levy's story about Barbara McClintock, the geneticist)


 * What might trigger the desire for a slower community?**
 * Pressures of multi-membership
 * Multiple technology/platform options
 * the self propelling nature of technology - "driving quality of the technology" - David Levy, University of Washington Information School
 * Multiple identities (or expressions of our identity as individuals and as communities)
 * Would slow community only be relevant to certain types of communities and not others? Would businesses want any of their communities to "slow down?"
 * Is it just a "lifestyle thing"
 * To assist in the transition from a carbon economy to one driven by renewables (Geoff Brown)


 * What might be design elements or patterns of slow communities?**


 * What are our personal choices around slow community?**


 * Other mentions of slow community**
 * http://www.damanhur.org/
 * http://leadernetworks.blogspot.com/2008/03/online-communities-slowing-down-for.html
 * http://www.hum.dmu.ac.uk/blogs/part/2008/04/slow_community_in_action.html
 * http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/carl_honore_praises_slowness.html
 * http://www.amazon.com/Praise-Slowness-Challenging-Cult-Speed/dp/B000GH2YHO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201025742&sr=1-1
 * http://www.slowlab.net/slowmail.html
 * http://www.slowmovement.com/
 * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHGcvj3JiGA
 * http://www.ischool.washington.edu/events/headlines.aspx?id=1242


 * What my fast Twitter community said about Slow Community**