Permaculture Nation

Discussion in 'Forum Info and Questions' started by 9anda1f, Jun 23, 2016.

  1. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Geoff has mentioned (in his videos and during the online PDC) an idea he calls Permaculture Nation, a destination for all Permaculturists around the world. However, this is not an actual place, but a virtual nation full of ideas, observations, projects, successes, and "learning experiences" (i.e., failures). These PRI Forums contain some of the elements he describes in his vision for a Permaculture Nation, but the structure doesn't really tell the story.

    I'd like to orient these forums more along the lines of a PN, and I have some thoughts on how to start, but I'd especially like to hear from each an every one of you, not only on this idea but on any ideas you might have regarding these forums.

    I'll post more detail on thoughts I've had in the coming days. Please feel free to offer your ideas (or critique mine) at any time. Thanks!
     
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  2. Marcus Busby

    Marcus Busby Junior Member

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    Hi Bill

    I really like the way Rafter Sass-Ferguson and Sarah Lovell use "Concept network maps of keywords" in the following example, from keyword search for permaculture publications. This is a feature often used on websites and reports and for a visual way of representing complex data. Perhaps a feature like this can identify keywords in the forum. It maz be generated by users assigning hashtags or selecting keywords to their posts e.g. #selfbuild. In the platforms I have seen, there is usually a keyword limit, maybe five words maximum.

    Perhaps this can be adapted for the forum? The midmap is a classic tool

    [​IMG]
    Fig. 9

    Concept network maps of keywords from permaculture publications. Node size denotes centrality of concepts, links represent concept co-occurrence, link width represents co-occurrence frequency, and color denotes conceptual cluster of tightly interlinked concepts. a Publications 1978–2002 (N = 51). b Publications 1993–2002 (N = 115). c Publications 2003-2013 (N=157). d Complete series 1978-2013 (N = 230)

    SOURCE: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13593-013-0181-6

    So the above diagram allows us to quickly see the breadth and dynamics of permaculture literature from 1978 - 2013. And in this example was a brilliant way of illustrating the evolution and growth of permaculture literature, and even gives insights into the cultural development with relation to how permaculture is showing its adaptability...

    For a webpage, (or forum homepage), I believe using more image-based interfaces allow us to quickly see patterns within, and to navigate information and data.

    We can also see which topics are being most discussed, or which words or subjects are most frequently employed.. so not only the content of the posts informs us, but also the data generated within the forum. This can be helpful.

    It's also easier to gain an understanding or insight into many things.. hot topics.. general topics, the realtionships between topics and so on..

    I guess it may be a case of presenting or creating a non-linear format.. like in permaculture the much-loved mind map is much more powerful group discussion tool than making a list, and of course the connections btween the subjects are more easily illustrated/communicated.

    I proposed using a very simple interface for the permaculture knowledgebase. This was inspired by Holmgren's permaculture 'flowers' as a means for presenting the Principles and also the subject areas for permaculture knowledge/projects. I'm not a graphic designer, but just to illustrate the idea... graphic designers and web designers can make a better job of this! But here is a 'sketch design.' The idea being as the user clicks on a petal with the main subject, this folds out to the subheadings, and other materials available. The number of petals, or sides to the polygon idicate the number of subjects or topics etc contained within.. Here's a couple of images :

    [​IMG]
    source: https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7418/27860980975_c04f367abc_h.jpg

    an clicking on a subject heading takes the user to next flower with subheadings, e.g.:

    [​IMG]
    source : https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7129/27583435830_dd118478e5_b.jpg


    [​IMG]
    source : https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7511/27826826976_607a0773ef_b.jpg

    Another thought is about organising disucssion/comparing experiences in relation to permaculture zones.. there are many projects in scale Zones 1 and 2 , and likely less projects for zones 4 - 5, but nonetheless plenty of discussion around experiences and projects at all scales and zones.

    At the same time as organising data, or particularly disucssions in a forum, it is essential to also preserve the freedom to discuss any topic or question etc. This is also why the forum is great, because users create their own thread subjects. Perhaps it is the subjects, and the the words in the 'thread titles' that can generate 'keywords' to create the concept network maps as in the first image by Rafter and Sarah above.

    Maybe also for Post #1 in each thread it would be good if this was in bold or highlighted more, or also posted, at the top of each 'page' of posts, or perhaps the first few lines of the post #1.

    best
    marcus
     
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  3. 9anda1f

    9anda1f Administrator Staff Member

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    Excellent thoughts Marcus. I'm looking further into the concept network mapping for Xenforo. Sometimes I wish I had my software engineers back.
     
  4. Caelan MacIntyre

    Caelan MacIntyre Junior Member

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    I am already working on Permaea, Bill, as we all should. I have been slow but recently have been trying to pick up the pace...

    Permaculture, it is suspected, won't work-- at least not in a significant kind or level of uptake-- unless it becomes part of an alternative 'story', 'collective' and/or a 'safety-net'. It can't be just a cold concept or institution that functions under the status-quo, under its laws and begging for its money, at least alone; it needs to be 'something else'.

    Permaculture needs to transform into a 'living being'... It doesn't feel like one yet.

    It needs to be its own social organization; its own decentralized country with its own land, trade and ethics. I can't stress this enough...

    It needs to symbiotically-integrate other 'organisms' in its environment-- all disparate but (ethically. etc.-)related groups, working in isolation-- together into a sociocultural whole/ecosystem! More than a sum of it's parts. And they are powerful parts!

    Permaea already exists! It just has no real connections that form a new sociocultural ecosystem. But the 'creatures' are all there! Maybe they are only now just getting onto land, and are all primitive. LOL

    What happens when the internet finally goes down? How will anyone communicate or exchange/trade? Where will we know where to go? What if we're in trouble? Who will save us?

    Read the manifesto, and consider editing it and improving it and acting on it, like the adaptive mutation that it is. Deliberate on it here, create an ad campaign, (I have one in mind already.) and/or whatever else.

    It needs to say to people, "Don't like the current crony-capitalist oligarchy? Well, hop aboard Permaea! We have something better!"

    In the manifesto, I seem to recall mentioning how Permaculture Global could be leveraged or better leveraged in this regard, such as with regard to land nodes and a site that has a particular take on that.

    Same with Loomio, incidentally. It approaches the status-quo as a mere subproject when it could transcend or help transcend it.

    The status-quo needs to be transcended and for 'care of people and planet'. Permaculture will not fully succeed if the status-quo is not transcended and soon.
    Permaculture cannot afford to work alone with and within the status-quo for much longer before it fails along with the status-quo.

    We appear to be dropping the ball on this opportunity by capitulating/genuflecting to the status-quo, and are going to leave a lot of people in the water without a boat when the cultural titanic finally goes down. Mark my words.

    So it's up to each of its so-called practitioners to look up from their navels and beyond to others.

    Incidentally, what does this site run on? What platform? Wordpress? Drupal? And what are its plugins?
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2016
  5. Caelan MacIntyre

    Caelan MacIntyre Junior Member

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    I will embellish from my above comment, with the hope (hopeless?) of driving the point home:

    'Everyone' is, or may be, 'navel-gazing'-- including permies, including Geoff...

    Think of the human sociogeopolitical world as a collection of parts, systems, and/or 'lifeforms'. What does permaculture do? It integrates/connects/etc.? Well if it does, then let's integrate permaculture!

    We need to be contacting-- perhaps a lot like MYCELLIA (etc.)-- other people and groups with similar ethics and making connections. We need to 'fix nutrients', etc. for other uptakes.

    Permanent culture is much more than permanent agriculture! It includes permanent socioculture!

    Or maybe we're just pseudopermies.
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2016

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