[ba-unrev-talk] Continuation of Doug's Colloquium
You are probably aware that last year the URL www.bootstrap.org became
the address of the Bootstrap Alliance and thereby replacing the site of
the Bootstrap Institute. We recently obtained a new URL for the Alliance
site and are now in the process of recreating the Bootstrap Institute
site at www.bootstrap.org. (01)
I have been asked to do the make-over of the Bootstrap site and I
understand that appropriately competent associates of Doug will look
after the Alliance site, which will be more clearly adapted to the
objective of creating a viable Bootstrap Alliance. (02)
One important component of the Bootstrap site is a transcript of Doug's
Colloquium held at Stanford University early in 2000. That transcript,
as transcripts go in general, contains many errors and is being gone
over with a fine-tooth comb to clean it up as much as possible. (03)
It has been the intention all along the convert the Colloquium to a book
format. I am working with Doug to condense that transcript from a record
of ten spoken lectures to a proper text format and thereby removing
redundant material, adding in some clarifications, etc. (04)
Separately from that, the Colloquium was perceived as a fresh starting
point for ongoing discussion (i.e. "colloquium") about software and
organizational aspects to realize Doug's dream as manifested by his 1962
framework for augmenting the human intellect. Because so many outside
the immediate "Bootstrap community" have further embroidered on and
developed those ideas, and also because so much knowledge has been
accumulated over the last half a century in the areas of neurosciences,
computer science and the humanities, we began a separate web publication
that we first named "Engelbart in Context," which was later changed to
"Fleabyte." (05)
Fleabyte is intended to put the state of the art and the potential of
digital augmentation of the human intellect before a wider public. It is
especially hoped that this will have a positive effect on a community
sharing a common planet. It was, therefore, published as a web magazine
and in such a way that it may eventually be converted to a public DKR. (06)
Much input could be derived from our discussion forums. In recent months
I am continually struck by the messages put forward, for example, by
Gary Johnson and John Deneen. (07)
Unfortunately, I pretty well had to run Fleabyte by myself, which, of
course, is impossible to sustain. Frankly, I am burning out and need to
step aside to refresh my spirit. Needed are a variety of talents whose
efforts need to be marshalled by appropriate leadership. (08)
This message is a kind of last-ditch attempt by putting the problem of
continuing all aspects (technical, psychological, social) of Doug's
"unfinished revolution" before the members of this forum. What can be
done? How may we organize a dedicated team effort? Should we do it at
all? (09)
Henry (010)