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Targeted Currencies

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Looking for candidate communites to launch OS-Earth

Posted to: Targeted Currencies by Mickki Langston (CCAL30) (1054), Tue, 10 Jan 2006 21:26:35 PST
Edited: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 12:43:41 PST
Feedback score: 0
Tags:  currencies os-earth targeted-currencies
Comments: 12 by 11 members
Viewed: 156 times by 31 members

It's been a while since I've commented on the status of our work and development. The conversation of targeted currencies - what they are, how they work, why they benefit us - has been evolving, as conversations are prone to do.

We're now at a very pivotal point in our development of a configurable platform to support communities and organizations in designing and implementing incentive systems to build participation, share information and otherwise encourage the healthy flow of resources. Eventually, the platform will be made available to communities through open source licensing. We are calling this framework OS-Earth (see the OS-Earth workspace for more information)

And there is still work to be done to build the core infrastructure of this platform. The basic strategy to build and launch OS-Earth is as follows:

Get 8 communities on board committed to covering their portion of design, customization, implementation expense ($5,000 - $50,000 each based on complexity)

Get socially responsible sponsorship or investment for the core infrastructure development

Build a "Currency Commons" community of practice to develop enough people’s expertise to support the implementation for new communities

Identify other early adopter communities and get 50 more communities on board in second year

We've had extensive conversations with hundreds of communities in the past two years, and have already identified 20 candidate communities that are "ripe" for implementing this platform. The sponsorship is also in the works for the core infrastructure development.

What we're looking for are best communities to be one of the first 8.

The initial requirements for these communities include the following:

  • Understand the value that a targeted currency or system of currencies will provide for their community or organization (this doesn't mean they have to be a currency expert, but understand the value of the impact for their community)
  • The leadership of the organization/community is aligned with implementing a targeted currency solution
  • The community or organization has resources to devote to the implementation of the system - this includes paying for the consulting, customization, integration and launching of their own system. ($5,000 - $50,000 each based on complexity)
  • Community is ready to begin the design phase within the next 60 days and implement it within the next 9 months.

The kinds of communities we are looking for include:

  • Philanthropic Organizations
  • Communities of Practice
  • Environmental Sustainability Programs / Centers / Organizations
  • Co-housing and Permaculture Communities
  • Membership-based communities with a specific purpose

If you are a part of or know of a community or organization that fits the above requirements, let's discuss our possible partnership further.


By Michael Maranda (CCAL30) (3908), Wed, 11 Jan 2006 01:21:38 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

Very exciting! glad to see the communites are not (largely) geographic in nature


By ted ernst (CCAL30) (2630), Wed, 11 Jan 2006 08:04:16 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

Totally awesome!


By David Braden (CCAL30) (1865), Thu, 12 Jan 2006 16:16:39 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

Just had a chance to read through the OS-Earth workspace. Very nice presentation. I will spread the word as best I can. Good Luck.


By Rory Turner (CCAL30) (1114), Thu, 12 Jan 2006 21:01:48 PST
Edited: Thu, 12 Jan 2006 21:02:26 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

I want some help seeing how this could apply to a community centered around a cultural scene. How about the belly dance community that has emerged in the past few years? How could a targetted currency using this system help them enhance their community especially dovetailed with tribe.net? What would this look like?


By nmw (1876), Fri, 20 Jan 2006 10:07:58 PST
Edited: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 10:08:33 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

I am stumbling over some apparently minor issues. Many of the examples of currencies appear to me to be examples of stocks rather than flows. I find such lack of clarity (especially from my point of view) may put the entire "proposal" on a not-sufficiently solid foundation. Hope to learn more about it.

:) nmw


By Jean Russell (CCAL30) (3614), Fri, 20 Jan 2006 18:58:26 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

Thanks for this Mickki. I have shared it with the Boston Uplift Academy group since one of our sessions, Arthur focused on a piece of this. Also, I sent the link on to Theresa with Catalytic Communities. Great work guys.

Norbert, could you say more about stocks and flows? Thanks!


By nmw (1876), Sat, 21 Jan 2006 01:53:48 PST
Edited: Sat, 21 Jan 2006 01:54:39 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

Well, as an example: in the field of information science, information is commonly defined as knowledge transfer. Knowledge is a stock, information is the flow (= "current" / "currency"?).

This is very fundamental, so a lack of clarity here would weaken any model.

There should be some very hard analysis of the economic model the OS-Earth system builds upon. Utility (a term which usually is more or less equated with "happiness") is normally not considered to be the same for all agents. So a sunny day may make one person happy, and another person may prefer it to be cloudy. Similarly, things that are "approved of" by Microsoft may be unrelated to things that are "approved of" by the FCC.

These types of questions need to treated clearly and exhaustively. It is important not to allow skepticism to flourish, let alone to arouse it.


By Jonathan Hendler (1), Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:42:06 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

I know you guys were working in ASP when I met you in Denver. Is there an API that is exposed as a webservice?


By Arthur Brock (CCAL30) (2066), Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:05:32 PST
Edited: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 23:06:47 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

Hi Jonathan,

We're not doing anything on Microsoft platforms. You're probably thinking of the community tools I built for a former company that I left a little over a year ago.

We're doing everything using open source platforms. We've done our prototyping in Python (then converted a few parts to C for performance optimization). Over the next few weeks we hope to launch a site for opening our source code (akin to SourceForge tools) powered in part by our own platform, with the rest of the interface/tools powered by Drupal (to be able to engage the CivicSpace community and projects).

We can let you know when it's live if you'd like to come explore and/or participate.


By Soren Gordhamer (1423), Mon, 30 Jan 2006 19:02:23 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

Nice work Mikki. I could use a course on this. Is there a website I can direct people too, instead of here where one has to register? Thanks. Fascinating stuff.


By Mickki Langston (CCAL30) (1054), Fri, 03 Feb 2006 19:07:16 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

Hey Soren!

Thanks. We're proud of the conversation and how it's evolved.

For now, this is the most complete version. I'll be sure to provide an update when there is a web site with more info. Thanks for asking.

Take care!


By Gerry Gleason (CCAL30) (1972), Tue, 07 Feb 2006 12:14:11 PST
Comment feedback score: 0

Just getting a chance to look at this now. Looks very interesting.

Norbert: I agree about the distinction of stocks and flows being central to currency models. I might have more to say in the workspace, etc. if I can get back to it.
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