[isf-vol] on the off chance that anyone is interested ;-)

[Michael Lenczner]

I've always been concerned that ISF could be doing more harm than
good.  We're having a big effect by bringing technology into public
places (which have the least amount of technology - compared to home
and work/school).  And this effect isn't only a good one.  How do we
make sure that ISF is supporting community more than it is weakening
it?

This is one of the reason's I try to make sure that ISF works with
academics - to be self-critical about the work that we do.  My thought
is if we are having negative effects by bringing technology into
public spaces we had better be doing it for a good reason and we
should be making sure that they way in which we do it empowers people
more than it enslaves them.

I think that we are trying to do that.  And Wifidog as social software
and the HAL projects are the best examples of that.  We aren't just
bringing technology in "as is".  We are shaping it and changing the
orientation of the technology before we bring it to our communities. 
We are using it to promote local interaction and emergent /
alternative culture through partnerships like CHOQ.  So I think we're
doing good stuff - but we should be aware of this larger issue.

I've written more on this if you're interested (warning - academic-speak ;-)
http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org/blog/archives/2006/04/05/worried_about_the_effect_of_isf.html
and
http://ideant.typepad.com/ideant/2006/02/in_defense_of_t.html