Naomi’s Comments (group member since Nov 16, 2018)

Naomi’s comments from the Open as in book group.

I’m so sorry to hear that Vinodh.

Anna - do you know how many people could put current slot? With Kirstie and Vinodh keen but unable to attend, do you think it’s worth considering a reshuffle?

If not, I wonder if your zoom call could be a webinar setting so it’s easy to send out the video after to “registrants”? At least we must make sure to record (if all consent) and find a way to share with Kirstie and Vinodh!

Thanks for suggesting this book, I’d never have known about it otherwise.

I’m only 1/6 through it so far but already am learning so much, particularly about the history of activist movements in the US. It’s really useful context and I’m reflecting on how some things are being repeated in more recent movements, eg “science is political”, and the need to have codes of conduct and agree on values to ensure the new we’re aiming for doesn’t just replicate the old.

I’m finding it both hopeful and disheartening that 1000s of people have stepped down these paths of change activism before us: people are good and willing, but it’s so easy to crush any change that is made (hence the need for continued action and energy). Anna, I’m hoping to get a more hopeful reflection on sustaining incremental change as I keep reading!

I am finding it quite verbose, so I’m reading it pretty fast, sometimes skimming. I like how approachable it is in general, and am looking forward to more over the weekend!

Reflecting on that quote, I just had a really interesting convo about reframing the narrative of open to balance individual incentives and public good -- we're in a different time from 10 years ago and need to think about this (OKFN have a session on this at MozFest!)

I haven't dipped in to re-read the book yet, but have looked back at old notes and am reminded of the importance of taking time to ask ourselves how we are turning up in the world, whether our actions embody our values.

Can we create space for each other to do this reflection? Without support, I feel this is asking everyone to do even more work. I agree it's important, vital maybe, but I think (like with DEI) it's rare that we feel able to prioritise time to do this work.

How do you all feel?

Hey folks, today is the deadline to update this proposal. I've added Daniela and Elsa as co-facilitators and we're chatting tomorrow at 5:30pm UK about what we'll do with this session. Please let me know if you'd like to join in our chat!

Our MozFest proposal was accepted into the Openness Space!

Daniela, Elsa and I are hoping to work out a plan for this session soon. Please let us know here if you'd like to be involved.

The proposal: https://public.zenkit.com/collections...

The details we have so far:

Your Accepted Session Details

You are now part of the Openness space. This year is MozFest’s 10th anniversary, and we are thrilled to have your session,"Our shelves, ourselves: online book clubs for open knowledge", as part of the celebration.


What To Expect In Coming Weeks

We will be providing several resources in the coming weeks that will set you up for success as a facilitator at MozFest, including:

A facilitator handbook that outlines everything you need to know for the festival.

Opportunities to connect online with us and other facilitators to ask questions and make new connections.

Online facilitator coaching with Dirk and Chad. For the Openness space, this online coaching session will happen on Monday, September 30th at 15:00 UTC. Come to this session to get tips and advice on designing an effective MozFest session, feedback on your session plan and your questions answered. To get details on how to join the coaching session, please fill out this form: (ask Naomi if you're interested)

There will also be on-site training at MozFest on Friday the 25th, October. Time to be shared at a later date.

Amazing, thanks Daniela! In my diary.

I've made an event page, which people can RSVP too to help with knowing who to expect: https://www.goodreads.com/event/show/...

Not long now until we speak live! I'm curious if anyone has any particular points for discussion?

Here's a few from me:
* hyperempathy: is this a metaphor?
* what would societal breakdown look like?
* inclusion, trust and competition
* the steps at the beginning of a community

Here's a Gdoc for the live discussion: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t...

Please feel free to add any discussion prompts or notes. (And if you can be by a laptop during the call & are willing to take brief notes, please let me know!)

I'm looking forward to speaking with some of you tomorrow :)

Naomi

Ok so I've now finished the book (because I met Ros Attenborough yesterday, and by huge coincidence she invited me to her book club yesterday eve on the same book!) -- our discussion last night was really interesting, but I won't say much more on here until more people have had the chance to read it other than that the second half is very different to the first half, and I'd almost forgotten about Keith!

Ashley, I think your point that we only hear from Lauren's teenage narrative and about the teenagers around her, is important to keep in mind. For me, I felt that she seems cold / is avoiding processing some terrible emotions later in the book.

Ok so, I'm two-thirds of the way through and really enjoying this: Octavia's prose just flows, it's poetic and gripping. I'm glad we chose this book!

Something that is really jumping out at me: there is much chaos and trauma but it's interjected with some level of normality (there are still politicians and a government, there are still jobs that people go to [and not just the big corporate one]). The juxtaposition of these things is both uncomfortable and curious. I think it's a helpful reminder that societal collapse is not a binary event, it's not all or nothing. Just because people are carrying on, doesn't mean that everything is fine. In fact, we see in history and in the present time that people do tend to do what they can to just keep going. Beyond thinking about politics and wars, I wonder at what point people start deciding to lead a change when faced with adversity or a situation they see as "sub-optimal"? And how many people become leaders in this way? Would we go to mars if society underfoot wasn't crumbling?

Has anyone else reacted in this way?

Thanks for all your thoughts -- I spotted Daniela and Elsa on the doc :100:

I've drafted the session proposal on the doc (see bolded, non-italics for the suggested answers to the Moz Qs): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K...

Daniela -- yes please to co-facilitating! <3

Please share your thoughts by 5pm UK on Weds 31st - I'll submit what we have after then (deadline is Aug 1)

THANKS ALL :tada: (who needs the real emojis anyway?)

Thanks to all who doodled! The live discussion will take place on Tuesday August 20, 6-7pm / Central Europe / 5-6pm UK / 12-1pm EST / 9-10am PST. Please add to your diaries! More details to follow. I’ll create an event on this group.

Please add your thoughts and questions to this discussion thread as you read :)

I'm afraid I've not had time to do anything much about this yet, except this GDoc links to guidelines, and the Qs we need to answer in order to submit, plus my brief thoughts so far: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K...

Please jump in to steer and suggest.

I can take a look at this during a long Amsterdam airport layover next Sunday, and will come up with a proposal based on whatever is in here by then :)

Thanks folks!

Okeydokes, with silence on twitter and the clear preference from most of you, we have a winner... let's read and discuss Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler!

From Doodle, a few of us can make slots on Tuesday August 20, please weigh in on that poll asap to add your availability & I'll confirm next week.

Many thanks & happy Earthseeding.

Naomi

Excellent to hear from you all :)

Sounds like several of us are keen on Parable of the Sower. I'm giving it one tweet and a few more days, then I'll make an executive decision.

Ellen -- if we don't go with "How to fly a horse", I'd happily discuss that with you separately, if you'd be interested? (We could start another discussion thread and do this async, or jump on a call once you've finished it. Let me know if either sounds good :) )

Scheduling the book club
Here's a doodle with some suggestions: https://doodle.com/poll/2y62xvzz34aq72xf - please vote by July 29.

These times are engineered for Europe-Pacific ease, since that reflects who has been engaging here. I'm conscious that we may be excluding folks with these time slots, so if you hear of anyone who'd like to come but can't make these times, please can you let me know? And if these are terrible times for you, do tell me.

Thanks all,

Naomi

Hello everyone,

OpenAsInBook is back! We'll have another live book club in August. I'll share a doodle to work out a good date/time for folks soon.

What would you like to read as a group? Please suggest below any books that you've read or sampled and think others in the group would enjoy.

I'll kick us off:

#1 -- since it's August, perhaps we can take a break from the non-fiction. Lou Woodley recently talked about reading 'Parable of the Sower' by Octavia Butler. I've started it and am really enjoying it, so that's my first suggestion: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

#2 -- I've been dipping into 'Prisoners of Geography' for over a year now and find it so illuminating. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

#3 -- A while back Mark Patterson gave me 'How to Fly a Horse', all about starting new things, and I found it a very enjoyable read. I think he might have been trying to tell em to actually act on some ideas I had floating around -- still relevant advice today ;) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...


Do any of these sound good to you? Would you have any strong recommendations to add? No particular theme for August, other than it has to be a quick (doable in a weekend) and enjoyable read.

I look forward to hearing your suggestions!

Best,
Naomi

Hi everyone -- this session didn't happen in the end and we're moving forward to a new book for August time. More to follow in a new discussion thread! Thanks for your patience :)

Kirstie wrote: "I love this idea!! 👍🏻👍🏻"

Awesome, I've noted to start an early draft of an application on Sunday, will send it round on here :)

Oh, on a meta point, we could propose a session to build on what we've learnt so far, think about how we could organise this group more openly, and build some resources for how to organise an open book club. I'd dig that!

Hi folks,

MozFest is an incredible gathering of people interested in a healthy internet, and use of internet for lots of 'open' including open science, scholarship, knowledge. It happens every year in October in London (although this year is last year in London!) and the content of the conference is all proposed by community members and highly interactive. Several of us here have been to MozFest, run sessions, organised whole areas of it, etc. It's a wonderful thing.

They've just launched call for proposals, due Aug 1: https://www.mozillafestival.org/en/pr...

I thought this might be a great place to host a book club for a text that intersects open science and community engagement -- plenty of folks interested in these topics attend, so we could either run as in-person only or think about how to ensure people can contribute virtually too (if possible, may not be).

Who would plan to come to MozFest? Would you be interested in a book club discussion there? Shall we propose it??

Naomi

All these sound really interesting and relevant. Not sure who will host the next book club yet (after June) but potential to propose them for this... are you joining June call? Please raise this then if so. Thanks Ellen!