A Grassroots Portal Project

[ronpaulhawaii]

Following are preliminary discussions regarding www.libertyforest.com.

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Originally Posted by ronpaulhawaii
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]As David Weigel stated in Reason Magazine, the RP grassroots are “inefficiently organized”. [/FONT]
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It is obvious that CFL will not be a central point for the for-seeable future and I think that gives us an opportunity. I believe they are building a valuable tool, but will never come close to harnessing the power of our full spectrum grassroots. [/FONT]
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What is going on with LibertyForest.com ?[/FONT]
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The grassroots needs a portal to the outside world. A place most anyone can feel comfortable recommending to a recruit. A welcoming and informative front door to the most comprehensive library of liberty information on the net. [/FONT]
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I think we could have fun with this as a community; volunteers, committees, polls, etc...[/FONT]
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Pure Grassroots [/FONT]
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Do you guys mind if I float some ideas in GC?[/FONT]

much aloha

m

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Originally Posted by JoshLowry

I'm game. I'd be open to just about anything.

Bryan and I had talked about doing sort of a homepage with this vbulletin plugin: http://www.vbadvanced.com/

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Originally Posted by Bryan

Yes, there is a window open- and there are things that can be done. Adding vbadvanced and blogs would be a first start.

I keep wondering if there is value in trying to build other alliances. Maybe talk with / work with Ron at freeople.com to see if we can work one something to get some of his campaign support / credit card processing features for vBulletin that would be win-win for all.


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Originally Posted by ronpaulhawaii



here is a draft I've been working on...

This sentence irks me...

So the Paul people are out there, and online... but they are either organized ineffectively or treated like a virus that takes over "real" organizations. - http://www.reason.com/blog/show/130261.html

OK, so it is a bit of both, but the first, "organized ineffectively", is our responsibility and if we tackle that, the second will pretty much cure itself. CFL is building a powerful toolset, but not the grassroots center many of us hoped it would be. Upon reflection I can see where a single organization could never hope to encompass and serve the entire full spectrum grassroots. The problem is that our power is in our full-spectrum qualities. While I am not looking for a silver bullet or a smoking gun, I am looking for anything that will help us focus and grow.

One thing I think would help is a "front end". A combination, welcome center/Library/Hub. Not a new community; a showcase and archive. Someplace that most everyone can recommend to a new prospect, use on handouts, etc. A welcoming and informative front door to the most comprehensive library of liberty information on the net.

I have an active imagination and can see variations on this theme that would rock. It could be built/managed by committee and poll and that would help us practice organizational skills...

I think it could be called www.LibertyForest.com

I agree that some projects can be absorbed and others built on/in. Freeople, OpCatHerder, Freedoms Ground... I definitely think we need to build alliances...

A welcoming showcase/library/hub...

What do you guys think of creation/management by committee/poll from our membership?

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Originally Posted by Bryan

Big thumbs up! I really like it, the idea / concept, etc. I like the idea of creating management by committee/poll from our membership - but by those who produce. I support OpCatHerder & Freedoms Ground.. I know Nathan (tangent) wants to create a solid grassroots org. FG also has some great promise and I have talked with Katherine about alliances.

I've tried to look at what is most important for me to work on-- I keep seeing our community has as best since it has history of a solid community. If we put more into it, it will grow.

Also- we can do things that CFL can't, nor would want to.

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Originally Posted by JoshLowry

I think the best thing to do is just install the software and see if the grassroots embraces it as our first simple step. It'd be interesting to see what would happen if we let all of the members of RPF elect a board of some type to have input on the Liberty Forest home page.

I'm not sure how to go about the alliances, that's almost a seperate issue. I was disappointed that DailyPaul/RPF/BTM were not supported at all by the CFL. I understand not totally endorsing, but it's like we don't even exist.

I don't plan on just turning the forums over, but here is one possibility: I think an alliance in the form of something called like "Online Liberty Alliance" could be formed and it would be a footer put on the bottom of every web page for every site that is in the group. I wouldn't call it the Liberty Forest Alliance as it would need to be separate and not automatically include LF. Maybe have a quad-annual voting where we limit it to ten websites. Unpopular sites would get knocked off and the popular sites would stay on.

Some type of either membership or board would vote on the first few sites and then when new sites came along they would be voted on to be included every three months. The pool would eventually grow over time, but it keeps all the grassroots with similiar ideas somewhat intertwined. If the CFL wanted to be included then they would have to display the footer as well. There would need to be some kind of document that the OLA abides by similiar to the "we agree" thing that Ron Paul had the four third party candidates agree to.

Text of we agree: http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/others/weagree091008.html

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Yep, that's the idea. This idea was born mulling over the developments regarding CFL and a thought that the best way to get them to play along is to pass them by. I agree that RPFs/DP/FG/BTM were all treated shabbily by the CFL elite and, once again, they have blown a great opportunity.

I do believe that Andrew means well and would like to see CFL integrate better into the movement. They are building a decent tool for community organizing and it would be a plus to have them in our fold. Key words there are "in our fold", (not the other way around...)

I really like the OLA idea and was wondering how to do that...

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Thoughts ?

 

[acptulsa]

Interesting.

It seems to me that many of us are caustic enough that it shouldn't be a blog or else it might not be very welcoming. At least, I've seen unpleasant things happen to n00bs a time or two around here... It also seems to me that there's a wealth of good information and good presentations buried in the archives of this site, and that a huge, comprehensive and informative 'welcome to the fight to preserve liberty' site could be created just on this material alone. Perhaps we should track back and hunt down our favorite posts?

Of course, this isn't a source of organization yet. But then, if all politics is local we'd just be reinventing the wheel (or reinventing the meetup). It would need to at least link to some source of action, however. But it seems to me that with the wealth of material we have here we should be able to set up such a 'welcome portal' with speed and ease.

 

[JVParkour]

That is the whole problem right now. The masses of Freedom lovers are ready to go, but there is no unifying force directing and collaborating with us. I think CFL has great potential, and a gateway/ welcoming page with lots of good info would be essential. I also think that a forum is a must. I try to post suggestions on this forum and they are not taken seriously, but at CFL they could be more PROJECT ORIENTED, which i think would help considerably.
JV

 

[thechitowncubs]

Does anyone need help creating it, graphics, etc?

 

[ronpaulhawaii]

Interesting.

It seems to me that many of us are caustic enough that it shouldn't be a blog or else it might not be very welcoming. At least, I've seen unpleasant things happen to n00bs a time or two around here... It also seems to me that there's a wealth of good information and good presentations buried in the archives of this site, and that a huge, comprehensive and informative 'welcome to the fight to preserve liberty' site could be created just on this material alone. Perhaps we should track back and hunt down our favorite posts?

Of course, this isn't a source of organization yet. But then, if all politics is local we'd just be reinventing the wheel (or reinventing the meetup). It would need to at least link to some source of action, however. But it seems to me that with the wealth of material we have here we should be able to set up such a 'welcome portal' with speed and ease.

Yes, the archive here is a treasure trove...

I agree that blogs could be a part of the portal, but should be a link from a basic welcoming page.

I don't see this as re-inventing a wheel. I see this as collecting the wheels we have and building a bus.

The first thing I am interested in are discussions of management issues. I think for this to be effective it should be as inclusive as possible.

That is the whole problem right now. The masses of Freedom lovers are ready to go, but there is no unifying force directing and collaborating with us. I think CFL has great potential, and a gateway/ welcoming page with lots of good info would be essential. I also think that a forum is a must. I try to post suggestions on this forum and they are not taken seriously, but at CFL they could be more PROJECT ORIENTED, which i think would help considerably.
JV

CFL is a different animal and, as it seems now, will never be able to do what we can. CFL is building a decent community organizing tool, but their policies prevent them from being a broad-spectrum grassroots org that can harness the power of the true grassroots.

 

[acptulsa]

So, should this portal be more why we're concerned for liberty, what we think and why, or a showcase of what we've done and are doing? Or some combination thereof? What proportions? How much should we categorize this information? We know we have a great resource in the archive of this forum--what parts should we cherry pick?

When I succumbed to this line of thinking there was no 'net whatsoever. Someone think back to when you first started feeling the effects of that red pill and tell me what a welcome portal should be. What parts of this forum were most helpful to you when you first appeared? Because I had ingested that red pill before Josh was born, much less this site.

 

[yongrel]

Sounds spiffy to me.

Randy should get a blog. Now.

 

[ronpaulhawaii]

Does anyone need help creating it, graphics, etc?

Yes, thanks

I envision this being managed by volunteers with input/direction from our entire membership.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

I like this idea!

Lets do it!

-t

 

[acptulsa]

Yes, the archive here is a treasure trove...

I agree that blogs could be a part of the portal, but should be a link from a basic welcoming page.

I don't see this as re-inventing a wheel. I see this as collecting the wheels we have and building a bus.

The first thing I am interested in are discussions of management issues. I think for this to be effective it should be as inclusive as possible.

Well, to quote Dubya's Daddy, we do need to get the Vision Thing together pretty quick as well. I definitely see links to CFL for tools and RPF for discussion. Input would be good, but I'd be for heavy moderation so the new site is all about not argument but action. So, let calls to action be posted there and let the whys be debated here--that site is not for encouraging or discouraging but for organizing.

But I can sure see it being set up as a libertarian library. I certainly trust the owners, administrators and moderators here. Can we just search this archive for the posts we learned the most from and nominate them in this thread, and let the staff sort them out? Is the staff willing?

 

[ronpaulhawaii]

So, should this portal be more why we're concerned for liberty, what we think and why, or a showcase of what we've done and are doing? Or some combination thereof? What proportions? How much should we categorize this information? We know we have a great resource in the archive of this forum--what parts should we cherry pick?

When I succumbed to this line of thinking there was no 'net whatsoever. Someone think back to when you first started feeling the effects of that red pill and tell me what a welcome portal should be. What parts of this forum were most helpful to you when you first appeared? Because I had ingested that red pill before Josh was born, much less this site.

I imagine a combination. Basically, what I am hoping we build is a simple and welcoming front page that links to the greater movement. We could have "featured" causes, "featured" blogs, "featured videos. Resource links, educational links, "best of" links, etc.

The "open source" nature of the forum was the most attractive to me...

Sounds spiffy to me.

Randy should get a blog. Now.

+1

I like this idea!

Lets do it!

-t

Thought you'd it . I expect OCH will integrate well into the mix

 

[Nate K]

nice thread hawaii..

To be appealing to newcomers we'd have to consider the prospect of a decent design. I'll volunteer to help in any way, I love the library idea.

Conza will be a big asset lol.

 

[Deborah K]

Use Liberty Forest as a way to form a coalition with other orgs. Just a suggestion.

 

[thechitowncubs]

Keep it simple stupid.

We should focus on extreme simplicity with an appealing look for all demographics, the CFL website is an example of what not to do.

 

[ronpaulhawaii]

nice thread hawaii..

To be appealing to newcomers we'd have to consider the prospect of a decent design. I'll volunteer to help in any way, I love the library idea.

Conza will be a big asset lol.

+1

Thanks x 2

Use Liberty Forest as a way to form a coalition with other orgs. Just a suggestion.

Yes, The OLA - (online liberty alliance) like what Josh suggested in the OP

Keep it simple stupid.

We should focus on extreme simplicity with an appealing look for all demographics, the CFL website is an example of what not to do.

Yep, I agree on the KIS aspect...

Maybe a design contest ?

 

[Nate K]

Maybe a design contest ?

I second that !

 

[Deborah K]

Yes, The OLA - (online liberty alliance) like what Josh suggested in the OP

Sorry I missed that. :o

 

[liberteebell]

Use Liberty Forest as a way to form a coalition with other orgs. Just a suggestion.

+1

 

[JoshLowry]

I think it'd be best to start on some kind of Online Liberty Alliance. Liberty Forest is something these forums can turn into with a front page and what not, but is Ron running in 2012?

We need some funds to pay a coder. I'd be happy to go the volunteer root, but I don't know if we have any polished web guys (or gals) who would contribute for free.

I could send an email out and see what that turns up.

 

[Nate K]

I think it'd be best to start on some kind of Online Liberty Alliance. Liberty Forest is something these forums can turn into with a front page and what not, but is Ron running in 2012?

We need some funds to pay a coder. I'd be happy to go the volunteer root, but I don't know if we have any polished web guys (or gals) who would contribute for free.

I could send an email out and see what that turns up.

Chip-in at worst?