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ellisonz

(27,739 posts)
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 03:25 PM Feb 2012

Welcome!

A couple notes from our previous discussions on the formation of this group:

- The proposed Statement of Purpose is:

A place for Occupy participants and supporters to promote the values of Occupy Wall Street, share information, and advocate constructive interaction among members of the DU community. This is a General Assembly of supporters of the 99%. While dissent is allowed because there are many different groups that oppose rule by the 1%, anti-Occupy Wall Street rhetoric belongs in other forums.


As of this post, the SOP has not been entered into the "About this Group" page or as a sub-header and so we will have to see about that after perhaps some more discussion.

- There has been some discussion about how this group will be organized and certainly more will be had:

The current thread on this can be found at DU2 with draft proposals from both Leopolds Ghost and I on some guidelines for hosting, discussion and so forth.

- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2477306

- I think the plan is to have some time to decide how we want to proceed including a formal election of a lead host. As such, I would just request that we all sit tight for a little bit on any discussion of hosts etc. Please feel free to add any thoughts you might have on this subject (outside of nominations) to the DU2 thread or to this thread. If there are an issues that arise with disruptive posting, please use the jury system if you believe it is necessary. Sound good?

P.S. I will not under any circumstances be hosting this group beyond trying facilitate some of this transition

30 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Welcome! (Original Post) ellisonz Feb 2012 OP
my first forum subscription! mike_c Feb 2012 #1
Glad to be of assistance! ellisonz Feb 2012 #2
A possible nitpick... Chan790 Feb 2012 #10
Eh... ellisonz Feb 2012 #11
I agree. And, I think that, at this time, the word Occupy is Luminous Animal Feb 2012 #12
Thanks! Welcome to you, too! Luminous Animal Feb 2012 #3
Thank you for participating. UnrepentantLiberal Feb 2012 #4
"We're all in this together." ellisonz Feb 2012 #5
+1 JNelson6563 Feb 2012 #15
The Statement of Purpose is up! ellisonz Feb 2012 #6
Just to clarify current status for everyone reading this -- Leopolds Ghost Feb 2012 #27
Maybe the occupy group and the SOP as well can be more broad quinnox Feb 2012 #7
The SOP is pretty broadly constructed. ellisonz Feb 2012 #9
ok, well lets get the host election underway quinnox Feb 2012 #13
lol ellisonz Feb 2012 #14
So the authoritarian role of Lead Host is at odds with the participatory democracy Warren Stupidity Feb 2012 #22
Agreed. ellisonz Feb 2012 #23
Yep, that's what we're going after. The lead host is a sort of Justice of peace/vibes watcher figure Leopolds Ghost Feb 2012 #25
Noooooooo!!! UnrepentantLiberal Feb 2012 #16
I would be willing to serve as host or co-host hootinholler Feb 2012 #8
Can I be a co-host too? UnrepentantLiberal Feb 2012 #18
I don't see why not hootinholler Feb 2012 #19
I like facilitator. UnrepentantLiberal Feb 2012 #20
Me too hootinholler Feb 2012 #21
Scratch that. UnrepentantLiberal Feb 2012 #30
this looks interesting, i better start hanging out here a bit dembotoz Feb 2012 #17
Hey All, sorry I'm late. Leopolds Ghost Feb 2012 #24
I will at least lurk nearly every day. PufPuf23 Feb 2012 #26
what a great idea for a group. limpyhobbler Feb 2012 #28
OCCUPY DU2! snooper2 Feb 2012 #29

ellisonz

(27,739 posts)
2. Glad to be of assistance!
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 03:35 PM
Feb 2012

This group is for posters like you! The basic idea is a dedicated space to talk about Occupy and to create a "lifeboat" for Occupy-friendly posters now and down the line

 

Chan790

(20,176 posts)
10. A possible nitpick...
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 05:32 PM
Feb 2012

but because it's about all the Occupy actions nationally and internationally, can we replace the use of OWS and Occupy Wall Street where in appears in terms of things like the SOP with some more-inclusive term like simply "Occupy" or "Occupy Everywhere" or "Occupy Underground" or "Occupy ______" or "Occupy *" (or anything else that might be used and generally-agreeable).

I do realize it's a small thing but it makes it clearer that this is about all the Occupy movements and not just Wall Street.

ellisonz

(27,739 posts)
11. Eh...
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 05:40 PM
Feb 2012

I understand where you are coming from. But I think we left it that way because the Wall Street Occupation was the sort of genesis Occupation, without there would be no Occupations. The desires you expressed are precisely why the group was titled "Occupy Underground" and not "Occupy Wall Street." I think in some ways it would be undue not mention Occupy Wall Street in the SOP, and moreover in the majority of mainstream media reports this movement, irregardless of geographical locale is referred to as "Occupy Wall Street."

For example in this friendly article it's described as such: "The surest way to rankle a supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement" - http://www.democraticunderground.com/125231

I think it's something we can consider. Getting admin to make that tweak at this point though is probably more trouble than it's worth.

Luminous Animal

(27,310 posts)
12. I agree. And, I think that, at this time, the word Occupy is
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 05:45 PM
Feb 2012

sufficiently inclusive from Wall Street to Anchorage.

Leopolds Ghost

(12,875 posts)
27. Just to clarify current status for everyone reading this --
Wed Feb 22, 2012, 10:59 AM
Feb 2012

The Statement of Purpose (SOP) which defines what the group is about, was proposed on Meta and approved when the group went live.

The Procedures or "guidelines" is a slightly longer (multi paragraph) document describing how Occupy Underground intends to self-organize, number and duties of hosts, clarification on how to do consensus GA-style threads (we've been mostly using the poll feature over on "occupy" du2) etc. It gets ratified by members of the group AFTER it's launched.

Ellisonz has been shepherding the procedures and facilitating group edits resulting in a "full" draft that came out of the du2 group along with the SOP to be posted on a "bulletin thread" here and over there as well (posted prior to launch -- see here). As a step to reducing the amount of verbiage and thus preventing excess bureaucracy, Ellison posted a suggestion for further edits here.

I have to go, but when I get back I'll post a similar "bulletin" thread here with the "du2 text" and Ellisonz's most recent proposed reduction.

Until then here's a link to the pre-launch thread for viewing and comment on the draft version of the guidelines
(we got pretty far along on the original du2 thread -- it's mostly about language and conciseness at this point) --

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2477306

And here's prior threads on the subject: http://www.democraticunderground.com/124041894#post2

 

quinnox

(20,600 posts)
7. Maybe the occupy group and the SOP as well can be more broad
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 05:12 PM
Feb 2012

than just occupy wall street. I'm just throwing this out there. I'm thinking along the lines of progressives and liberals who aren't happy going with the status quo in general and could freely speak about other things than just OWS.

ellisonz

(27,739 posts)
14. lol
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 06:12 PM
Feb 2012

Well I think we need to talk first about what we expect from hosts and how we pick them...wouldn't want to end up like the Feminist Group!

don't hurt me

 

Warren Stupidity

(48,181 posts)
22. So the authoritarian role of Lead Host is at odds with the participatory democracy
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 09:56 PM
Feb 2012

organizational structure of OWS. I suggest that the SOP make it specific that the Lead Host function should rotate on a regular basis, that the term should be short, and that any Lead Host 'serves at the pleasure of the community' and can be recalled by vote at any time.

ellisonz

(27,739 posts)
23. Agreed.
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 10:14 PM
Feb 2012

If you go to the DU2 link in the OP you can see that there is no debate that participatory democracy is the goal here. Without checking, I think both drafts right now have term limits and recalls. Mirroring the Occupy decision making process with the realities of an internet discussion board of course has its technological/time limits.

I'm think we'll give it a day or two before we formally start deciding any of this - only fair to let posters get the news this group is live

Leopolds Ghost

(12,875 posts)
25. Yep, that's what we're going after. The lead host is a sort of Justice of peace/vibes watcher figure
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 11:46 PM
Feb 2012

See link in Ellisonz's OP

hootinholler

(26,449 posts)
8. I would be willing to serve as host or co-host
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 05:21 PM
Feb 2012

I'm very happy this group was created. Hopefully it will help in keeping up with Occupy happenings.

hootinholler

(26,449 posts)
19. I don't see why not
Tue Feb 21, 2012, 07:19 PM
Feb 2012

But I suppose we should call it facilitating instead of hosting.



I won't even call for repentance.

 

UnrepentantLiberal

(11,700 posts)
30. Scratch that.
Thu Feb 23, 2012, 06:52 AM
Feb 2012

I don't want to be involved in the hosting process. I think I'd wash out during the background check.

PufPuf23

(9,233 posts)
26. I will at least lurk nearly every day.
Wed Feb 22, 2012, 12:07 AM
Feb 2012

One hopes that OWS has a successful spring and summer and fall of 2012.

 

snooper2

(30,151 posts)
29. OCCUPY DU2!
Wed Feb 22, 2012, 12:02 PM
Feb 2012

on du3 LOL

I have been looking for group theme songs and this is perfect for here-

My Hood! Occupy!!!

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