Hi all,
During the meeting one of the subjects that was raised but we had no
time to address is the reach-out process and candidates selection.
I propose that we create in this thread a list of the community networks
we would like to invite.
Considering the Special Interest Group is meant to be global, I believe
it is important to try to keep some regional balance in the group over time.
There were two candidates previously mentioned. Let's grow this list
with the communities we would like to reach out to. I'd suggest that we
also add some contact names for each organization.
So, starting the list:
- guifi.net (Roger Baig Viñas, Ramón Roca, ...)
- Freifunk (Elektra Wagenrad, Monic Meisel, André Gaul...)
- Wlan-slovenia (Luka Mustafa/Musti, ...)
- Digital Empowerment Foundation (Ritu Srivastava, Osama Manzar, ...)
- PeoplesOpen/SudoMesh (JennyRyan, ...)
- ...
Cheers!
NicoEchániz
Dear SIG Members,
Sorry for the delay: I'm in field-work in Atins with Troian, from
CooLab, looking for alternatives for local communication in deep
Maranhão. Currently, there's only satelite connection, so when it rains,
we became offline. We've tried to follow the kick-off meeting, but we
didn't get it.
Please, find below a few lines of my proposal to the Policy and
Regulation Wroking Group.
best regards,
Thiago Novaes
+++
Policy and Regulation
Network Communities – SIG – ISOC
Jan 2018
Spectrum has been a crucial and public resource for communication in the
last one hundred years. Since the introduction of radio, the potential
to amplify communication between people has been widely discussed.
However, worldwide spectrum is under-used and most of the cities are not
using even half of their allocated spectrum.
Although there is a technical evolution largely taking place, technical
alienation makes difficult the development of new possibilities
characteristic of technologies such as new multimedia communication
platforms. The dominant trend in public discussion around digital
technologies is frequently limited to how it is now possible to receive
more content with more lines and pixels (high-definition). Whilst
governments and the private sector pretend to the general public that
the spectrum is a scarce resource, today this is certainly not true, and
there is a lot of unused spectrum available.
The appeal of revenue involved in spectrum management is very powerful
making it difficult for regulators and national Governments to let go of
exclusive commercial use of the spectrum. The restriction of the use of
the spectrum creates an environment where pricing determines the actors
and rules for access, imposing a commercial relationship between civil
society and this fundamental right and ample resource.
The current debate about spectrum management considers that new
technologies can provide more efficient and equitable use of the
spectrum, leading us to a paradigm shift: the abundance of the spectrum.
In this context, what are the opportunities and challenges for
Communities Networks to use spectrum, particularly in the transition
from analogue to digital technologies?
The use of the spectrum in contemporary and diverse cultures requires a
socio-technical thinking, in an effort to reduce technological
alienation. Since not everyone has access to the same digital
development, we have a scenario where both analogue and digital
technologies share the potential of empowering far-to-reach communities,
who themselves desire to build communication networks and tools
collaboratively. Whilst these new media aesthetic objects have been
understood mostly by their economic potential, as instruments of work,
or, ideed, of consumption, Community Networks around the globe are
exploring multiple modalities of human-machine relation emerged from
local, ethnic and experimental uses.
Mesh networks, community cell phones, digital television, digital radio,
different communication infrastructures can be finally combined to
interactive services, and work as an effective tool which helps to
communicate over large territories. Combining old and new
communicational devices, Network Communities can produce their own
information and make it available to other distant and/or isolated
locations through lower energy consuming equipments as well as
connecting to the Internet to amplify locally and globally their
communicational public sphere.
Activities:
Organize strategic meetings with SIG-members, technicians, authorities
and community leaders;
Co-produce pedagogical material with outlines for use of different
digital devices specific to locality and dissiminate information through
public workshops;
Mediate the institutional relations between key partners and potential
collaborators from different sectors;
Participate in public debates, and follow specialized telecom news
concerning regulation, technological advances and current challenges to
the effective use of the spectrum through different digital
communication infrastructures.
Present papers to academic and activist communities to widen discussion
and attract further specialist collaborators.
Experience:
Since 1997 I have been involved in local communication projects: Radio
Muda, a free radio installed in the centre of the University campus
which lead me to offer hundreds of worshops around Brazil, Latin America
and Europe. In 2003 and 2004, I became member of the Brazilian digital
television research group, responsible for interactive services. In
2005, I was invited to coordinate the digital worshops for the National
Cultural Policy “Pontos de Cultura”, and collaborated as advisor of
Brazilian gorvernment during the WSIS, in Tunis. In 2011, I became
General Secretary of the Brazilian Digital Radio Assoation, a group of
researchers dedicated to develop alternatives for autonomous global
digital communication through radio technologies. Currently, I’m
post-doc researcher in a federal university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
lecture in Radio Political Economy, working with CooLab, building
communication infrastructure in the Brazilian Amazon.
In 2017 I have been involved in the organization of some spectrum
related activities:
- International Conference Spectrum Communication Society – ESC IV (Nov.
13th and 14th 2017)
http://esc4.abradig.org.br/
- Round table in the Internet Brazilian Forum (Pre-IGF, Nov. 15th 2017)
http://forumdainternet.cgi.br/files/16462.pdf
- Amazon Digital Television Seminar (Dec. 1th 2017)
http://tvdigitalamazonia.produtoracolaborativa.com/
Responsible for:
https://simondongilbert.wordpress.com/http://www.tsonami.cl/radio/programa-para-raio/
Collaboration:
http://www.coolab.org/http://drm-brasil.org/http://radiolivre.org/http://muda.radiolivre.org/
Portuguese translator for
http://apc.org/
Reference Article:
Digital Radio in Brazil: Not left, nor right. Let’s move forward
http://revista.ibict.br/liinc/article/view/3768
Hi everyone,
Following you will find the decisions reached during the KoM.
1. Process to define WG's coordinators
1.1. Coordinator statements of interest submission within 5 days (from Jan 26 to Jan 31).
1.2. Coordinators acceptance will be made through the mailing list within 30 days starting on Feb 1st.
1.3. WG's can start chatting amongst themselves before the Coordinator's nomination.
1.4. There is no formal repesentation of the WG's until there is a Coordinator defined.
2. Decision making process
2.1. Operative decisions that can be retracted do not require prior voting, just informing.
2.2. Procedure for decisions that need voting:
2.2.1. Decisions can be made over e-mail threads. E-mails must be marked with [Decision]
2.2.2. Default timeframe for decisions is 5 days. It can be extended by 5 additional days upon request of council members.
2.2.3. If there are not enough votes (51% of organizations represented) the decision cannot be made.
2.2.4. After 5 days, a Council officer will share the result of the vote, what is the quorum, and other relevant details. The e-mail will be marked with the tag [Decision reached]
2.2.5. Prioritized backlog with pending identified definitions will be public and kept updated by Council officers.
All this decisions were reached by unanimity on Jan 26 2018 during a virtual meeting.
9 out of 11 organizations where represented by:
Gio(Ninux)
Nico Echániz (AlterMundi)
Nico Pace (AlterMundi)
Sol Luca de Tena (Zenzeleni)
Vassilis (Sarantaporo.gr)
Panayotis Antoniadis (NetHood)
Manuela (Atalaya Sur)
Damián (Atalaya Sur)
Nicholas Kourtzis (Sarantaporo.gr)
Jaspreet Singh (GramMarg)
Peter Bloom (Rhizomatica)
Claudio (Ninux)
Bruno Vianna (Coolab)
Cheers!
Nico, Sol, Rodri
Please try to join the meeting 5' before 16:00
The meeting pad with the agenda and where we will be collectively taking
notes is:
https://pad.codigosur.org/CNSIG_Meeting01
Please let us know if you have any issue with your Mumble connection.
See you in 30' !
Cheers,
NicoEchániz
Dear all
I decided to withdraw my self nomination for the coordination of the
Training WG. I don't think I'll have enough time this year to dedicate
myself to coordinate this effort. But do count on me as part of the group.
I also just wrote Thiago Novaes asking his stance on his Policy WG
nomination.
It was great to hear you all earlier!
Regards
Bruno
--
bruno(a)pobox.com ▀─█▄██▄▀▄
http://brunovianna.net ─█▄██▄▀█▀█▄
skype: randomico▀─█▄██▄▀█▀█▄▌██─█▌█▌
Here we share some suggestions for the meeting
* If you are new to mumble, try it before the meeting. Write to us if
you have issues. We will also be available from 15' before the scheduled
time to deal with technical difficulties.
* Please be online at least 5' before the scheduled time so we can start
on time.
* Have a laptop available so you can easily follow and contribute to the
collaborative notes (might be difficult from a phone).
* Have earphones to avoid audio loops.
Mumble configuration:
You can download the client from mumble.com or install it from your
package manager if you are using Linux. For Android phones you can
install Plumble from the Play Store.
We will use the AureaSocial server. Use this information to
configure the server:
label: whatever you like
address: MUMBLE.AUREASOCIAL.ORG
port: 64738
username: choose one
password: no need to set one
Configure "push to talk" method, which is the best for crowded meetings.
Please don't leave your Mumble installation and configuration for last
minute.
Cheers,
Nico, Sol, Rodri
Hi everyone,
Please consider this suggestions for tomorrow's meeting
- If you are new to mumble, *try it before* the meeting. Writte us if
you have issues that can't fix. We will also be available from *15'
before* the scheduled time to deal with technical issues.
- Be online at least 5' before the scheduled time so we *start on time*.
- Have a* laptop available* so you can follow and contribute to the
collaborative notes.
- *Have earphones* to avoid audio loops.
*Mumble configuration*
- We will use the *aureasocial* server. Use this information to configure
it <https://www.mumble.com/support/how-to-connect-to-a-mumble-server.php>
:
- Tag: Aureasocial
- Address: mumble.aureasocial.org
- Port: 64738
- User name: <choose your own one>
- Configure
<https://www.mumble.com/support/mumble-server-push-to-talk.php> "push to
talk" method
Please let us know if you have doubts or comments.
See you on Friday 26th January *16h00-18h00 UTC*.
Regards,
Rodrigo, Sol and Nico
(I'm sharing my own statement, as proposed in the KoM preparation
thread, to "break the ice" and invite every other proposed WG
coordinator to also share theirs)
========================
I have worked for the past 15 years in many aspects of Community
Networking, in particular during the past 6 years I have coordinated
many free software projects related to the deployment of "geek free"
mesh networks for under-served communities. This process has involved
numerous efforts to help merge different initiatives from a number of
communities into collaboration projects where we can better ... our
collective efforts. From these efforts LibreMesh was born as a firmware
created by members of AlterMundi, Guifi.net, Ninux from the merge of
their respective mesh firmware projects. LibreMap was also the result of
merging Freifunk's OpenWifiMap and AlterMundi's AlterMap. During 2017,
we embarked in our first open hardware project: LibreRouter. As a
coordinator for this project I was amazed to see how a team of more than
20 people from every continent was able to work together towards a
commong goal. We are now producing the second prototype and expect to
have an initial LibreRouter batch around May 2018.
In my role coordinating these and other cross-community initiatives I
learned that there is much more we could be doing to collectively
improve the technological base on which our networks are funded. There
are frequent overlaps where we could create synergy and there is also
unnecessary competition for development funding when we could coordinate
better and think bigger.
From my personal perspective, the first project the Tech WG should
undertake is to create an internal survey of what technologies we are
using, what are the scenarios where we deploy them, what are the
shortcomings we have identified and what is the identified path forward
in each community / organization.
Studying the results of this survey we can have a better picture of
where we are standing, what are the possible synergies now and what
collective action we can undertake in the future.
Important areas I imagine the Tech WG working on over time include:
evaluation of our tech status quo and state of the art, development
projects in every area of incumbency, help with lobbying for our market
segment with commercial tech providers, undertaking standardization
processes for technologies we use and develop, creating support channels
for existing and new community network projects.
In relation to the other WGs in the CNSIG, I can see a tight relation
with all of them, both supporting their work, producing relevant
information, identifying needs from our area in their fields and
maintaining an alert attitude towards the real impact of our work at
every step.
Dear CNSIGers,
In preparation for the Kick off Meeting (KoM) we would like to invite
everyone who has expressed their intention to coordinate a Working Group
to share through this list their "statement of intent", so we can move
forward as proposed by our Bylaws:
"The WG coordinator position will be examined and approved by the
Executive Council. To that end, candidates to coordinator positions will
submit a written statement of intention 30 days before the meeting.
Members of each working group shall have experience in the matter and
commitment to actively pursue the Working Group's role."
We won't be able to comply with the "30 days before the meeting"
requirement, but if we can reach consensus on the coordination roles I
guess we are OK. Otherwise, we can take more time.
The WG participants and coordinators were self identified in the
following pad:
https://pad.codigosur.org/CNSIG_WGs
We have already created e-mail lists for the Working Groups and members
have been pre-subscribed. These lists can already be used if you wish,
even prior to deciding on coordination roles, to begin communicating and
defining the focus of WG activities.
The e-mail addresses are:
tech-wg(a)lists.cnsig.info
regulation-wg(a)lists.cnsig.info
training-wg(a)lists.cnsig.info
impact-wg(a)lists.cnsig.info
--------------
Also, as part of the preparation for the KoM and looking forward to make
it valuable and efficient, we want to invite everyone to share in
advance some information to complement what you will be sharing verbally
during the meeting.
We know that there is a lot to be shared about the organizations and the
people in the CNSIG, and at the same time there are many topics that
need to be covered in a limited amount of time.
By this proposal we aim to enrich this very relevant space -where we get
to know more about each other- while at the same time saving precious
time during the meeting.
So, the proposal is:
Add in the KoM pad: https://pad.codigosur.org/CNSIG_Meeting01
... links to the information (text, photo, video, etc) you want to share
about both you and your organization. Use the =About Us= section in the
pad for this.
Please also review the information shared by others before the KoM if
you can make the time to do so. Having a better mental image of who we
all are during the meeting helps a lot.
All the best,
Nico, Sol, Rodrigo
On 01/18/2018 08:54 PM, Rodrigo Monelos wrote:
> Mi sensación luego de nuestra charla de ayer tomo una forma parecida a
> lo que planteás de "bajar un cambio", y la veo alineada con lo que los
> bylaws nos están diciendo.
> Conociendo ahora esa definición creo que tendríamos simplemente que
> seguirla. Lo que entiendo es que no sería ni lo que pensamos ayer ni la
> nueva propuesta.
> Con respecto a la idea de "ganar tiempo" e ir conversando, hice un
> ejercicio de dimensionamiento rápido y creo que la agenda que estamos
> planteando excede por mucho las dos horas.
> Mi opinión es que este tema lo ejecutemos según los bylaws y que
> enfoquemos el diseño de la reunión en lograr esos acuerdos mínimos que
> nos ayuden a avanzar en esta etapa tan particular de "darle forma" al
> espacio. Para graficarlo diría que son cosas que van por el lado de
> definir los próximos pasos y cómo darlos.
>
>
> El 18 ene. 2018 3:55 p. m., "Nicolás Echániz"
> <nicoechaniz(a)altermundi.net <mailto:nicoechaniz@altermundi.net>> escribió:
>
> Hice algunas pequeñas modificaciones en el texto, creo que nada muy
> relevante. Agregué algún link y las direcciones de las listas de
> correo también.
>
> De cualquier manera, tengo un conflicto más de fondo con esto que
> estamos proponiendo.
>
> En los dos grupos donde hay más de un coordinador propuesto, creo
> que va a ser problemático tener una co-coordinación... El de
> regulation, donde están propuestos Erick y Thiago, sus perfiles son
> completamente diferentes y sus estrategias también. En el técnico,
> hay 3 nicos (los 2 de AlterMundi) y el de Sarantaporo. El de
> Sarantaporo trabaja con tecnologías privativas, no es un "militante"
> del software/hardware libre y creo que en general tiene una mirada
> muy diferente que me hace difícil imaginar una co-coordinación.
>
> Creo que quizás podemos bajar un cambio la apuesta inicial para la
> Kick-off meeting y en vez de pedir ahora que los WG preparen todo lo
> que estamos pidiendo, pidamos solamente que las personas que se han
> propuesto para coordinar un WG envíen su "statement of intention",
> según lo que pedimos en los Bylaws:
>
> "The WG coordinator position will be examined and approved by the
> Executive Council. To that end, candidates to coordinator positions
> will submit a written statement of intention 30 days before the meeting.
> Members of each working group shall have experience in the matter
> and commitment to actively pursue the Working Group's role."
>
> Durante el KoM entonces podemos dar un momento para hacerles
> preguntas a los "candidatos" en función de lo que enviaron como
> propuesta/presentación. Dejaríamos para una siguiente reunión el
> momento en que los WGs presenten al Council sus objetivos/roadmaps,
> que elaborarían en conjunto, ya teniendo sus coordinadores definnidos.
>
> Cómo lo ven?
>
> Abrazos
>
>
> ===
> Igual copio acá abajo la versión con mis cambios del texto que
> empezó Sol por si decidimos no prestar atención a mi propuesta y
> seguir como veníamos :)
> ===
>
>
> Dear CNSIGers,
>
> In preparation for the Kick off Meeting (KoM) we would like to
> invite the Working Groups (WG) to begin communicating and defining
> the focus of their activities. As a reminder, the WG participants
> and coordinators were self identified in the following pad
> https://pad.codigosur.org/CNSIG_WGs
> <https://pad.codigosur.org/CNSIG_WGs>
>
> At the KoM we will give the Coordinator/s of each group the chance
> to present the WG to the rest of the Council. We would appreciate if
> you could focus the brief presentation by answering the follow 3 points.
>
> 1. Based on the general objectives of the CNSIG and for each WG,
> discussed in the Bylaws (https://pad.codigosur.org/CNSIG_Bylaws2
> <https://pad.codigosur.org/CNSIG_Bylaws2> ) and in the original
> application document (https://pad.codigosur.org/CNSIG
> <https://pad.codigosur.org/CNSIG> ), what are the main proposed
> objetives for the WG for 2018?, what would be the kind of
> deliverables expected and the value of these to the general WG
> objective?
>
> 2. What criteria/ metric will be used to evaluate if we are moving
> towards the objectives and how close we are?
> 3. What are some of the tasks that you envision undertaking?
>
> For WG which 2 people have indicated they are willing to coordinate,
> please also determine if you will co-coordinate, or chose a single
> coordinator.
>
> To aid the communication, we have created a WG mailing address for
> each WG. You are welcome to use these to communicate, and use other
> means you feel most confortable with.
>
> Initial members (as detailed in the WGs pad) have been pre-subscribed.
>
> E-mail address for each list are:
>
> tech-wg(a)lists.cnsig.info <mailto:tech-wg@lists.cnsig.info>
> regulation-wg(a)lists.cnsig.info <mailto:regulation-wg@lists.cnsig.info>
> training-wg(a)lists.cnsig.info <mailto:training-wg@lists.cnsig.info>
> impact-wg(a)lists.cnsig.info <mailto:impact-wg@lists.cnsig.info>
>
>
> Lastly, we understand that the WG's are just starting and that the
> availability of each WG to prepare something for the KoM will
> differ. The intention of this invitation is to create a space to
> start sharing. WG's presentations are not expected to be formal.
>
>
> All the best,
> Nico, Sol, Rodrigo
>
>
>
Dear CNSIG members,
Please find below information and a date poll for the CNSIG Kick off
Meeting.
The purpose of a Kick off is really to get everyone on the same page and
formally start work in the SIG. The main points to be covered are as
follows:
1. To briefly introduce ourselves.
2. To exchange our ideas of what the purpose of the CNSIG is, and how we
plan to go about it. It will be a good idea to set out some core
deliverables - or roadmap - of what we want to accomplish in the following
year. The bylaws and the discussion on the etherpad
https://pad.codigosur.org/CNSIG offer the basic framework of the group´s
purpose and basic parametres, and should be our guide in the activies we
plan.
3. To go a bit deeper into what each Working Group will focus on and how
they interact with each other.
4. Set up the modus operandi of the SIG in general.
5. To kick start the activity of the SIG.
*DATE*: Please indicate the date you prefer in the poll
https://framadate.org/DWMLqQfeGJW3fjNQ *the poll closes on the 11th Jan*
*TIME*: I propose UTC 4pm - 6pm (or mayb 7pm if we require extra time).
This seems like the only time all our time zones would be decent.
*PLATFORM:* Mumble has been suggested as a good platform to use.
https://www.mumble.com/
*AGENDA*: If you have any specific agenda items, beyond the points
mentioned above, please send them to this group before the meeting.
Any other considerations welcome. Looking forward.
Cheers,
--
Sol Luca de Tena
e: sol(a)zenzeleni.net
c: (+27/0) 839 47 4946
w: zenzeleni.net
Skype: sol.lucadetena
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxTPSWMX26M
*Zenzeleni Networks NPC*
- Winner of Best Innovation with Social Impact Award, Innovation Bridge 2017
- Finalist of Mozilla Equal Rating Innovation Challenge, 2017