Improv

Okay, it looks as if I owe it to myself at least to say a few things about this High Stakes 2004 thing. I read through the comments thread at Whedonesque as a lurker and noted a blank, not-recognizing-the-existence-of-self-organizing-systems sort of mentality. The organizers of this event are supposed to be ourselves; it’s up to us; if we don’t make phone calls and arrangements, set up convergent times and schedules, and hie ourselves into living rooms at appointed times, nothing much will come of the idea. We are the responsible parties in this sitch. (Nota bene: Nothing prevents a Buffy for Bush kind of organizing, either. High Stakes 2004 looks endorsed by Joss, who is supposed to participate in conference calls during the parties on the night of October 24, but the whole idea here appears to involve getting off asses and making personal efforts, which is as available an activity for Reps as for Dems of whatever stripe.)

As primers on the sort of behavior High Stakes 2004 appears to me to be trying to encourage, try browsing Howard Rheingold’s site Smart Mobs, especially the book summary and the power of the mobile many category. Wikipedia can help you understand almost anything, but for smart-mob stuff, try Smart Mobs and its relevant links, especially collective intelligence. Read through WorldChanging, especially its Means of Expression archive. High Stakes 2004 looks like a clear example of these kinds of collaborative efforts, enabled by the internets among other things, to enact a desired world. Anyone can play. Sing along. Shout at the devil. Pick your poison.