SCN: logo ideas
Joe Mabel
jmabel at speakeasy.org
Wed Mar 6 22:45:30 PST 2002
So maybe "Placing communities on the web" would make sense (although I still see
supporting cyberspace "democracy" as even more central to our mission than
"community"), but "technology" has certainly not been our emphasis. We don't
even continue to have a program to pass used computers to those who need them.
It seems to me that this effort to revisit a slogan is putting the cart before
the horse. If it is time to reconsider our mission (and perhaps it is), we
should have some serious discussion of that mission, develop something like a
consensus (which, if there is no broad consensus, may be painful and may
involve some people leaving the group, hopefully not in anger but to start
groups that focus more in their areas of concern). Then when we agree what we
are doing, if our current slogan is inappropriate to our new mission, it is
time to change the slogan.
What is broken about SCN(A)? In my viev:
- we seem to have lost sight of providing service for the most disadvantaged
which approximates what is available to other people.
- we have a lot of bickering, blaming, and flaming that discourages active
participation by capable people.
- we have not become expert at deploying volunteers to maximum advantage.
- we have fallen far short of our early goal of being innovators, of
constituting a model for others in using technology in service to democracy.
- we do not, in my opinion, constitute one of the easiest ways to get local,
public-minded content onto the Web.
- we have never developed any ability at all to truly support other
likeminded endeavors.
All of that said, I still think the group has enormous potential and an
appropriate (if somewhat vague) mission. I'm glad to have the Peace Heathens'
Crisis Resource Directory be hosted as part of SCN. I'm glad to have it up there
with no ads and no censorship. I'm glad to have it up there as something to
strengthen SCN's content offering. But where on SCN are ten other sites equally
vital to Seattle? Where is the technology that would make our Crisis
Resource Directory easily searchable? Where is the community (yes, community) of
other organizations with web content on SCN with which we can share ideas about
mutually strengthening our offerings? What is SCN doing that it wasn't doing
five years ago to help those most in need of such information have access to it?
What are we doing to work with the disadvantaged rather than merely for them?
I am in the ironic situation of posing all of these questions from my current
office in Bucharest, Romania. I'm not in the ideal position to be part of a
Seattle-based community at this moment. The internet is an amazing thing: it
allows me to actively participate in this discussion from the far edge of
Europe. The question to me is, what are we doing to make it equally likely for
someone to participate from the far edge of South Park, White Center, or Yesler
Terrace? What are we doing to build democracy in the USA?
--------------------
Joe Mabel
On Wed, 6 Mar 2002, patrick fisher wrote:
> I see "Powering our Communities with Technology" to mean that communities, groups
> can use SCN to have a web site to broadcast information about themselves via a media
> that is accessible to all. That is my take on it.
>
> Second, please, please tell me what needs to be fixed with SCN. From your point. I
> have asked. And what is it that us web update people can do to fix it? I don't do
> hardware. I don't do software. A few of us topic editors who update the pages are
> good at what they do and are not hardware/software people. If the problem lies
> there, what is it that we can do when we do not have those skills? Please tell me.
>
> There are other more pressing problems. Do all of the volunteers jump in and work
> only on those items and ignore everything else?
>
> What is wrong with fixing up a car by having a few people working on the engine and
> a few painting and detailing? Should we all be working on the engine? Please tell
> me, I'd like to know.
>
> And if the site looks great and updated, will that not bring in more donations?
> Leaving the front end in neglect while working on the engine only will be our
> savior?
>
> Mainly, many people have said that there are more pressing issues for SCN. HOwever,
> no one has mentioned specifically what those things are.
>
> Also, to reiterate, an organization putting a web site up for free on SCN, void of
> ads, is in my opinion, "Powering our communities with technology". Maybe it isn't
> the total answer, but I think SCN does a great job at what it can do.
>
> Off my soapbox,
> Patrick
>
>
>
> --- Terry Trimingham <ttrim at scn.org> wrote:
> >
> >
> > I agree with Doug on this one.
> >
> > SCN was created to allow all people access to technology. "Democratic
> > technology for all." It is still true, we still allow the have-nots access
> > to the internet.
> >
> > On the other hand, we are archaic, klunky, and hard to use compared to
> > most technology available today. "Powering our communities with
> > technology" implies that we have something slick to offer, and we don't. I
> > think it is VERY misleading to use this phrase as our slogan.
> >
> > And, I agree with Joe. There are so many other things wrong with SCN than
> > the logo and the slogan, it would be better to focus on those things,
> > rather than try to "fix" something that hasn't yet broken.
> >
> > Terry
> >
> >
> >
> > On Tue, 5 Mar 2002, Doug Schuler wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > I don't like the logo change idea and I don't like the
> > > slogan change idea.
> > >
> > > "Democratic Technology for all" is more inclusive and broad.
> > >
> > > "Powering our communities with technology" is technocratic.
> > >
> > > I would think that we'd rather put the emphasis on DEMOCRACY
> > > not on TECHNOLOGY.
> > >
> > > Can somebody remind me why this is happening?
> > >
> > > -- Doug
> > >
> > > ******************************************************************
> > > * SHAPING THE NETWORK SOCIETY *
> > > * Patterns for Participation, Action, and Change *
> > > * http://www.cpsr.org/conferences/diac02 *
> > > * Tomorrow's information and communication infrastructure *
> > > * is being shaped today. *
> > > * But by whom and to what ends? *
> > > * Questions: diac02-info at cpsr.org *
> > > ******************************************************************
> > >
> > >
> > > On Tue, 5 Mar 2002, patrick fisher wrote:
> > >
> > > > Joe,
> > > >
> > > > Thanks for the comments. The logo issue is out of my hands, as far as I know.
> > > >
> > > > There will be a different slogan. I think it is: Powering Our Communities with
> > > > Technology.
> > > >
> > > > It would be nice, as you say, to have different variations of the logos for
> > > > different uses.
> > > >
> > > > I will put the PDF up on a web page. I will have to take a screen sshot and
> > past it
> > > > as an image, though.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks!
> > > > Patrick
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- Joe Mabel <jmabel at speakeasy.org> wrote:
> > > > > Any logo with relatively small letters in the design (e.g. the "democratic
> > > > > technology for all" writtenrat the bottom) is liable to scale down badly.
> > > > > Before adopting it, we should play with how it scales down and consider
> > whether
> > > > > it will be acceptable at the smallsst size we intend to use.
> > > > >
> > > > > One standard solution to this is to adopt several variations of a logo 3-5
> > > > > different sizes, possibly a color and a B&W version at each size. Major
> > graphic
> > > > > elements should stay the same, but details may vary: for example, text might
> > not
> > > > > be exactly proportional at the different sizes, to improve readability.
> > > > >
> > > > > In any event, rather than sending candidate logos out by PDF through email,
> > > > > can't we please post them on SCN itself somewhere & have one central place
> > > > > people can look at the possibiities?
> > > > >
> > > > > That said, I do sense a bit af rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic here:
> > > > > Except for people who have no other SCN activities they can contribute to,
> > this
> > > > > seems like a pretty low-return use of volunteer time. I would not put a new
> >
> > > > > logo among SCN's 50 greatest needs at the moment.
> > > > >
> > > > > --------------------
> > > > > Joe Mabel
> > > > >
> > > > > On Wed, 27 Feb 2002, patrick fisher wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Here are some logo ideas in PDF format.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Please make specific, exact comments on what you like or do not like
> > > > > > about the logos.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Everyone's comments will be taken into consideration.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > If PDF does not work for you, please let me know and I will work
> > > > > > something out.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thank you,
> > > > > > Patrick
> > > > > >
> > > > > > =====
> > > > > > Webmaster
> > > > > > Seattle Community Network
> > > > > > http://www.scn.org
> > > > > > "Powering our communities with technology"
> > > > > >
> > > > > > __________________________________________________
> > > > > > Do You Yahoo!?
> > > > > > Yahoo! Greetings - Send FREE e-cards for every occasion!
> > > > > > http://greetings.yahoo.com
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > =====
> > > > Webmaster
> > > > Seattle Community Network
> > > > http://www.scn.org
> > > > "Powering our communities with technology"
> > > >
> > > > __________________________________________________
> > > > Do You Yahoo!?
> > > > Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email!
> > > > http://mail.yahoo.com/
> > > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * From the Listowner * * * * * * * * * * * *
> > > > . To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to:
> > > > majordomo at scn.org In the body of the message, type:
> > > > unsubscribe scn
> > > > ==== Messages posted on this list are also available on the web at: ====
> > > > * * * * * * * http://www.scn.org/volunteers/scn-l/ * * * * * * *
> > > >
> > >
> > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * From the Listowner * * * * * * * * * * * *
> > > . To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to:
> > > majordomo at scn.org In the body of the message, type:
> > > unsubscribe scn
> > > ==== Messages posted on this list are also available on the web at: ====
> > > * * * * * * * http://www.scn.org/volunteers/scn-l/ * * * * * * *
> > >
> >
> > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * From the Listowner * * * * * * * * * * * *
> > . To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to:
> > majordomo at scn.org In the body of the message, type:
> > unsubscribe scn
> > ==== Messages posted on this list are also available on the web at: ====
> > * * * * * * * http://www.scn.org/volunteers/scn-l/ * * * * * * *
>
>
> =====
> Webmaster
> Seattle Community Network
> http://www.scn.org
> "Powering our communities with technology"
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email!
> http://mail.yahoo.com/
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * From the Listowner * * * * * * * * * * * *
> . To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to:
> majordomo at scn.org In the body of the message, type:
> unsubscribe scn
> ==== Messages posted on this list are also available on the web at: ====
> * * * * * * * http://www.scn.org/volunteers/scn-l/ * * * * * * *
>
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * From the Listowner * * * * * * * * * * * *
. To unsubscribe from this list, send a message to:
majordomo at scn.org In the body of the message, type:
unsubscribe scn
==== Messages posted on this list are also available on the web at: ====
* * * * * * * http://www.scn.org/volunteers/scn-l/ * * * * * * *
More information about the scn
mailing list