To:

Zcom_simple
Home » Z Blogs » Brian Kelly's Blog » Our Vision Only Comes Through Organizing

Hello,

Blogs are a familiar feature on the internet - where users post content in an accumulating manner, with comments, and search options, etc. They facilitate expression and exploration, and via attached comments, also debate and synthesis.


Reading and
Navigating Blogs

Our blogs are quite powerful. Each writer can post, as is typically the case. Sustainers who have the option can also post, however. All Blogs appear in the blog system, and sometimes also in content boxes the top page of ZNet - and always via the left menu of the top page - and can be found via searches, etc.

Commenting on blogs follows the blogs, attached at the bottom, and blog comments, like all others, are also visible in many places that show comments including in the forum system. In addition, the entire blog system gathers content for everyone - but one can look at the accumulating content in many ways.

  • For example one can look at one writer's efforts - so one is seeing what is effectively a blog system for that one writer, or Sustainer.
  • One can also look at the content by topic, seeing blogs that are tagged as being about a certain topic - or place, as well. Thus, when doing that, it is a blog system about a topic, or a place, with many contributors.
  • One can look at only writer blogs, or only sustainer blogs, as well.
  • One can look at blogs for particular Groups, too.

All this is easily done using the left menu. Searches allow even more variables and refinements.


Creating Blog Posts

If you are a Sustainer with permission, and are logged in, you will see a link in the left menu for you to post a blog - and you can use that to post one, and then tag it various ways (such as with a topic or place, or a group tag), and once you do, it is in the system with you as the author.

You can also use the console button to the left to post a blog - anytime and from anywhere in the site, as long as you are logged in.

Meanwhile, enjoy the blogs - and, by the way, if you are a Free Member or a Sustainer with a ZSpace page, of course you can put one or more content boxes on it, pulling blog links of any sort you may want to filter for, for example, by you or by your friends or by others - and by topic, about places, for groups, etc.

Blogs

667096

Brian Kelly's Blog

Web Address: http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/briankelly
Bio: Brian is socialist organizer, writer, and activist from New York. Brian's writings can be found on his website - Diary of a Walking Butterfly (www.walkingbutterfly.org). Contact e-mail: butterfly... (More)

All Kelly Blogs

Recent Kelly Content

Znetarticle_icon ZNet Articles
Zaudio_icon ZAudios
Zblogpost_icon Blog Posts

Our Vision Only Comes Through Organizing

By Brian Kelly at Feb 10, 2009

PDF Version

Printer Friendly Version
Change Text Size a- | A+

I am writing to raise questions about how each of us in the Z community, especially advocates of participatory vision, think our vision will actually come to fruitation. That is, what are the essential things we need to be doing to bring about a revolution, and what is zcommunications.org's place in helping to build that movement.

ZCommunications is an incredible tool for revolutionaries. Z has given millions of progressives sharp analysis on thousands of issues of concern around the world. The recent website upgrade has enabled organizers to begin to network in ways previously impossible. It is certain that it will continue to expand in ways that will enable all of us to strengthen our own the ground work and provide regional, national, and international venues of communications to aid in being intentional about our growth and strategy.

Most recently I've seen people talk about making ZNet more participatory. While I sympathize with the desire to get involved in the Z community, I often find myself confused at some of the suggestions put forth. In particular, it seems that many people who I share similar values with, seem quite concerned with the day-to-day operations of Z. While this is reasonable to some degree, I find myself asking whether they are applying those same demands to their local communities. By this I mean that we are going to build a movement only by actually building a movement. If we think workers' and consumers' councils are worthy institutions that a future economy will be based on, then we should be primarily waging (non-refomist) reform struggles to build our power as well as construction new popular institutions outright. In short, most of our energies should be devoted to organizing: writing, talking to people, providing people with radicalizing experiences, providing ways for people to take action to raise the social costs for elites of policies we oppose, doing things which increases our numbers and the commitment of those involved, and so on.

So I'm interested in what others on Z think about this, what they are doing to build popular movements and institutions, and spread radical vision throughout society. How are people using Z to aid in this political work?

Comment On This Blog Post  See All Comments (1)

585027

By Schindler, Jonathan at Feb 17, 2009 17:29 PM

My gut feeling on why I'm trying to organize on Z first, instead of the 'real world', is that there is a profound lack of solidarity, which makes it hard for me to act.  The reason I am focused on Z, and organizing through Z, versus simply getting involved locally, walking around my neighborhood and talking to people, etc, is because I think that it's the shortest path to quickly organizing people.  Also, I'm an introvert, with a capital 'I', and my best skills are in writing software, so it makes sense for me to contribute my talent in trying to improve the website.

Bringing together sustainers could provide a base for the left that is missing.  I think the problem with doing blind community outreach is that there is a huge knowledge barrier.   I speak a different language than most people I see out on the street (although interestingly enough, people who make minimum wage seem to understand me quite a bit better than my college educated friends).  If I'm holding up a sign and protesting out on the street, people may feel reluctant to get involved.  They may wonder what I'm upset about, or be curious, but on the other hand see the wonderful police officers dressed in full riot gear, and the choppers overhead, and say to themselves, "maybe later".  I have conversations with friends all the time about left issues, and it can take years to bring people around.  Z also provides a base for those who already have a common language to get together.  I really think that this base is missing on the left. 

So, I guess the shortest answer to your question is, "I'm focusing on organizing people through Z because I believe that it's the quickest way to organize large numbers of people."

As to why I'm not applying the same demands of my local communities, it's because I don't think we're ready to apply those same demands locally.  Making radical demands of any institution requires an "or else..".  We don't have that.  If I go up to my employer and say,"Adopt the values of Parecon or I'll quit", their response will be, "Ok, quit". 


Reply this comment

Loading_border