Beardy Spock
From Barbelith
So, I think a 'sandbox' page is for trying things out in. That's what this page is for anyway. By all means, help yourself.
Right. So. I've been meaning to attempt a revamp of the Main Page for ages now - it looks a bit dull and dry, and I think some of the subjects are probably indexed in the wrong order for Today's Barbelith, so there's some important stuff near the bottom and completely outdated stuff near the top. I just think it could be made easier to find crucial site-type information, is all. Thinking of the new kids. So, for now, this is like a *mirror* of the main page, and I'm going to tinker around with it - and anyone else wants to have a go, go ahead. We can talk about this on the discussion page, or you can use wikitalk, send a pm (http://www.barbelith.com/profile/2724) to my barb suit, or bump this Policy thread (http://www.barbelith.com/topic/20469). I'm looking for ideas! Input! Groovy things! etc etc
The Mirror Universe Main Page...
The Barbelith Help section is built as a wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki) and is designed to allow all the citizens of Barbelith help one another by sharing important and useful information about the site. If you need help using this wiki then we recommend the User's Guide (http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide).
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How do I join the Barbelith message board and wiki?
The Barbelith message board and this FAQ-wiki use two different registration systems.
New registrations to the message board are - at the moment - being handled by an informal process designed to weed out spammers and trolls (http://www.barbelith.com/topic/20369). We want to replace this system with some of our new ideas around moderation and user-management, but require more resources to undertake this work. Registrations to this FAQ are still open however - you can register at the top right of this page. However this registration will not give you access to the rest of the board.
Note: there is no "interview process" for membership to the message board. Basically, if we can make a connection between the email address used and some kind of tangible something (a business, institution, established web presence, etc.) you’re in – regardless of whether we think you’re obnoxious. That sometimes requires a couple of emails, because not every application contains all the info we need.
We are receiving a lot of applications to the message board from free email addresses. Unless you have a blog or website, make a regular contribution to another message board, or appear in detail on a work/college/school site, please do not apply using a free email address such as hotmail, gmail or yahoo.
That said, we're willing to stop and talk to people who want to be part of this space and can't provide any of the criteria. They might have to exchange emails with 10 of us though. If someone really, really wants to be a barbelith member and is polite and nice then they're going to end up on barbelith, it just might take a bit longer.
To apply please email barbelith.apply@gmail.com. Please put the name of the applicant in the subject heading of the email.
What is Barbelith?
Barbelith is an experimental online community centred around unique message-board software. The aim of Barbelith is to create an online space where the standard of conversation, discussion and debate is higher than anywhere else online and in which everyone has a say in the running and management of the board. We are working to achieve that by gradually devolving power as much as possible to the people who use the board on a regular basis - and allowing them to collaboratively self-define the evolving aspirations of the community.
The first stage of work in this direction was the implementation and gradual refinement of a simple system of Distributed Moderation designed to make the management of problems on the board as simple as possible, while avoiding accusations and fights about abuses of power. In a nutshell, distributed moderation means that no moderator can do any act on the board without general agreement from some other moderators. It means that - within reason - the more moderators that there are the better, as they more accurately balance each other out. Moderators are currently just volunteers, and pretty much anyone who volunteers can now be trusted to moderate. This piece of work has demonstrated that members of an online community can operate much more effectively if given structures that help alleviate the possibilities of abuse and balance work-loads between its citizenry.
Who is Barbelith for?
Barbelith is not a community that celebrates any specific approach to the world but one that is interested in cross-overs, hybridisation and the kind of creativity that comes from having a space open for conspiracy theorists, hard scientists, engineers, cosmologists, mystics, political activists, philosophers, geeks, screen-writers, artists and other creative individuals from all across the world.
The members of Barbelith strongly believe that having open borders for new users is a fundamental part of remaining creative and outward-looking and are trying to find the best balance between free and total access for all and our ability to defend the board from abuse with the hope that we can create vibrant and resilient new ways to connect creative people together.
Where is Barbelith going?
In terms of the future of Barbelith, there are various pieces of work in the planning stages, much of it accumulating around two main concepts: (1) Fluid and community-governed user roles and (2) adaptive (almost political) rule-sets about how the community should be governed that the community itself can change and influence. The first is about (a) finding ways of creating semi-permeable membranes that allow us to take in new members and have them approved by the rest of the community before joining in full (to alleviate spam and troll problems) and (b) creating democratic processes in the board that allow people to move between normal user and moderator status. The second major concept is about creating a moderation structure fluid enough to allow the community to move between anarchic, despotic, democratic or other political models as the board feels is appropriate at any given time.
The scale of some of this work is enormous and complex and not easily compatible with the demands of a more than full-time job. Therefore work in these areas is currently on-hold until the person behind the board can find a way to work in a dedicated fashion on the software or finds the necessary financial resources to work with other people. If you think you can help us move into this new arena then please contact Tom Coates on tom /at/ either plasticbag dot org or barbelith dot com . Rough descriptions of some of the core concepts of this next stage of work are available in a very sketchy form online in the pages on TriPolitica and Thoughts For The Future.
Why the name "Barbelith"?
The origins of our name are less interesting than the possible etymologies that might explain it. Choose the meaning that resonates for you most - will you wish it to refer to the satellite behind the moon that connects you with the Godhead, the "bearded" or "alien" stone? Or perhaps you will find more resonance with "Boibeloth," (or "Boibel Loth") the Celtish language of the trees. If you are interested, though, there's a page about What does Barbelith mean?
The BARBELITH FAQ
1) How do I post? (On etiquette and functionality). |
1.1 Etiquette and Culture |
1.2 Functionality and Technical Info | |
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2) What makes up Barbelith?
- Parts of Barbelith, and FAQs by forum:
6) Barbelith Trivia and Addenda
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