Appropedia:BFI prize submission

Challenge Response (limit 1500 words).

"The Buckminster Fuller Challenge seeks submissions of design science solutions^[1] within a broad range of human endeavor that exemplify the trimtab principle. Trimtabs^[2] demonstrate how small amounts of energy and resources precisely applied at the right time and place can produce maximum advantageous change."[1]

"In order to win The Buckminster Fuller Challenge, your entry must clearly convey how your solution exemplifies the trimtab principle and meets the Entry Criteria stated below."[2]

Entry criteria

This section of notes will not necessarily be used sequentially, but might be used as appropriate in the final submission."

Comprehensive — a clear demonstration of holistic systems thinking.

Wiki as basis, open format. Open approach to add-ons including forums.^[3].

• Networking on the site supports info resource (help with info, projects, project writeups), and vice versa (people are most likely to come for the resource, and networking happens incidentally).
• Forums support the creation of content, thanks to open license and forum policies and focus.

Anticipatory — projectively tracking critical trends and needs; identifying and assessing long term consequences of proposed solutions.

• Openness allows for all manner of ideas and solutions that meet the basic criteria for scientific rigor.^[4] Some of those solutions will be very forward thinking, and we as individuals will not recognize their significance. However, we provide a place for all such projects and designs to grow, until the time is right.

Ecologically responsible — reflective and supportive of nature's underlying processes, patterns and principles.

Emphasis is on empowering and informing, enabling those who use the resource, and those they impact, to be ecologically responsible.

Reflective of natural processes - unstructured, allows for people to create roles and fill niches.

Verifiable — able to withstand rigorous empirical testing.

Our policy on rigor - Appropedia:Rigor.

Usefulness demonstrated by:

• (growing) popularity (a necessary but not sufficient indicator of effectiveness).
• Feedback - people applying what they learn.

Replicable — capable of being readily undertaken by others.

• Replication of ideas documented at the site
  • Successful Projects are meant to be replicable.
  • Projects that are less successful are opportunities to learn
  • "How-to" pages are aimed specifically at replication
• Extension of ideas
  • Often a project in one region requires modification for replication. Wiki simplifies that extension, aiding replication
• Replication of article concept
  • It's easy for members of the community to repeat the documentation
  • Partnering approach accelerates replicability of solution collaboration by established groups and experts
  • Indeed, wiki enables and promotes a systemic boost to replication and extension of sustainable ideas

Achievable — likely to be implemented successfully and broadly adopted.

It's happening already.

• Low barrier to use - shows up on Google searches (increasingly prominent).
• Low barrier to participation - philosophy of openness (and diligent spam and vandalism prevention and surveillance) allows anonymous contribution.

Outline - what needs to be described

Within the context of these criteria, please address the following: (*)

1. Describe the problem(s) you intend to solve and/or the preferred state you intend to achieve.

• Replication (not just duplication - the same problems addressed multiple times by different people).
• Information on sustainability and development information is scattered. New information and experiences are developed all the time, but are not easily found by those who might wish to:

• apply them directly
• wish to study them further
• engage with the people or organizations who had the ideas
• engage with other people of similar interests, who also have access to the most up-to-date information.

2. Describe your solution and your plan to implement it.

• Appropedia provides a single clearinghouse for ideas, projects, questions (all these provided already) and open designs (this functionality currently provided in architecture by our partner OAN,and being worked on by other groups that we are in discussion with).
• A compilation of ideas and topical information.
• Structured information about existing projects.

3. Describe how you will finance your solution and make it economically viable.

The Appropedia Foundation is 501(c)(3) (pending).

The work of Appropedia is currently carried out by volunteers, with donations covering costs such as hosting. Additional funding will enable us to employ staff and expand our work, but is not essential to operation.

4. Describe who will take your solution to the next stage of development (include your qualifications and/or those of your team, and any strategic partners).

Starting with Lonny, list admins & active "inner circle" people and their roles.

And yet, in an equally important/more important/very real sense, it is the community of Appropedians, those who join in and include their projects and share their knowledge, who are fulfilling the vision, taking it to higher stages.

Footnotes and references

Other sources of inspiration

• Hexayurt application