This document outlines a joint Mozilla / CC skill share and ground game approach. It is one possible approach to doing Mozilla Drumbeat Conga. Feedback encouraged.

Conga: ideas and skills to live, work and play in the open

Draft concept note - September 2009 Joint Mozilla / Creative Commons concept

Alternate tag line -> Conga: P2P chautauquas and skill shares for the open web

What is it?

Conga is about sharing ideas and skills that make it easier to live, work, and play on the open web. Open technology. Open content. Participation. These are the things that make the web a commons. Conga encourages people around the world to network, share skills and take action on themes like these, tapping into existing local community events and connecting through a global online community.

How?

Conga works when people start local conversations on themes like the open web and open content.

• Pick a theme that excites you, on your own or with friends (see 'what?' section)
• Download and remix discussion materials, or invent your own
• Present at a local BarCamp or school, organize a MozCamp or CCSalon, or just do a Meetup over coffee
• Ask yourself: what did I learn? what skills did I share? what action could we take next?
• Share learning and future actions w/ tweets, blog posts, podcasts, etc.

Mozilla and Creative Commons are encouraging existing community members to do this. But anyone can jump in and help.

What?

Conga conversations and skill shares can be on almost any topic related to living, working and playing in the open. Examples include:

• Understanding the web as a public asset and commons
• Security and privacy on the web
• Your (personal) identity and the cloud
• Using open video and creating open source cinema
• Commerce and the commons: how to use CC and make money
• CC licensing 101: how to do it?
• Attribution: how to do it right?
• What does CC non-commercial mean?
• Standards and the open web

Mozilla, Creative Commons and others are working on starter materials to help people organize conversations and skill shares on these topics. CC Toolkits are a first step in this direction.

Why?

• We want it. Millions of us are looking for more practical skills, ideas and actions that will help us promote and leverage the growing growing digital commons.
• We need it. These are the ideas and skills people need to bring the open web and open content into our workplaces, our schools, our governments, our clubs, our parties.
• We are the solution. Getting better at living, working and playing in the open is simply a matter of being organized and sharing what we know. Conga is a P2P solution to sharing open web skills and ideas.

Is there a bigger agenda?

Yes! ->

• Promote the idea that openness and participation are a core part of internet life.
• Help people share tangible skills that help them live, work and play in the open online.
• Build awareness and discussion around the big ideas related to the internet and the commons
• Offer people a concrete, local way to get involved in Mozilla, Creative Commons, etc.
• Generate ideas and networks for larger global actions and events.

Who should get involved?

If you care about the open web and open content, you should be a part of Conga. This includes:

• Local Mozilla champions
• Members of the SpreadFirefox community
• Mozilla Campus reps
• Creative Commons network members
• Bloggers
• Musicians
• Teachers
• Students

The idea is to grow the number of people in your local community who want to improve and steward the web as commons. Also, we want more people to become actively involved in Mozilla Drumbeat and the Creative Commons Network.

Where?

In your city, town or hamlet at:

• Barcamps
• Tech and culture festivals
• Schools, universities and clubs
• Self-organized meetups
• Any other local '*camp'or tech event

How will we start?

• Find / appoint pilot air traffic controller
• Articulate framework in slightly more detail
• Work up initial set of materials as above
• Create very simple (no cost) web infrastructure
• Pick set of cities / barcamps to pilot at this year
• Assess and evolve
• Recruit other major partners (global voices, wordpress, etc.)

Parking lot

• Possibly expand to include the idea of local clubs or something more permanent (e.g. Mozilla Clubs or CC Network Clubs)
• Need to have schwag and other stuff that injects cool into the process
• Small grant process for a few plane tickets or small amounts of money
• sweet spot -> intersection of what people are already doing and how to share and do open web right
• it has to be fun!