the rebel reader project: mission statement/ soapbox speech

There is great potential in the way the Internet works—a loosely knit fabric of people, places, and organizations of every kind connecting in various ways to other people, places, and organizations. but you've heard that before. who hasn't?
I'm only bothering to repeat that tired notion because it’s important in understanding something fewer people are familiar with: Open Source [OS]. Open Source is, at best, an accidental programming method, and as I see it, a way to harness all of those connected pieces to a single cause.

now forgive me if you know all about open source because i'm going to do this in layman's terms:
An Open Source project begins with a single programmer or group of programmers who take on the writing of a program. This program can be as unassuming as a program utility that you or I will never notice (until it fails, likely). It can also be something as large as an operating system, like GNU/Linux.

then that person or group makes the project public, so to speak, through an open source [or free software] license. By open sourcing something, you make it available—for better or for worse—to the general public and see what comes back to you. if what's been started is exciting and interesting to other people, maybe they'll jump on board and then more people find out, start using your program, spread the word, etc. and if you're lucky, what you end up with is a bunch of people who are succesfully collaborating on this intricate, creative project and the thing works and everyone is happy.

The beauty of my steaLling Open Source as a method for Internet-based collaboration is that the structure already exists. It has conventions, a legal identity, and significant clout—not just as a buzz word—and community. It also works across the Internet, and although the Internet is not a necessity for collaboration, in this case it certainly helps.

now onto the project itself:

The RRP asks writers and readers of fiction to bring their ideas about ground-breaking fiction to an online discussion forum, and through this forum, to edit and create online fiction collections.

For me, the importance of this project is not necessarily in creating the RRP—although that is something I have wanted to do for some time. Rather, I feel it is more important to help establish criteria and guidelines to help others create collaborative creative projects.

“opening” up media in particular has impressive ramifications for the current methods of media creation and distribution. As can be seen with the current popularity of e-zines and blogs (weblogs) , people are seeking a more organic, individual perspective from their web media. Collaborative, open media can introduce people to a new method of creating media that calls for shared ownership, personal investment, and collaborative creativity.

Open source collaboration is already being used in the Openlaw Project at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/openlaw/]. if online contributors can successfully prepare a case for the Supreme Court, then they can successfully develop a media project using a similar method.

so i hope that gets your blood pumping. the idea of open media really does excite me. so poke around this site, get into the forums, and i hope that it might spark you to do something great for yourself.

-concetta ceriello

"Open up anything and the possibilities will follow." -Linus Torvalds

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