I recieved some feedback by email, which I wish to share (by their permision).
Lucie contacted me via linkedin, and gave me these interesting comments.
1. By law you, your building, can't be energy producing, in terms beyond your own needs. If you produce more, you'll have to be an entrepeneur and licenced as a energy producer. 2. Think means to purpose, think resources: both material and non material. Think modular, not only by functionalities but also within the lifespan of both you and the building. Make a mind map of needs, wants, must have and ablilities/possibilities. 3. Examen yourself and forecast future needs, future functions for your home 4. Have a vision 5. Hire a great architect who translates vision in a building 6. Where knowledge has economic value, web 2.0 stops 7. Data isn't information yet, information isn't knowledge yet and knowledge is certainly not wisdom yet... I have a detailed story to tell about sustainable life style in a sustainable home, let me know if you want to hear it. greetz Lucie
Check out her website concerning eco-living and support!
She also wrote me an extensive mail in which she scetched her green/durable way of living! truly honorable!
Karel, a good friend of mine wrote [translated by your humble contributor]:
I still think your idea is crazy, but who am I ;-) If people today can sell [artificial] shit or individual pixels on a website, then crowdsourcing must be possible as well, I deem.
As these thoughts might not convey positivity and I think your site is a positive initiative, which I don't want to sabbotage, I send this by mail rather than posting it in the group you only just started.
Thank you for your feedback, I'll keep it in mind!
Next contribution should probably my vision on the website in more detail, so web-designers can have their shot.
Keep spreading the word, put links where you want, make it big!
While I'm learning a bit how to blog, (Yes, you can always help me out on any part of the project ;-) ),
I might do some more explaining of the project.
The story
A few years ago, I discovered www.ted.com . This site is filled with interesting videos of famous people doing speeches.
I was a bit speechless! The topics vary widely (but I suggest you pay them a visit). Anyhow, that's the place where I get most of my inspiration.
As days became weeks became months, I started to form some ideas. "What are the possibilities of the internet?, Look at all the cool freeware, open source projects, wiki,... " "All that pollution and those problems with nature still aren't solved... do we really have to wait until the governments do something and enforces us to change? There are already so many sollutions out there..." "Architecture and a big house are appealing, but you almost feel guilty when you think of the cost (monetary and ecological)... now can this be green?"
Eventually I figured: If web 2.0 is really so awesome, and people do so much for free (make blogs, help friends, contribute to fora, join one or more organisations, organise fun events,...). Maybe I can find people who like to help me on the project I'm thinking about:living by improving the environment.
But how can this be achieved? Being a bit of a scientist, and aware of some realy awesome sollutions that already exist, I can try and figure out what can be done. But it will take ages. On the other hand, if it is possible to work together with people across the world, everybody can fill in his part of the puzzle, and we can have blueprints of eco-houses. I want to build such a house, and maybe some companies want to sponser for this, as a proof of concept. Maybe young engineers want to make a dissertation about this? Or maybe there are architects who want to implement some of their cool designs, whilst improving their portfolio... Can I even begin to imagine what the contributions might be, and why each one of them is motivated to do so? And people from everywhare can not only contribute, they can copy it all, and duplicate the project in their country, town,...
And yes, there is a reward in it for me, aside from having fun by doing this project. A big reason for me to do this is living in a very nice house, where I can work and live, where people can visit and gather. And where people can come and see for themselve that some projects can improve everybody! The world, the partners, and themselves!
Did you know neuroscientists and
psychologists are finally uncovering the secrets of happiness?
The answers are so obvious that we
sometimes fail to see what we already know.
Doing good, enjoying your relations
with other people, helping each other, learning, exercising,...
Anyhow. If you can think of reasons why you want to participate in this (already called insane, outrageous and brilliantly naive by peers) project, feel free to post it!
If you think participating in an
eco-project that tries to better the world (and me, as you already
noticed),here's your chance!
My second substantial contributor is
Stijn. He could accomplish what another participant, Karel, tried to
figure out. Karel gave me good advise about websites and some
free-bees.
Stijn is an open source expert and
already had some knowledge to register a domain name for me.
So now I have a domain-name. I think I
need web-space right now, don't I?
And then I need some neat Java (or
similar) applications for the web environment, the rating system and
the easy wiki-like editing.
I really don't have a clue how to do
that. You might!
The knowledge of you guys is
astounding! Collective intelligence can realise miracles (sort of).
In a fast-changing world, we need
solutions faster than a classic organisation can handle.
I hope we all can contribute for a
better world, and by doing so inventing new strategies that bypass
the old hurdles (getting together in space and time, needing money
for every single piece of expert knowledge,...)
You guys and girls are great!
Keep spreading the word, and contribute
within your field of knowledge!
Oh yeah, I also made Facebook group,
and a Linkedin group may follow soon.
Thank you Hannes Couvreur for being the first contributer to the project! May your name be engraved if this whole project succeeds!
You can find his article http://ledeberg.wordpress.com/2008/12/11/can-you-have-the-internet-build-you-an-eco-home/
He mentioned that he'll be publishing an intervieuw soon.
Onward!
What are the elements I need now to further the project? - More spreading of the idea... so place a link towards this site, spread the word you guys and gall's. - Some really creative web designers (students, people who want to add this project to their portfolio,...)!
=> I want a 3-D navigation environment in 'network' or 'mindmap' style (or neuronal network). Each node may contain maximum 7 links to other nodes, and the depth may only be 7 nodes (which gives a maximum of 7^7 nodes, but it should be reduced by factor 10 to allow for interconnections)
=> I need a 'scetch' book, where people can post there designs, scetches, and general visual aids about the house.
=> the system needs to have a rating system. As such, contributions can be rated by critics. Of course, my vote tends to have a bit more power (as i'm going to live in the house, i'dd like to have my say as well ;)
=> the big parts are the parts discribed in the mindmap of the previous post.
And of course : Can somebody tell me how I can aquire a .com domain name for free? (or .org or .be for that matter)
Thanks To Karel for giving me some web advise, You, miss or mister anonymous visitor, for finding this site!
First and foremost: welcome to another 21st century experiment !
This blog is my first attempt to make my project known.
-------------I WANT YOU TO BUILD MY HOUSE---------------
How? Your ideas and your plans and technology will be selected, used, shared and finally integrated in a blueprint for a house. Your company might want to sponsor the house, or provide top notch products, aid or support
Finally, as everybody places his virtual or real stones together, a house can be constructed. A house that can serve as a blueprint for other houses to be built!
Everything that you guys contribute on the site will be under Creative Commons License,
What's in it for you? - If the house is ever to be built, every person who made a valuable contribution during the project will be engraved in one or more stones of the house - The whole project will be put in one big document/book. So that afterwards, the whole process can be repeated on the basis of this document. note that this book will also be written en edited by... you - Your company, as some kind of sponsoring will have the opportunity to make itself known as contributor. - You are helping to create a new standard of living in the 21st and coming centuries, where technology, nature and humans are in (some kind of perfect) harmony - You will learn a whole lot from this joint venture with every contributor.
Where to start? well... this is the Kick off, the first official page, and maybe the site will move, or change. The general idea is launched, and now you can al start and contribute!
