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OFFDEM Infodesk

The information desk is the place where you can ask anything and find curated answers to commonly asked questions. The following guide will give you insights on the OFFDEM event methodology and ways to participate, including anonymously.

The @infodesk team is curating this space.

Methodology

OFFDEM is not a place to present your past year’s work or your own production, but a moment to share perspectives and propose collaborations that will be explored during the coming year(s). Therefore, individual presentations and slides should be minimized to what is required for a common understanding, and will be limited to work groups. If you must start with a presentation, please let’s keep it under 10 minutes. We tried to bring some cohesion to the different proposals, to create situations and moments of discussions towards concrete issues and propositions of organization: emphasizing work groups and conversations.

We therefore propose to start the day with a short general assembly during which we introduce below mentioned thematics ; then we discuss and agree on which workgroups are important to pursue them and split into smaller groups for the rest of the morning, and after lunch. This is a moment when those who wish to present their projects can: we have three beamers, please bring your slides on a USB stick.
The last part of the day we propose to get back together and share our discoveries and determine action points.

Practically we expect you to:

• be present with us at least half a day (in case the proposed timing is impossible for you please tell us we will adapt as much as we can)
• attend the morning GA when your name is written in the talking points below
• attend the defined work groups that will emerge from the discussions
• attend the afternoon GA, or delegate your conclusions to someone in your WG

There’s a single “track” along different themes and rooms, so that everyone can take the time to meet each other and share transversal perspectives.

Transversal Topic

Each year a transversal topic is chosen to intersect across work groups.

This year’s transversal topic is demilitarization: a free software concern – sharing means of technological resistance towards a liveful world.

General Assembly

There are two GAs each day: the morning GA introduces the days themes; the evening GA shares work groups feedback.

Morning GA: Intention

The first hour will enable a global context for the discussion. Each participant came with concrete proposals and experiences. We cannot make space for all, but we can build a collective intent on these experiences.

Morning GA: Duration

Each point should be introduced in 20 minutes, so there is a full hour of introduction covering the day’s topic before the conversation where you will have time to deepen the topics. For each point, we identified a number of people we expect to work together in introducing that part of the topic, given their response to the CFP. Introductions lead to a common discussion to determine which work groups will emerge and their purpose.

Work Groups

Private WGs and topics at hand for this year.

Following the introductions, we’ll get a finer view or what we want to work on, and can split into work groups, each with a room. Beware: only three beamers available. The constituted work groups will probably have not much time in the morning to get started beyond getting to know each other. They can pursue their inquiry after lunch break.

In the evening: Work Groups come with their conclusions to the General Assembly.

Evening GA Flow

The GA must enable the transmission of information from the WGs to the GA.

• First round: 5 minutes per group to summarize what they have been working on.
• Second round: 10 minutes per group to summarize conclusions
• Third round: open discussion and decision on action points.

How to participate?

Long term WGs

WGs are private…

Work Groups are open to invited participants. They work in private over the years and publish useful outcomes to share with the public, that other work groups within or outside the OFFDEM network can reuse. WGs spawn at OFFDEM events from the convergence of interested participants.

Publications

WGs publish their results

Work Groups can decide to publish topics to share in public outcomes of their work with the larger community. The first post of a topic can be turned into a published page that can be edited by the collective. Replies to this topic remain within the WG.

Existing publications are tagged page. Some topics or pages index other pages, such as the O₄FFDEM Programme - OFFDEM or the O₄FFDEM outcomes - OFFDEM page.

Posting anonymously

People who want to remain anonymous can.

See: How to Use the Anonymous Post Feature?

Make this introduction better

This is really an embryo of good documentation: please reply to this topic to help make it better!