Re: Project PM

On Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 6:07 PM, Emma Allan <emilieduchatelet8@gmail.com> wrote:

thank you, I love those IRC chats - its where I first realised I wanted to get to know you much better. Also where I realised I had to get my emotions in check because all I did was insult you and I didn't mean to. It was like I developed Tourettes as soon as I went on the channel.

I would write something sarcastic or rude to you and think *OMG Emma wtf are you doing, he's really nice and you're being such a wanker toward him.* Then I'd do it again and think *fucking hell get offline before he totally hates you* I was a menace to myself. Luckily Im much calmer now. :) (although highly sexually aroused and will have to stop myself writing *Oh Barrett I LOVE YOU GIVE ME A BABY*) (JOKE!) I do not want a baby. Oh GOD why am I talking about babies. Kill me now. I am stupid.

ps love you x

On Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 9:43 PM, Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com> wrote:

We've got an IRC meeting tomorrow as usual on Wednesdays, although we'll be joined by this woman who's involved in helping NGOs better coordinate their work; below is a discussion that Scott Mintz had with her over the last couple of days.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Scott Mintz <scott.w.mintz@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 5:34 PM
Subject: Fwd: Project PM
To: Barrett Brown <barriticus@gmail.com>, Clark Robinson <robinsonchicago@gmail.com>, dynamicuno@gmail.com

Since I doubt I'll be unable to make tomorrow's meeting, I thought it wise to pass along the below email exchange between myself and the owner of http://nonprofitawareness.blogspot.com/. While her goals may not perfectly aligned with Project PM in the blogging sense her focus on charitable acts and the dissemination of accurate information is certainly a fit. I think she has a lot to offer!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Scott Mintz <scott.w.mintz@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 5:26 PM
Subject: Re: Project PM
To: Courtney Brickman <court418@comcast.net>

Courtney,

I appreciate your valid concerns. With regards to your suggestion, we have a PDF undergoing creation which is intended to meet the tasks of identifying goals, strategies, and critical issues.It is something we are currently working on and expect its finalization will be instrumental in paving the way for proper software creation/implementation as well as our marketing efforts. I don't remember if this particular document is part of our shared Google docs, or if it was simply being emailed around. I will check when I get home, but for the former, it may be necessary for you to have a Google account in order to view and participate.

As our network of participants grows, so do our connections and vast pool of experiences and expertise. While I personally have no clear cut answer for you how the Project PM software will directly benefit our anticipated charitable undertakings, it is my belief that we'll be utilizing the infrastructure we put in place that allows for the efficient connection and communication among many knowledgeable individuals. Without a doubt this is something that should not be neglected in order to best maximize our efforts, and I will raise this question to Barrett Brown shortly as it's very possible he already has an answer.

Scott

On Tue, Nov 2, 2010 at 4:08 PM, Courtney Brickman <court418@comcast.net> wrote:

Scott,

Thank you for getting back to me. I certainly plan to attend the meeting tomorrow evening. Im still having a little trouble envisioning what Project PMs structure looks like, but Im getting there. If I could make one suggestion, which I think would help bring others on board more quickly, I think the project would really benefit from a document identifying the critical issues Project PM will address, goals of the organization, and finally the strategies youll implement to achieve those goals (and ultimately eliminating the issues). It just feels that with all the planning and brainstorming things have gotten a little fuzzy. I have no doubt that you all know exactly what you are aiming for, so its just about conveying that to others.

I guess the one area Im still confused about is the connection between the articles and the projects charitable involvement.

Courtney

From: Scott Mintz [mailto:scott.w.mintz@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2010 8:43 PM
To: Courtney Brickman
Subject: Re: Project PM

Courtney,

It is fair to say that the project does aim to correct erroneous information being passed along to the masses, the intent of which is to best educate the individual. It don't think it would be accurate to say that its focus is on critical humanitarian issues, however, it is worth mentioning that the nature and personalities of those involved have resulted in the previously mentioned two subproject.

I definitely agree that Project PM could be leveraged as a funding vehicle for various charitable organization, but I think it's important that for the time being we square away our own financial requirements before we can start pursuing the needs of others.

We are still in the planning state, although we're very eager and capable of beginning implementation once planning is complete. One thing that you touched on is a major topic of discussion, which is to say that we're concerned about the accuracy and quality of distributed information. As I proceed to describe our current philosophy, please note that it is subject to change and that we're open to ideas. Currently, participating bloggers are being hand-chosen based on what we perceive to be open-mindedness and journalistic integrity. These bloggers will in turn invite a limited amount other bloggers whose works they will temporarily attached to, and the system will grow that way. In order to filter out lower quality articles we plan to implement two safeguards. The first is that an article pushed to someone in your network has the ability/decision to push it to his/her network or stop the article in its path. The second system is static based and relates to number of pushes, posts, etc. The goal is to make higher quality article of highly quality contributors more readily accessible to the public. Admittedly, these procedures are in heavy discussion as we recognize that correctly sorting this out is critical to Project PM's success.

It would be great and helpful to Project PM to have you participate in more advanced discussions. As previously mentioned, we generally hold an informal meeting on Wednesdays at 6:30PM EST over IRC. This particular week I don't think I'm going to be able to make it due to prior arrangements, but I encourage you to attend. You may also visit the IRC at any time, as there is a good shot someone of various talent will be in the room.

Scott

On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 8:41 AM, Courtney Brickman <court418@comcast.net> wrote:

Scott,

Hope you had a nice weekend. Thank you for sending more background on Project PM. Just to be clear, the project aims to discredit erroneous media reporting by publicizing the real story, and this is focused on critical humanitarian issues? From what you described, I could see Project PM as a funding vehicle for organizations whose work falls within Project PMs priorities. Especially if you are looking to connect with charities. What is the current state of the project? Are you just in the planning phase or have you begun to implement strategies?

My interest and experience focuses on strategic planning, program evaluation, and infrastructure development. That is primary the area Ive solicited funds for. So certainly Id be interested in participating in a capacity that would assist Project PM in those areas.

The only thing Id like a little more clarification on is the distribution of information and how the information is being acquired and presented. I agree, a lot of the problems with Digg, etc is that when everyone has an opportunity to contribute the creditability and accuracy of the information is compromised. Im just wondering how you will ensure that the information presented is accurate and objective?

Thanks,

Courtney

From: Scott Mintz [mailto:scott.w.mintz@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, November 01, 2010 4:39 AM
To: Courtney Brickman
Subject: Project PM

Courtney,

Happy Halloween!

I just wanted to give you a better idea of Project PM; its goals, current state, and anticipated progress.

As previously mentioned, Project PMs goals are multifaceted but the overriding subject matter is the removal of informational asymmetries with the intention is improving society as a whole. For example, some of our existing participants have hands-on experience doing philanthropic work in Africa. Suggestions for improvement include but are not limited to efficient means of bringing drinkable water to isolated villages and ways of increasing the usage of sustainable farming in order to prevent the over fishing of local waters, etc. Ultimately wed like to achieve these and other goals using as little capital as possible while not obstructing success. However, at this point, this subproject is in the formative stage as weve just started discussions with individuals who are best in a position to allow us to see it through.

Another subproject that is in the formative stage but that weve made more headway on is what we call the Science/Journalism project. Essentially, we feel there is a lot of misinformation spread by mass media when it comes to topics such as science and technology. Weve established a group of knowledgeable persons whom we will be pairing with eager freelance journalists. Using our various participants contacts we will be aiding in the publication of articles written by the journalists in cooperating with the scientists weve chosen, whom so far range from those educated in neurology to those educated in virology.

These and future subprojects will be executed using a technology currently under design. We have more than a handful of computer programmers who are ready and willing to volunteer their time once we come up with a finalized blueprint. On an almost daily basis, a core group of us are debating the current schematics and updating as necessary. While the specifics still need to be determined the general theme of the software will be that feedback mechanisms will be used in order to make more highly recommended information rise to the top. This is similar to Reddit, Digg, etc., however in our system, although the public will have access to all information, only the feedback of participating members will have an impact on the informations publicity.

To help us reach these ends, a group of about 10 of us participating in daily/weekly conversations via email/IRC/Gchat. This is an extremely informal process but with a great group of people who are more than willing to work together harmoniously in order to advance Project PM. Here is a major area where I think your experience and expertise would be particularly useful. As Project PM grows and begins to take on a life of its own, its important for it to be molded properly, and I expect your advice would be useful in guiding its success. Even if you dont have the time to commit, any suggestions and discussions would be appreciated.

Finally, as the number of subprojects Project PM undertakes expands, we expect that rather than taking on a challenge ourselves, it would be wiser to work with those who have already done so and have experience in helping out others. Your network of charities would be an invaluable resource.

I hope this helps to add some additional color. Kindly feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

Scott

--
Regards,

Barrett Brown
512-560-2302