View source for User:Aneiren

I have a few questions and concerns about the Open Source Ecology plan as I understand it currently.  It seems to me that your target community size is too small to be truly self-sufficient, and your plans are aiming for a very free-form amorphous community which I am not sure will work.  Of course, you are a very intelligent individual and are perhaps seeing things in a different light than myself, I cannot say for certain.

With that said, I have a few conceptual contributions that I would like you to consider.  I believe you need a more formalized occupational system in order to utilize your manpower more effectively as the community grows.  I went through and looked through the O*Net Standard Occupational Classification and I have refined it down to the following general specializations.  These categories are still large enough to permit a great deal of diversity in work experience, but are refined enough that an individual can develop a level of expertise which is not readily possible for a jack of all trades.

The List of Occupations:

Vendor/Logistician (Trade and Supply Services)
Steward/Architect (Building and Maintenance Services)
Tender/Infra-structuralist (Infrastructural Maintenance and Operation Services)
Technician/Engineer (Manufacturing and Design Services)
Yeoman/Ecologist (Natural Resource Management and Collection Services)
Analyst/Programmer (Data Management and Computer Services)
Researcher/Scholar (Research and Educational Services)
Craftsman/Artist (Creative Services)
Waiter/Chef (Food Services)
Guardian/Arbiter (Protective and Legal Services)
Attendant/Counselor (Social and Well-being Services)
Nurse/Surgeon (Medical and Dental Services)

These specializations are divided into two elements.  The first is the "Entry-Level" occupation and the second is the "Professional" occupations.  Essentially the idea is that, for instance, a Yeoman can eventually advance to being an Ecologist.  This goes along with pattern 83 (Master and Apprentice) from Alexander's Pattern Language book.  The Names I've chosen are not necessarily final, but I think they are sufficiently clear to demonstrate the differences between the occupations.

The Occupations in Detail:

[[Vendor/Logistician]]: This is the occupational category which acts as a sort of purchasing agent in today's world, but I envision a system similar to Cybersyn in Chile where a computer is utilized to create a modified form of socialism.  The Vendor/Logistians would be the professionals responsible for maintaining this digital economy and analyzing trends in order to refine the economic models used.  These would also be the individuals (at the Logistician level) who would be able to allocate emergency resources to smooth out economic instabilities.  Additionally, these individuals would be responsible for warehousing and accounting services.

[[Steward/Architect]]: This is the occupational category which is responsible for the construction and maintenance of the various structures of the community.  By ensuring that the architectural group is directly involved in the continuing maintenance of structures it will allow the Stewards to "Learn from the Masters" by developing an intimate familiarity with the community's structures, but it would also facilitate the preventative maintenance and the integration of lessons learned into future structures.

[[Tender/Infra-structuralist]]: This is the occupational group that maintains the power generation and transmission infrastructure, the telecommunications infrastructure (except the server and terminals), and the transportation infrastructure.  Ideally some form of public transportation would be utilized, in which case these individuals would also be responsible for operating that equipment.  At a professional level these individuals are responsible for the layout and optimization of the grid.

[[Technician/Engineer]]:  These are the individuals responsible for manufacturing the material goods necessary for the community.  This occupational category is fairly self explanatory I think.  It ranges from machine operators to design engineers.

[[Yeoman/Ecologist]]:  These individuals are responsible for managing the natural resources of the community through agricultural, extraction, and recycling services.  Essentially these individuals produce the raw materials the rest of the economy depends on.  They also study and monitor the ecological system of the community and ensure that renewable and environmental friendliness is built into the economy of the community.

[[Analyst/Programmer]]:  These individuals are mainly responsible for maintaining the community's server system (which could perhaps be a cloud computer) and ensuring that the software is up to date and free of bugs.  These individuals also maintain the digital sensor archives which are referenced by others for research purposes.  Finally they ensure that information is disseminated throughout the community through digital information services.

[[Researcher/Scholar]]:  These individuals are basically like college professors in today's world.  They conduct research as well as teaching specialized topics.  In keeping with Alexander's pattern 18 (Network of Learning) these individuals will do more research, and include (where feasible) students in order to advance both community knowledge and the student's individual knowledge.  (Note: Much of the occupational instruction will be handled through the master/apprentice system.  These individuals will teach the subjects that are not necessarily a part of the occupational knowledge or are new breakthroughs)

[[Craftsman/Artist]]: This is the occupational group that is responsible for beautification.  They work in unison with the other trades to develop decorative elements in products and structures, and they also work independent of the other trades to produce artwork, music, and entertainment.  This progression from a craftsman working on decorative elements to an artist working on independent works seems to have once been the standard career path for an artist, and it helps them develop the technical skills necessary to express their artistic visions.

[[Waiter/Chef]]: This is the food service industry in a nutshell.  This ranges from the waiters, bartenders, and hosts all the way to the Chefs, Bakers, and Brewers.  This does necessitate the elimination of industrial food production as the ingredients will be prepared by members of this group.  I think this will improve the quality and appreciation of food.

[[Guardian/Arbiter]]: These are the individuals who are responsible for protecting the citizens of the community from crime, hostile neighbors, and natural disaster.  In a sense you could say they are like a militia, although the prospect of actually fighting a battle is a distant concern.  Primarily these individuals will fight fires, and use mediation techniques to resolve disputes.  In the case that a peaceful resolution isn't readily possible, these individuals will call the community assembly (senate) into session in order to apply whatever judicial process is decided upon by the community.

[[Attendant/Counselor]]:  These are the individuals who do a variety of wellness services, ranging from massage to psychiatric evaluations.  Essentially the purpose of these people is to look after their fellow community members and implement preventative health care options, such as dietary counseling or physical training.  I would say that these individuals are most like traditional healers.

[[Nurse/Surgeon]]: These are the individuals who perform the medical procedures to correct illness in the population.  They also study trends in health care in order to prevent disease.  Important elements of their responsibility are hygienic inspection, pharmaceutical research, and emergency medical care.  This may be something that is beyond the scope of your community, but I hope that someday that Open Source Ecology becomes a major paradigm in the way we organize society, so this is something that I feel should be considered.