David Richards

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Team Culturing Information

WHO are you?

• David Richards, American
• Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
• uno.digerati@gmail.com

I have a Master's degree in Science and Technology Commercialization from the IC2 Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. My many and varied interests include community building and sustainable economic development, alternative energy, work cooperatives, back-to-basics lifestyles, futurism, art, music, the outdoors, vegetable gardening, cooking, writing, illustration, photography and graphic design.

My most recent work experience is in the Information Technology (IT) field in which I utilized the following technical skills:

• • Python scripting
  • HTML
  • Web Design
  • JavaScript
  • Databases
  • Spreadsheets
  • Linux
  • Research and Analysis

Before that I was paralegal working on oil and gas royalty litigation in Alaska.

WHY are you motivated to support/develop this work?

• Do you endorse open source culture?

I wholeheartedly endorse open source culture. Greed does not scale.

• Why are you interested in this work?

I want to help make a difference and change the status quo. I believe we have made some unwise choices beginning around 1945 in the United States that continues today and that we are still suffering from:

• • Fragmentation of the family unit, a move away from an agrarian/rural lifestyle
  • Both mother and father working, most kids in daycare or school being raised and educated by strangers who do not like their jobs or the children they have been entrusted with
  • A very high level of work and life dissatisfaction in general in our modern society
  • Proprietary technology that markets itself as liberating but instead ties us 24x7 to the day job and/or tries to accomplish "vendor lock-in"

I think the GVCS could be the beginning of a new way of thinking and a new, scalable, global economic model that lets the citizens of the world stop competing with one another and start focusing on the things that truly matter:

• • eliminating hunger
  • sustainable, affordable and efficient shelter
  • affordable and effective cures, therapies, and medicines
  • happiness!
  • space exploration
  • grand scientific and artful pursuits

• Are you interested in teaching about the GVCS?

Yes, as I learn more.

• Are you interested in economic relocalization possibilities arising from the GVCS?

Yes.

• Do you want to use the GVCS technologies yourself? Do you want to build them yourself?

I would like to use the GVCS technologies myself but have very little experience in electromechanical construction or maintenance so I may be a good test subject for those people out there like myself.

• Are you interested in starting up enterprise using the GVCS technologies? Are you interested in having the GVCS technologies fabricated by your local custom fabricator?

I would be very interested in this aspect of the GVCS.

• Are you interested in applying the GVCS to third world development? To redevelopment of crisis areas? To development of derelict areas in the developed world?

I am interested in this but also in fostering changes on a more fundamental level.

• Are you interested in starting up Industry 2.0 flexible fabrication enterprises for your local community, by drawing from a global repository of freely down-loadable designs and fabricating using open source fabrication equipment?

I would need to look into this.

• Are you interested in the potential of the GVCS for developing local food systems?

Yes.

• Are you interested in doing academic studies/papers, publishing books, or doing other analysis of our efforts?

An enthusiastic 'Yes!'

• Are you interested in financial investment opportunities arising from our work?

Yes.

• Are you interested in the distributive economic aspects of our work, and if so, how do you see this playing out?

I need to look into this aspect more to provide a meaningful answer.

• Are you interested in building renewable energy production facilities based on open hardware (solar concentrator electric, wind, biomass power)? Are you interested in building resilient communities based on access to the GVCS?

Yes.

WHAT have you already contributed to the OSE project?

(technical contributions, blogging about us, financial support, organizing events, translations, interviews, video editing, publications, publicity work, behind-the-scenes work, CAD work, wiki contributions, computer support, etc)

Nothing yet. I just started today ! :)

HOW can you help?

• How are you interested in contributing to the work of GVCS development?

I would like to help write, design, and illustrate promotional and educational materials, communications, and technical documents. I can also help with the set up and planning for organizational structures, decision making and ongoing support/collaboration. I have some academic experience writing and reading business plans, for example. I can assist with grant research and writing as well.

• Can you volunteer to work with us, and if so, how many hours per week?

Yes - 5+ hours a week to start.

• Are you interested in working with us for pay? If so, what services can you offer, and what is your hourly or per-project rate?

Yes! I can do web and graphic design and development and illustration at $18/hr.

• Are you interested in a Dedicated Project Visit?

Yes.

• Are you a True Fan? If not, why not?

Yes.

• Would you like to see yourself working with us on a full-time basis?

Yes!

• Are you interested in using the technologies that we are developing directly?

Yes I am.

• Are you interested in being part of the world's first, open source, resilient community? The GVCS is the preparatory step for the OSE Village Experiment – a 2 year, immersion experiment (2013-2014) for testing whether a real, thriving, modern-day prototype community of 200 people can be built on 200 acres using local resources and open access to information? We are looking for approximately 200 people to fill a diverse array of roles, according to the Social Contract that is being developed. This may be the boldest social experiment on earth - a pioneering community whose goal is to extend the index of possibilities regarding harmonious existence of humans, ecology, and technology – as a beacon of light to benefit of all people on Earth.

Yes! This would be wonderful. I am interested to learn more about this and how I can participate.