NotesLes Orchard, Anya Shyrokova and I decided to implement Mozilla Open Badges, using Les's site http://badge.us, at the Ann Arbor mini Maker Faire. This is the full report on that experiment:Unfurl
Notes"If someone took the time to draw out all the connections between craft brewers in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area, it might look like the incestuous family tree the back country people in Deliverance scrawled in their family bible. But even the most seasoned beer connoisseur probably wouldn't be able to taste those connections while sampling a pint from one of the many local brewpubs and microbreweries. "Unfurl
Notes"If someone took the time to draw out all the connections between craft brewers in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area, it might look like the incestuous family tree the back country people in Deliverance scrawled in their family bible. But even the most seasoned beer connoisseur probably wouldn't be able to taste those connections while sampling a pint from one of the many local brewpubs and microbreweries. "Unfurl
Notes"I would think that Ann Arbor would be a little embarrassed that it doesn't provide an open and affordable arts and cultural center for its citizens. Even Ypsilanti, which is one fifth our size has managed to create the Riverside Arts Center, which has both a gallery and theater for public use."Unfurl
Notes"I would think that Ann Arbor would be a little embarrassed that it doesn't provide an open and affordable arts and cultural center for its citizens. Even Ypsilanti, which is one fifth our size has managed to create the Riverside Arts Center, which has both a gallery and theater for public use."Unfurl
Notes"Just how cool has it been? We're at the tail end of the fourth coldest summer recorded in Ann Arbor since 1880, University of Michigan meteorologist Dennis Kahlbaum said.
The average temperature for June was down 0.8 degrees; average temps were down 4.6 degrees in July, according to National Weather Service data."Unfurl
Notes"The assumption behind Transition Towns is that we’re reaching a convergence of three crises: 1) a moment when oil production can’t meet demand, forcing us to confront a future of dramatically lower energy use; 2) climate change, which requires a drastic reduction in carbon emissions; and 3) worldwide economic instability. The Transition Towns movement is all about preparing communities to retool for this future, and the 12-step program is an outline of how to do that."Unfurl
Notes"Here’s a brief review of the last 6 months of grassroots tech / startup community organizing in Ann Arbor, MI, originally intended for the July 2009 Ann Arbor New Tech Meetup (but foiled by a blown projector bulb)…"Unfurl
Notes"Geeks can now find a home, build business success and form strong social bonds with others of their kind in the new private workspaces. Workantile Exchange, a co-working facility on Main Street, and Tech Brewery on the city's north side, have begun to offer workspace, peer support and networking to freelancers and start-ups, respectively. Neither is an incubator."Unfurl
Notes"Geeks can now find a home, build business success and form strong social bonds with others of their kind in the new private workspaces. Workantile Exchange, a co-working facility on Main Street, and Tech Brewery on the city's north side, have begun to offer workspace, peer support and networking to freelancers and start-ups, respectively. Neither is an incubator."Unfurl
Notes"Think about the whole process in 2009: Patti was able get free consulting and find a solution to a very real problem with, literally, no money changing hands. Open advice, open process, open communications (all the way from teacher Patti to author Cory), open content. End result: Detroit Public School kids get award winning reading material at no cost to the school or any of the people who helped make it happen."Unfurl
Notes"Sorry I ever brought it up, sorry for any hurt feelings. It was wrong of me to think that I could make any progress without the support of the organization providing the data, and wrong of me to press on regardless of the cost. Someone else will have to care - I give up. It's just not worth it and it's bad for my health to care and to spend too much time around parking structure fumes."Unfurl
Notes"So if I ask for that page of numbers as the spreadsheet it was originally, and a public records officer for a public body gives it to me as a bitmap, I'm going to ask again and keep asking publicly and perhaps uncomfortably until we both understand that this is a routine request and that compliance with routine requests is much easier than making everything an exception - because maybe, just maybe, I can replace that FOIA letter with a tiny shell script and we can just go about our business."Unfurl
Notes"For our second a2geeks movie night, we'd like to host a showing of Jason Scott's BBS Documentary (I already have the DVDs), followed by a tech swap meet / vintage tech fair in the CSE Atrium (in the shadow of the original ENIAC!)."Unfurl
Notes"I think Mike Kessler can actually do this. He’s already overcome the worst barrier to entry we faced when we were exploring a local coworking facility: the tendency to dilute your decisionmaking by being too communitarian. And I have a feeling he might even beat the second-worst barrier to entry: the cost of commercial real estate in downtown Ann Arbor."FeedUnfurl
Notes"It was a great event, and I feel fortunate to have been a part of something so spontaneous and grassroots in nature. It’s a welcomed change from what I generally see in the local business community…. And that’s all I’m going to say about that."Unfurl
Notes"On Thursday evening, the second floor of Cottage Inn Pizza on William Street in downtown Ann Arbor was cram-packed with geeks and non-geeks alike. But it seemed like mostly geeks – propeller heads, techies, code-freaks, whatever term of endearment you prefer. They were there for ArbCamp 2008, a gathering meant to stimulate discussions around topics mutually agreed upon, on the fly at the event, and to promote connections in the tech community that might prove constructive. If the breaking news of the day – UM’s purchase of the old Pfizer site to establish a medical research hub – represents a big box approach to economic development, then ArbCamp 2008 is a grass-roots approach."FeedUnfurl
Notes"office furniture and equipment piled on curb; landlord says “chronic non-payment of rent” caused eviction of web hosting company IAS; provides service for AATA; AATA website currently down;"FeedUnfurl
Notes"But for a more local perspective, I thought I’d interview a telecommuter in our own community. There are all kinds of telecommuters out there, from moms that telecommute in the evenings so they can watch their kids, to workers who want a day of quiet time away from the office. Then are folks like Les Orchard (pictured here). Les lives in Michigan (Livonia to be exact) and telecommutes for Mozilla (located in California)."Unfurl
Notes"While Shana Logic functions as a shopping portal, it sets itself apart from other online shopping venues by delivering products in a fun and creative way, starting with the online marketing (see shopping sections such as "yummy good" and "punk rock sass") and ending with the packaging (lime green bubble wrap, boxes decorated by hand with silly stickers and packed with a free magnet designed by Victor). The online store is as bold and colorful as much of the inventory is. To become a Shana Design product it must be cute, funny, silly, different. There is a heavy Japanese influence in the products, AKA modern craft or studio craft."FeedUnfurl
Notes"While Shana Logic functions as a shopping portal, it sets itself apart from other online shopping venues by delivering products in a fun and creative way, starting with the online marketing (see shopping sections such as "yummy good" and "punk rock sass") and ending with the packaging (lime green bubble wrap, boxes decorated by hand with silly stickers and packed with a free magnet designed by Victor). The online store is as bold and colorful as much of the inventory is. To become a Shana Design product it must be cute, funny, silly, different. There is a heavy Japanese influence in the products, AKA modern craft or studio craft."FeedUnfurl
Notes"I am interested in organizing a coworking environment in the Metro Detroit/Ann Arbor area for independent web workers, designers, startup entrepreneurs, writers and freelancers who want to enjoy a shared space and network with like-minded folks."Unfurl
Notes"four Ann Arbor companies take a similar approach to how their workspaces are unconventionally arranged. SRT Solutions, Google Ad Words, Dynamic Edge, and Menlo Innovations – all leading companies in software development and technology consulting – are kicking down the proverbial walls, and opening up their work spaces to encourage productivity, creativity, and above all, interaction and open, free-form collaboration amongs their employees."Unfurl
Notes"four Ann Arbor companies take a similar approach to how their workspaces are unconventionally arranged. SRT Solutions, Google Ad Words, Dynamic Edge, and Menlo Innovations – all leading companies in software development and technology consulting – are kicking down the proverbial walls, and opening up their work spaces to encourage productivity, creativity, and above all, interaction and open, free-form collaboration amongs their employees."Unfurl
Notes"You are invited to microcowork (e.g. work together, or alone but in the presence of others) at any of the times and locations on the calendar. You're likely to see logista, vaguery, edwardvielmetti, bkerr, mitten…"Unfurl
Notes"Our lightning talks are open to any members of the community to speak on tech topics of their choice for 5 minutes (we have a kitchen timer and we use it!). You're free to speak, or simply to listen. The short talks are great for people who have little or no speaking experience to gain confidence in front of a group of people. They're also great for people who have speaking experience but are not accustomed to consolidating their talks to the essential elements."Unfurl
Notes"Even though our financials were immaculate they just didn't 'get' what a comic shop was and so they wouldn't rent to us. We tried to rent the Wizzywig location near State Street (now closed) but they told us they didn't want 'our kind of business.'"FeedUnfurl
Notes"Even though our financials were immaculate they just didn't 'get' what a comic shop was and so they wouldn't rent to us. We tried to rent the Wizzywig location near State Street (now closed) but they told us they didn't want 'our kind of business.'"FeedUnfurl
Notes"If you have happened by 826michigan lately, you may have noticed that we have had people working on our robot store seven days a week, all hours of the day and night."FeedEmbedUnfurl
Grand Rapids embraced both sides of the prohibition
What Food Carts Say About Ann Arbor
RoboCop wins: Group raises $50k for Detroit statue | MLive.com
Summer in Ann Arbor is the 4th coldest on record - AnnArbor.com
techbrewery (techbrewery.org)
Ann Arbor contractor plans downtown "coworking" space on Main Street - Ann Arbor Business – MLive.com
The Ann Arbor Chronicle » Column: A Small Slice of ArbCamp 2008
Ann Arbor-based Web hosting firm's eviction sends clients scrambling -
The Ann Arbor Chronicle » Jones Drive (near Broadway)
Reviving the Spirits - The Denver Post
Design Sense, Local Logic
826michigan