Shawn – Beyond One World

The website has now been pulled from Google Apps so I can integrate the bits I have been planning to do since the beginning. When the website was hosted at Google I found there were limitations as to how it could be structured and linking it altogether would be a nightmare. Google Apps however is a great place to host your site if you starting off a new website, I found it easy to update and simple to manage, but if you wish to do something outside of that structure it becomes a little tedious. When everything is sitting on the same server at Dreamhost now I can tailor the chosen Open Source applications to work together, though I think there lies a challenge in itself, but at least I can get into the code and put in the bits of glue to make it work.
As the idea relies heavily on collaboration I thought that having a social web running here will help in identifying who is who and what their own opinions were, so Elgg is running on a subdomain at the moment waiting to be pulled in. For discussion and information I chose phpBB3 and MediaWiki respectively, both very able applications that do their tasks very well and have a big following. Another favourite of mine is waiting too, dotProject, for handling tasks and planning out future efforts on the site.
At this very moment however the main site is transferring over and is empty on the server here. The easiest thing to do would be to put up the same pages that existed on the Google Apps so I might just do that just to get some content there. Then I can try to make the whole set of applications come together seamlessly (as possible) into one site whilst putting the message across about what the site is all about.
The benefit of it all sitting in the same place on one set of databases means that any duplication of information and process can be removed. What this will mean with using completely different sets of Open Source applications is not clear to me right now but I have in the back of my mind some hybrid of them open to anyone who wishes to take part using a CVS system.
It is quite a daunting task ahead and I do not really know everything I need to complete it, even whether the effort will be worth it. I guess only one thing I can do now I have started – just get on with it…

It was 40 years ago I saw on a black and white television the images of the first men on the moon. I was only 5 years old but I remember clearly the fuzzy images that were seen that day by what was estimated another half a billion people. On July 20-21st 1968, that would have been one seventh of the whole population of the world, about 3 and a half a billion, getting a glimpse of one of the most important events in history live on television. On that day, after 6 and a half hours of preparation at 2:55 AM (GMT) Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface, almost muddling his well rehearsed lines to say, “One small step for (a) man, One giant leap for mankind”, aptly profound words that echoed solidly around the world. Aptly too as I write, 40 years ago to the minute. Buzz Aldrin, an hour later had to take a short fill of his urine bag just before stepping onto the surface from the Eagle’s ladder, another first without doubt. After putting up a rather solid looking American flag in the airless atmosphere and placing about a few scientific detectors at 5:27 AM (GMT) the excursion was over but the images remain in so many peoples memory of that great ‘inspiring’ day. Michael Collins at this time was all ‘in true extreme definition – very much’ alone, keeping watch in the ship that circled the moon as it swung round the dark side, to ensure that the moonwalkers got home.

I was really young seeing them bounce around the surface of another world but I remember the excitement of it all and amazingly (if I recall correctly) understood a lot of what was happening and thinking how wonderful it was. I was hooked from an early age by the Space Race and the future was going to be glorious. I remember, apart from being a hungry and avid reader of any science fact and fiction books I could find. I remember clearly there were little collectable cards in PGTips tea that focused on the Race Into Space, and at the Petrol station, Shell were producing coins detailing the aviation and space vehicles, these items were treasured in the early 70′s. The most beautiful I found was the art, the pictures that showed how the future could look, clean, amazing and inspiring images of the homes to be, the awesome cities that were possible and strange and wonderful images of new worlds to explore. My imagination and creativity explored unknown and alien images, environments, sensations, new worlds and life. Everything was possible, there were fantastic places to see and explore, so much to learn and do, it was a great time to be alive, I was definitely going to go into space when I was older…

The economics of putting more people on the moon, 4% of America’s budget then could not be sustained against the losing interest of the public. Six times the moon had (human) life visit, the last day that any man stepped onto the surface of another world was the 7th December 1972, since then President Nixon shelved the Apollo missions and no attempt has been made since. What takes over? Something less than life often occupies the mind and years of earthly struggle takes precedence over the dreams of reaching out. The worry of living, surviving a recession, the price of fuel all takes a higher
priority than hopes and dreams and positive advancement for everyone. Mankind has survived and wasted its effort during probably many dark ages, we cannot afford to waste any more time living through any more mini-dark ages, especially with the 6,772,418,593 souls occupying this fragile place and the near lifetime since being on the moon.

It cost $150 billion (in today’s money) to run the Apollo Project compared to the current estimated cost of the Iraq war of over $500 billion.

Imagine the inspiration that could be created by a world collaboration on of reaching the Moon, Mars and the many satellites and stations available to us. The excitement of the new possibilities available to use as we reach out once more into the universe. This naive destructive teenager has to leave home and grow up before he destroys it. We are truly fortunate to have a stepping stone in our journey into the universe, the Moon is a perfect opportunity to create and develop the techniques and technologies we need to make our journey safe and comfortable. At a time when fear of economic recession takes hold then a real stimulus is needed, but it is needed as a shared collaboration, everyone being equal in right and responsibility in utilising the worlds that we find. Think what this could provide, the jobs and the economic growth for all involved, the technologies that we could find. The number of benefits that we live with now that have been spun from the efforts of the space program are too many to mention, we have always achieved highly during times of stress, whether that is with high purpose, like the space race or low, like war. In striving for providing a habitat in the harsh environment of space it will be inevitable that important developments will take place that will benefit with helping the earth cope with its burgeoning population and its effects, let alone unseen future products of the imagination.

There is an important shift in perspective to be considered too. Imagine YOU are there, like Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and the others that followed. Looking at this beautiful planet from afar. Such a small place for so many people to share and very alone in the vastness of even our solar system. What things are important in your mind as you see our home? How amazing it must appear, with so much life in the deadness of what surrounds it. Think also of those who have walked upon the dusty desolate desert-like surface of the Moon, as beautiful as it appears it cannot compare to the moment of seeing the oceans of the Earth. How magical is must be to see an everyday scene of Earth with people milling about busy in their everyday tasks when compared to the empty and silent world that circles us. What is important in the end? What makes Earth so different? It is life? It is full of living organisms, one of which has grown up and taken its first steps…

References:
Technology Escalation during World War II
Technological Advancements due to War
Moon landing facts
Apollo 11 Space Flight Chronology
Cost of Iraq War
NASA Spinoffs
Current World Population
Apollo Moon Program heroes call for a return to space

Just a brief blog today as I have spent a little too much of my spare time looking at Google Wave. Just at the time when I am working to pull away from Google’s Apps, I find I am tempted back in by the ideas and creations of its developers and dreamers. I think Google Wave will become a natural part of information sharing on the Internet, I know that is probably a big statement for a new, as yet, unreleased product, but I feel it ties in nicely with how people want to work efficiently together. I had better keep an eye on how this develops…

At the moment, I have split up the tasks and roles of what I currently recognise in BeyondOneWorld into different open source applications. I hope I can sow them together seamlessly enough when I launch them though – I have Forums( phpBB3), Wiki (MediaWiki), Social Web (Elgg) and Task Management (DotProject). All are ready and working in their near default states and I will pull the domain back onto them later and relaunch the site.

Maybe I will get more than 1 or 2 visitors this time…

The information on the internet about any individual can always be used against them. Many have lost their jobs (or even court cases) when certain compromising posts or pictures have come to light. Quite rightly so in many cases, where obvious untruths come to light that would affect your ability to fulfil a role or where your honesty is in question. But it really saddens me that the world has to resort to secrecy to make sure that you or your family are kept safe. Would it affect you if someone found your address on the internet? Or if someone could find out what work you do? Are you happy about that? Well most of us are only too happy to put up this information across the social websites such as facebook, increasing our presence in the virtual world and reaching out and communicating with our friends, family and colleagues. However, if in the case of Sir John Sawers who is due to take over as Chief of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, the fact that Lady Shelley Sawers, his wife, put up this information onto Facebook has caused deep embarrassment to MI6 and possibly put their whole family in danger. The Mail on Sunday reported this on Sunday where the pages where immediately taken down and the report titled ‘New MI6 chief faces probe wife exposes life Net.html appeared at 06:57 on the Monday.

Take a look at the the report and think about this…

One thing that saddens me is of course the need in this world to hold these things as secrets, but it is understandable that under the current systems we live in we do ourselves put others in danger like this. We make them responsible for holding the keys to our own security, therefore having to hide them and not putting in the support to keep them safe. But this first point lives in the ideals of the BeyondOneWorld idea and is absurd to hold onto under our present systems of government.

Another point is that actually the information exposed on Facebook was not at all state secret. It was quite innocently the pictures and information that most of us tend to put up in our effort to reach out and connect with others doing the same. Gratefully, the Foreign Secretary, David Milliband appeared on BBC1′s Andrew Marr Show and showed amazement at the excitement caused by pictures of Sir John Sawers apparently wearing Speedo swimming trunks the day after his appointment in the new role, pointing out that in fact this was not a state secret and national security had not been compromised. Interestingly after this the BBC dropped it as a leading bulletin at the top of the headlines.

Now, whether the innocent information, the holiday pictures or the fact that a family Facebook page appeared at all existed it is important that anyone in a secretive role like this should get all the support they need to ensure that they can fulfil their duties. It is still possible of course that with their location and family members known that it may be possible for someone to put any of them in danger and blackmail into compromising his duties. So, isn’t there some policy, some guidance, or information for the family in this situation. Shouldn’t the government support anyone who works for them in making sure they at least know what the dangers are? It was not Lady Shelley Sawer at fault here, I’m sure she would not ever wish to put her husband’s job at risk or ever put any of her family in danger. She was acting innocently without any support doing something that comes perfectly naturally for anyone who has any social desire.

Now, for the main point. I know about all about this now. Luckily of course the pages have been taken down so I couldn’t in fact check out all the information myself. How do I know? Because it has been reported by the Daily Mail and it is now widely known across a wider segment of the public. I would like to say that they were just reporting the news as it happened, but why then put pictures of Lady Shelley Sawer and her daughter Corrinne on the page!!! I know what they look like now and so do many others! Isn’t this exposing them to more danger?

Think, who is the most guilty here…
The innocent social drive versus the revenue machine of publishing.

What about the government that obviously has the processes to put someone into a situation of danger but lacks the processes to attempt to protect them.

What do you think?