A Resource based Economy. The Zeitgeist Way.

Hello there,
I`m new to SL and this forum. I`m on a mission on behalf of the Zeitgeist Movement and looking for ways to help like minded people learn the ways of an alternative world based on the ideas proposed by the Famous Jacque Fresco. The movement is all about promoting his ideas and spreading awareness. We want to pioneer the development of a `Real Life` city/s such as "The Venus Project".
If you have not heard of the Zeitgeist Movement yet, below are a few links and quotes to help you understand where I`m coming from.

"Fluid social change can only materialize if two circumstances are met. One, the human value system, which consists of our understandings and beliefs, must be updated and changed through education and thoughtful introspection. Two, the environment surrounding that value system must change to support the new world view. The interaction between a person's value system and their environment is what influences human behaviour."

http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=54

I am also a member of the UK based Zeitgeist Movement,

http://zeitgeistuk.ning.com/

I admit that the Movement is still very much in It`s infancy, but we gotta start somewhere, RIGHT?

So what I`m hoping to get from this forum is a few helpful tips on how to get started with my new and exciting project a, and how I would go about approaching SL developers with my proposal of introducing a new concept to the SL program.
My main aim is to encourage others to join SL (once a system has been set up) and have the opportunity to join a group within the program where they can learn (the Zeitgeist way) and take part in a virtual development of a City and surrounding country in accordance with the ideas proposed by Fresco and the up and coming `pioneers`,
Any help would be much appreciated. We are totally non profit and don`t believe in advertising in the conventional way. So all our spreading awareness is done in ways such as I am doing now, which is the other reason I`m here.
SL and It`s chat capabilities offer great opportunity to spread awareness about our movement and I would like to think that we could gain some more members through SL as you could gain more members from us.
SL is obviously an area for people who are fed up with the way life is at present, even more so due to the current monetary system failures and our lack of trust in our leaders and powers that ,be to do what`s best for us all instead of plundering the worlds resources and keeping the money for themselves. (Sorry for the little rant)

Thoughts or directions to an official SL person would be great
Thanks
Luke

I have a soft spot in my heart for intellectuals and indealists.

My advice:

1) If you have just joined SL this month, you know way too little about SL to use it for any sort of meaningful social movement. Forget about the technical aspects of SL- SL is difficult to master on a social level. It's like moving to a foreign country for the first time. It doesn't matter how long you studied it before moving there, it's just going to take a lot of time to fit in.

2) I would be surprised if you make a lot of useful contacts on this forum. It's just not the place where counter-culture is welcomed. Only a very small percentage of SL residents read the forums anyway, and they probably aren't reprsentative of the SL population as a whole.

3) Your best bet for finding like minded persons is to check what Groups in SL already exist that seem to share your goals. If one doesn't already exist, create it, then write your objectives in your Profile. Then just go out and socialize normally in SL. People will find you. The combination of a well-construct profile and normal socialization- just for the sake of socialization- is the best advertising you can possibly do.

Amity Slade,
Thanks for your prompt and very useful advice and tips.
I`m looking at other ways of achieving my goal, one of which is approaching our existing members with the idea of developing our own Interactive Venus City development program. But this also takes a lot of time.
But I will try to get to grips with the basics of SL to enable me to create a group as you suggested, to help spread awareness and share ideas.
Thanks again for your response.
Luke

?!

{>

we ARE the counter culture

I dropped you a note card in world that may be of only marginal interest to you, but just to prove there are all manner of interests both in world and the forums for alternative ways of thinking.

On reflection however, it has been my experience most people in SL are just trying to party. I've never really succeeded in connecting with like minded people and been able to do more than silly chat. That may be partly my failing though. Chatting in world is actually kind of HARD. Even group instant messaging takes more focus and energy than I often have. You really only have the space for a phrase or two before it gets lost in the clutter. Setting up a group with rules of order might be a work around.

Thanks Weston,
I did get your note and been trying to find a way to reply. I may try and set up a group.
Thanks for the reply.

Like groovy, man. Love the threads. You got threads - this forums got threads. And they're both in color!

Man . . . .I mean, can you dig that?!

Considering I`ve had over 150 views of this thread since yesterday, a very small percentage can amount to a decent amount of people who will read this thread.

That`l do for me.

Hi Nonconformist, welcome to SL and the Forums.

I suggest you get in world and open up Search and search for "Zeitgeist".

I'd be astonished if you do not find someone has got there before you - this is SL, you know.

.....spanks Nonconformist's ass.
oooo-la-la-la I love that TUUUUUNNE
HOOOOOWWWLLLSSSS....
WOOT! WOOT!
OMG lag is ******* bad today.
Automated Prizegiver says:.."you have just won a pair of ultra brief sheer panties in lilac"
....and so on!

That's about the level of 99% of social interaction in SL - I know, I'm as guilty (well, almost!) as the next person. Whatever it might be, it's not deep, man!

On a more serious note, the Zeitgest thing sounds a lot like what the whole of SL has been going through since it started. Having said that, SL is a very diverse world and there is a lot of interesting and thoughtful stuff too.

If you're looking to develop a city and surrounding country, it will cost a lot of real £ or $.

On this website there is a section with information for non-profit organisations. You'll find a link on the list at the bottom of the homepage.

Thanks for this and , done.
I joined a Zeitgeist group with 50 odd members. I added a couple of web sites to my profile. But to have any effect, I suppose I would have to be logged into SL all day long in the hope that people would pass by and click on my profile.
I`ve come to the conclusion that this is a slow way to spread awareness. If you have not heard of the Zeitgeist Movement, then you are not going to type it in the search box are you. And I don`t fancy spending money only to find out that our ZG members are not interested due to the difficulty of SL. I don`t think it will help to educate our new/existing members.
But thanks for everyone's replies anyway.

Thanks CD,
Yes, I would prefer something similar to SL but for Zeitgeist members only, so we can concentrate all our efforts in achieving our goals without the hassle of`Idiots`

But if you have your own virtual world, you're not its counterculture any more... you're its mainstream.

sl is pretty much what it sounds like you'd like to avoid!

Nina is right. I'm neither am intellectual nor an idealist, but I'd say the time for SL being any sort of counter culture bastion is gone.All the things that annoy and frustrate us in RL are no coming into SL.

This! I thought we had established we are 99% Deviants in RA? It's the Normal people that are non-conformists

There are ways to do what you want in SL and we have many folks on our sims doing just that. On Etopia we have a combination of RL profit and not for profit groups as well as interested individuals who contribute to a vision of a sustainable world. We have had many groups such as your own start small with a cart or small shop with info so that folks who come by can click through to web pages, grab notecards etc. We also have folks teach classes which is a great way to spread the word. In SL if the goal is to get the word out, there are MANY ways to do that and most dont involve alot of money.

There are also other sims with space available to non profits where you can advertise, set up exhibits, etc. Feel free to IM me in world for more info or come by Etopia and check out the various things going on.

If I understand this correctly- you don't want to join SL- you want to create a world for yourselves and your members- in which case- go ahead- there is lots of information on Open Sim type stuff- you don't need SL's influence polluting your ideals as it were- have fun in your brave little world. If you wanted to touch people and show them your goals you wd need to live among them. The only way to do that is to just do it - same as we all have- one day at a time. Your previous post to the one I quote, you say basically, it's too hard. So you are giving up with out really trying - not real pioneer spirit, you know. Hope you change your mind because the idea is a good one- not so much the change the world thing- proselytizing doesn't work real well in a place one can just move off to one side and make their own reality- but u might find others willing to listen- not, however, if you walk away with out trying.

Actually, we are both the culture and the counter culture.

omg we're being saved again!!!

To the OP:

Look up the group "Metanomics". You sound like you would fit right in.