Our two week anniversary as a jobs and social networking community!I think about the nearly 2,400 users, almost 100 interest groups ranging from "Frugal Kossacks" to "Brain Zaps,"165 forums and more activity than Grand Central Station, it's hard to believe we're only two weeks old. I am amazed.
And jobs! We have jobs posted there from other DKos members!
You’ve heard how this community came to be – my starting this site after experiencing complete frustration reading diaries on DKos about people losing their jobs, homes and living with the fear of being totally out of control of their future. I had to do something. ...so I created this website. And then I found Allison - or, we found each other, and a poet joined our midst. And Allison began doing the nuts and bolts administering of the site, and our vision was enlarged.
And you came...in droves...over 700 on one evening alone! And after you came, you created! Groups, forums, videos and photos and music....the energy was tremendous....and our vision was further enlarged. I think we all were a bit exhausted by the level of energy we felt being spent. We needed a breather – I needed a breather and Thanksgiving was perfect. A few days to relax, be with friends and family, to recreate and re energize.
So – now what? In his book, "The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace" by Scott Peck, he describes what he considers to be the most salient characteristics of a true community. This has spiritual overtones...I think every community does, but you can read it and leave that out if you prefer...
* Inclusivity, commitment and consensus: Members accept and embrace each other, celebrating their individuality and transcending their differences. They commit themselves to the effort and the people involved. They make decisions and reconcile their differences through consensus.
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* Realism: Members bring together multiple perspectives to better understand the whole context of the situation. Decisions are more well-rounded and humble, rather than one-sided and arrogant.
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* Contemplation: Members examine themselves. They are individually and collectively self-aware of the world outside themselves, the world inside themselves, and the relationship between the two.
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* A safe place: Members allow others to share their vulnerability, heal themselves, and express who they truly are.
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* A laboratory for personal disarmament: Members experientially discover the rules for peacemaking and embrace its virtues. They feel and express compassion and respect for each other as fellow human beings.
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* A group that can fight gracefully: Members resolve conflicts with wisdom and grace. They listen and understand, respect each others' gifts, accept each others' limitations, celebrate their differences, bind each others’ wounds, and commit to a struggle together rather than against each other.
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* A group of all leaders: Members harness the "flow of leadership" to make decisions and set a course of action. It is the spirit of community itself that leads and not any single individual.
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* A spirit: The true spirit of community is the spirit of peace, love, wisdom and power. Members may view the source of this spirit as an outgrowth of the collective self or as the manifestation of a Higher Will.
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There is a discussion on the site if you want to join in.
Our challenge now is, what next? How do we continue to grow this community and keep the energy flowing and creating? What can each of us do to help?
Visit the site often...create a signature line on DKos...post about it whenever it is appropriate on DKos – put the link to the site in your DKos blogroll! Those are the easy things. The harder things are to join in, participate, communicate.
If you've already joined, tell others about your experience here.
We are building it.....will you/they keep coming???
PS: Sorry about the asterisks, but I can't get the formatting right!
PPS: Please recommend this diary if you agree!