by Ripley
intertubes are miraculous (7+ / 0-)
Recommended by:
PatriciaPA, oceanview, Albatross, triv33, catly, MsGrin, tresgatos
aren't they?!
(-8.12,-6.82)Social Networking for Kossacks
by UnaSpenser on Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 08:09:14 PM CDT
[ Parent | Reply to This ]
Yes, yes they are.
Greetings, Kossacks!
I just wanted to take a few minutes to update you on the progress of The KINship Project (now that I finally got the password to the login right.)
Join me in the conversation pit, won't you?
I should start with a brief introduction, since I'm not exactly a household name here at the GOS. My personal handle here is Hail Ripley - you might recognize me as Ripley on other parts of LeftBlogistan.
I'm a sporadic contributor at Whiskey Fire and a general gadabout in the comment sections of some other liberal sites you may frequent. I was one of the co-contributors and hell raisers of Team BlogIntegrity who backed up our good friend, Spocko, in his righteous fight against the Radio Tough Guys at KSFO in late 2006. (I also like moonlit walks on the beach, puppies and beer.)
And, I'm proud to say, I'm one of the three principals of The KINship Project, which I hope you've heard of. Currently, I'm setting up the KP web site and working on some of the functions and options we'd like to offer the community - both here at dKos and, eventually, to greater LeftBlogistan.
So, here's where we're at: We have a site loaded and under construction, as I type. We're discussing some of the options we want to provide and various functions to help people, well, find help, be it local support organizations or direct financial assistance to an individual. To put it in computer jargon, it's still in diapers. (That is computer jargon, right? Because I've been saying it a lot, lately.)
While I'm fiddling with that part of the project, Patrick and Laura are busy with the more important and fundamental aspects of the plan - financial operations, investigating non-profit status, a plan for reaching out to Angel contributors, general program direction and, of course, delivering a presentation of legitimacy and efficacy.
Before I get into the Pleas and FAQs, let me take a moment to say Thank You! to everyone who's contributed to the project. We couldn't have done what we've done without the generosity and compassion of the contributors. More importantly, perhaps, we'd like to say Thank You! to the people who have overcome their shyness to ask for help. We understand the depth of our own fortune and fragility better, I think, when we're able to help someone in need, and your requests help us keep our hearts and minds open. That's a gift to us, frankly.
So, the pleas... Nope, we're not asking for any financial contributions right now. Instead, we'd like to hear your ideas.
We're planning a web site which will serve as a clearinghouse for state/local support organizations. But what else could we do? What can we offer on a web site that would make it easier for someone to find assistance? We could use a good graphic designer for layout/graphics work - hopefully pro bono, but maybe services at a discount? Are you a User Experience expert? We need to hear from you to turn a great idea into a great web site.
The KINship Project Board (Laura, Patrick and I) will also be offering direct financial assistance to individuals, based on their respective needs and project funds. What are your ideas? Do you have non-profit/charity/legal experience? Do you know someone who might consider a contribution subscription? What are we missing? Do you know someone who could vet us and promote us? Let us know.
Can you promote us? Would you? Do you know someone who might be interested in advertising on a site like The KINship Project? Should we even have advertising? Are we completely out of our minds?
What haven't we thought of yet?
Those are the pleas, for the moment. As for the FAQs, I'll leave that to you. I'll be around for a little bit to answer questions. You can reach me by e-mail at ripley>zencabin.com or scott>kinship-project.org, or reach Laura at kinshipplanning>gmail.com
Again, a huge Thank You! to everyone who's taken a leap of faith and contributed. And Thank You! to all of you who have recommended us or reached out for assistance.
I also want to make a big, pointy gesture to the folks at Kossacks Networking, who have built an incredible community for networking - social, professional and health - in a very short time. If you're looking for people who understand, respond and just plain get it, you can't do better than KosNet.
I'll leave you with this.
"Whenever I see an erring man, I say to myself I have also erred; when I see a lustful man I say to myself, so was I once; and in this way I feel kinship with everyone in the world and feel that I cannot be happy without the humblest of us being happy."
Thanks again!
Rip -
Quicker Update:
See the power of community!
And behold, once again!
You are legion!
For those wondering if you can't make a contribution, yes you can. PayPal address for the KINship Project is kinshipplanning@gmail.com. We're not asking for anything, tonight, but we're always grateful to the folks who are willing to share their good fortune. If you're able, Thank You. If you're not able right now, keep us in mind. Maybe some day you'll be able to extend a hand, and we'd love to hear from you then.
Quick Update: FYI and CYA:
KINship Project Disclaimer:
While the KINship Project was started as an outreach program by individual Daily Kos members, it is not affiliated with or endorsed by Daily Kos or its owners, employees or any affiliates or advertisers, past or present. The KINship Project makes no claims to endorsement, support or recognition by Daily Kos, its employees, affiliates or advertisers. Any diaries or comments posted to Daily Kos by "The KINship Project", its members or principals, or diaries or comments referring to "The KINship Project" are not endorsed by Daily Kos, and are posted in the spirit of Daily Kos' open forum policy.