Yeah I DIY all the time, and I didn’t ask anyone to do anything for me, but usually when you tell someone it’s good to do something, it is good to specify what it is exactly you want them to do, so they can do it by following instructions at least using them as a jumping off point.
The issue I have is everyone parrots this organising and community stuff but no one ever specifies:
What the practical purpose of this is and how or if it benefits anyone? Generally people will team up with strangers for some mutually beneficial specific goal, not a vague reference to political theory they’ve never heard of, what is this goal here?
What constitutes a community in this sense (a definition would also be a good start, people throw this word around a lot, i.e. the “gay community”, the “trans community” but it is clear there’s no such thing, this is only used to avoid saying “trans people” by the press)
How to start and/or join a community. What’s is/are the website(s) where such communities are advertised? Especially in non-American countries? Or if it requires interaction IRL, what is the socially acceptable way to do so, because it is not really acceptable (or gets people onboard) to go talk at random strangers on the street and is a good way to get the police called on you.
Unless all those things and much more is elaborated on at length, then the call to action doesn’t really specify what the action is. You can absolutely go donate food to the homeless but it has zero to do with any community, just go buy sandwiches at the store and hand them out and feel good afterward, so that’s what I’ve done before, but this community/organizing stuff seems to go over my head.
Forgive me if I’m being dense, but I’m starting to think that either the phrase “organize a community” has some sort of inherent meaning I am simply unable to comprehend (perhaps it makes more sense in closed suburban housing in America where people talk to and know their neighbours, unless that’s just in movies), or it has no meaning at all.
I’m sorry but it’s pretty clear that by the upvote count I am not alone in this. The left is ineffective, this is why.
Come off the high horse and enlighten us bud, how does one go from no strangers have ever spoken to one another in public to some mysterious Hollywood fantasy of “community”?
Ah good, the intellectual right has come to save us from ourselves. Thank you savior. I’m so happy you and your alts on an anonymous forum can show me the way to properly understand a meme.
What the practical purpose of this is and how or if it benefits anyone?
ape together strong
i.e. the “gay community”, the “trans community” but it is clear there’s no such thing,
hmmm i don’t think everyone would agree that’s a true statement.
How to start and/or join a community
Folks seem to like meetup, facebook, plura, eventbrite. One group of I know has an email list and website. You can often advertise in bars or smaller locations.
I don’t know a lot about organizing groups.
I know folks who do stuff for queer community. They organize picnics, happy hours, concerts, discussion groups, and more. So far as I know, they started with someone going “I wanna start this group here.” Advertise on meetup/facebook/whatever, and be ready for minimal turnout for a while. But over time you accumulate more people, and more options open up. With enough people you can accomplish more- lobbying, volunteering, making people feel less alone and terrible.
Google Voice is google’s free telephone service. I’m not 100% certain it exists in the UK, but a quick search makes it look like it does. It’s safer than putting your real phone number because it’s more transient. You could probably also use email, signal, discord, or whatever, but phone numbers are the most ubiquitous.
As to what to write, since you don’t know of anything happening, you might have to start the group. Is there something you want to volunteer to do? Litter cleanup, volunteering somewhere, helping people register to vote (ok that’s probably a dystopian task specific to the US), or whatever?
Put up a flyer, write whatever it is you’re willing to volunteer for. Put a Google voice number on the flyer. ??? Profit
I don’t think anyone reads flyers, and what would I write? “Willing to volunteer for something good” lol I don’t think that’s very serious.
Also, what is a “Google voice number”? Ive literally never heard of it, so I don’t think that’s going to be effective, is it an American thing?
DIY friend. Nobody is going to do it for you.
Yeah I DIY all the time, and I didn’t ask anyone to do anything for me, but usually when you tell someone it’s good to do something, it is good to specify what it is exactly you want them to do, so they can do it by following instructions at least using them as a jumping off point.
The issue I have is everyone parrots this organising and community stuff but no one ever specifies:
What the practical purpose of this is and how or if it benefits anyone? Generally people will team up with strangers for some mutually beneficial specific goal, not a vague reference to political theory they’ve never heard of, what is this goal here?
What constitutes a community in this sense (a definition would also be a good start, people throw this word around a lot, i.e. the “gay community”, the “trans community” but it is clear there’s no such thing, this is only used to avoid saying “trans people” by the press)
How to start and/or join a community. What’s is/are the website(s) where such communities are advertised? Especially in non-American countries? Or if it requires interaction IRL, what is the socially acceptable way to do so, because it is not really acceptable (or gets people onboard) to go talk at random strangers on the street and is a good way to get the police called on you.
Unless all those things and much more is elaborated on at length, then the call to action doesn’t really specify what the action is. You can absolutely go donate food to the homeless but it has zero to do with any community, just go buy sandwiches at the store and hand them out and feel good afterward, so that’s what I’ve done before, but this community/organizing stuff seems to go over my head.
Forgive me if I’m being dense, but I’m starting to think that either the phrase “organize a community” has some sort of inherent meaning I am simply unable to comprehend (perhaps it makes more sense in closed suburban housing in America where people talk to and know their neighbours, unless that’s just in movies), or it has no meaning at all.
Ah ok, you’re willfully ignorant.
I’m sorry but it’s pretty clear that by the upvote count I am not alone in this. The left is ineffective, this is why.
Come off the high horse and enlighten us bud, how does one go from no strangers have ever spoken to one another in public to some mysterious Hollywood fantasy of “community”?
Ah good, the intellectual right has come to save us from ourselves. Thank you savior. I’m so happy you and your alts on an anonymous forum can show me the way to properly understand a meme.
Old post but I’m just lmaoing @ calling fellow anarchists “intellectual right” and accusing them of having “alts” just because most people agree.
ape together strong
hmmm i don’t think everyone would agree that’s a true statement.
Folks seem to like meetup, facebook, plura, eventbrite. One group of I know has an email list and website. You can often advertise in bars or smaller locations.
I don’t know a lot about organizing groups.
I know folks who do stuff for queer community. They organize picnics, happy hours, concerts, discussion groups, and more. So far as I know, they started with someone going “I wanna start this group here.” Advertise on meetup/facebook/whatever, and be ready for minimal turnout for a while. But over time you accumulate more people, and more options open up. With enough people you can accomplish more- lobbying, volunteering, making people feel less alone and terrible.
Google Voice is google’s free telephone service. I’m not 100% certain it exists in the UK, but a quick search makes it look like it does. It’s safer than putting your real phone number because it’s more transient. You could probably also use email, signal, discord, or whatever, but phone numbers are the most ubiquitous.
As to what to write, since you don’t know of anything happening, you might have to start the group. Is there something you want to volunteer to do? Litter cleanup, volunteering somewhere, helping people register to vote (ok that’s probably a dystopian task specific to the US), or whatever?