Tinctures for Talents

The following tinctures are available for CES currency (or rands) in Cape Town.

Arnica montana, Centella Asiatica, Echinacea Purpurea, Ginkgo Biloba, Panax Ginseng, Pelargonium Sidoides, Rosmarinus officinalis, Sceletium Tortuosum, Sutherlandia Frutescens, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum, Warburgia Salutaris.

Arnica montana
Arnika
Use for: Bruising, swelling, sprains, sore muscles, heart failure, coronary and artery health, as well as boosting the immune system and as a throat gargle.
A compress soaked in an arnica infusion may relieve the inflammation of phlebitis. A few drops of arnica tincture added to warm water in a foot bath will relieve fatigue and soothe sore feet. A hair rinse prepared with arnica extract has been used to treat alopecia neurotica, an anxiety condition leading to hair loss. Studies have determined that arnica has properties that act as an immunostimulant. The extract of arnica has been shown to stimulate the action of white blood cells in animal studies, increasing resistance to bacterial infections, such as salmonella.
USE EXTERNALLY: Arnica tincture should not be ingested without supervision of a qualified herbalist or physician.
http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-arnica.htm
http://www.herbcompanion.com/Health/Natural-healing-Arnica-montana-Natural-Magic.aspx
http://www.answers.com/topic/arnica

Centella Asiatica
Gotu Kola/ Indian Pennywort /Mandookaparni/ Brahmi
Has been used for: Wound healing, better circulation, memory enhancement, cancer, vitality, general tonic, respiratory ailments, detoxifying the body, treatment of skin disorders (such as psoriasis and eczema), revitalizing connective tissue, burn and scar treatment, clearing up skin infections, slimming and edema, arthritis, rheumatism, treatment of liver and kidneys, periodontal disease, strengthening of veins (varicose veins), blood purifier, high blood pressure, sedative, anti-stress, anti-anxiety, an aphrodisiac, immune booster, anabolic and adaptogen etc.
Can assist in overcoming the negative effects of fatigue and stress.
In traditional African health it has been used for the treatment of leprosy (the asiaticoside content dissolves the waxy coating of the leprosy bacteria - allowing the immune system to destroy the bacteria), bronchitis, asthma, syphilis and wound healing; in India it has for the last 3,000 years of Ayurvedic medicine been used for wound healing, a mild diuretic, increasing concentration, alertness, as well as anti-anxiety and anti-stress; in the Far East it is used for treatment of depression, longevity, (in China it is called the "Fountain of Youth")
Often used as an active ingredient in tonics, oral slimming formulas, body-beautiful preparations, body firming products, wound healing, anti-aging skin care products
Besides its use as a general memory aid, gotu kola has become popular in the Western world for its calming effects as well as for improving concentration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centella_asiatica
http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-centella.htm
http://www.anyvitamins.com/centella-asiatica-info.htm
http://centella-asiatica.101herbs.com/

Echinacea Purpurea
Purple coneflower
Echinacea is popularly believed to be an immunostimulator, stimulating the body's non-specific immune system and warding off infections.
Echinacea contains active substances that enhance the activity of the immune system, relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and have hormonal, antiviral, and antioxidant effects. For this reason, professional herbalists may recommend echinacea to treat urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast (candida) infections, ear infections (also known as otitis media), athlete's foot, sinusitis, hay fever (also called allergic rhinitis), as well as slow-healing wounds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/echinacea-000239.htm

Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo
Ginkgo has many alleged nootropic properties, and is mainly used as memory and concentration enhancer, and anti-vertigo agent.
It is used to promote mental alertness, improving memory and to treat asthma and also a role in male sexual functioning.
It is used internally to combat asthma, allergic inflammatory responses, senile dementia, to aid in mental alertness, improving memory, circulatory complaints and varicose veins.
The leaves are used to stabilize an irregular heartbeat and the seeds are useful for coughs with thick phlegm and urinary incontinence.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba#Medicinal_uses
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ginkgo-biloba-000247.htm

Panax Ginseng
Ginseng
Used in connection with many conditions such as cancer, anxiety, colds, flu and for lowering blood levels of sugar and cholesterol, as in type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Most commonly known as an adaptogen, panax ginseng is currently being used in Asian countries to treat heart conditions and lungs, as well as for an overall health enhancer. Panax ginseng has been known to have a relaxing effect on the muscles in the lungs. The resulting airway relaxation may help to calm asthma symptoms and other airways constricting lung conditions. In some studies a combination of panax ginseng and gingko seemed to increase memory and thinking processes.
A crude fraction of American ginseng was found to inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells in culture. At high doses, this ginseng fraction was also able to kill cultured human breast cancer cells.
http://www.nutrasanus.com/panax-ginseng.html

Pelargonium Sidoides
Rooirabas
The traditional use of Pelargonium sidoides for coughs and chest troubles may be explained by the presence of essential oils. It has not yet been established which ingredients contribute to its antibacterial properties.
Extracts of Pelargonium sidoides have clear antibacterial characteristics against Streptococci, Staphylococci and Bacillus cereus.
Pelargonium sidoides is also rich in phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and amino acids that enhance the body’s functioning and protects it against diseases. Treatment with Pelargonium sidoides rapidly improves the typical symptoms associated with infections such as cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue and weakness.
http://www.herbalafrica.co.za/HerbsPelargonium.htm

Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosemary
Rosemary in culinary or therapeutic doses is generally safe; however, precaution is necessary for those displaying allergic reaction or prone to epileptic seizures.
The herb in folk usage signifies friendship, remembrance and loyalty, but in cosmetic application has a variety of uses.
Internally it is used for depression, apathy, nervous exhaustion, and headaches as well as poor circulation and digestive problems caused by anxiety.
The therapeutic properties of rosemary include that of tonic, astringent, diaphoretic and stimulant as well as reducing skin fragility
Topical use includes a help for rheumatism, arthritis, neuralgia, muscular complaints, wounds, dandruff, hair loss and reducing skin fragility while boosting the skin in general, since it has a great ability to increase circulation and also contains antioxidants which have anti-ageing properties as they reduce the damage caused by free radicals.
Rosemary helps to relax muscles, including the smooth muscles of the digestive tract and uterus. Because of this property it can be used to soothe digestive upsets and relieve menstrual cramps. When used in large amounts it can have the opposite effect, causing irritation of the intestines and cramps. A tea made form the leaves is also taken as a tonic for calming nerves and used as an antiseptic.
Use an infusion as a rinse to lighten blond hair, and to condition and tone all hair. Try mixing an infusion half and half with shampoo to strengthen hair. An infusion can also be used as an invigorating toner and astringent. Rosemary added to a bath strengthens and refreshes, especially when used following an illness.
http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/info/herbs/rosemary.asp
http://www.ageless.co.za/rosemary4.htm
http://www.cellulite.co.za/rosemary-extract.htm

Sceletium Tortuosum
Kanna/ kougoed
Tablets and capsules of Sceletium are being used successfully by a number of psychiatrists, psychologists and doctors with excellent results for anxiety states and mild to moderate depression; and they can also be used by the lay public as supplements to elevate mood and for stress and tension.
In addition to Sceletium's common use for the stress and mental fatigue of modern industrial living, Sceletium has been used as a natural supplement that: uplifts the mood; decrease anxiety; stress and tension; gives you energy.
Sceletium elevates mood and decreases anxiety, stress and tension, and it has also been used as an appetite suppressant by shepherds walking long distances in arid areas. In intoxicating doses it can cause euphoria, initially with stimulation and later with sedation. Long-term use in the local context followed by abstinence has not been reported to result in a withdrawal state. The plant is not hallucinogenic, and no severe adverse effects have been documented.
Sceletium is also being used as a natural anti-depressant that is said to be safer than many pharmaceutical alternatives. Individuals suffering from depression and anxiety can benefit from Sceletium.
http://www.sceletium.com/sceletium-uses.asp
http://www.sceletium.org/


Sutherlandia Frutescens
Kankerbossie/ Cancerbush
The Sutherlandia plant grows native in South Africa. It has been used for hundreds of years by the native population and, later, by European settlers, who all attest to it's effectiveness. Now, scientific trials are proving that the complex chemical compounds in the plant indeed do have application in the treatment of many serious ailments.
The indigenous, folk, and contemporary uses of Sutherlandia include use as a tonic for: enhancing well-being; immune support; longevity; stress, depression and anxiety; wasting from cancer, TB, and AIDS; quality-of-life tonic for cancers, HIV/AIDS and TB; appetite stimulant in wasted patients, but not in healthy people. Also: influenza; Chronic Fatigues Syndrome, ME Syndrome and Yuppie Flu; viral hepatitis; asthma and bronchitis; type 2 diabetes; mild to moderate hypertension; rheumatoid arthritis; peptic ulcer, gastritis, and reflux oesophagitis; hot flashes and irritability in menopause.
For many hundreds of years, the Zulu warriors returning from battle used the plant to relax themselves. Grieving widows used it as an anti-depressant to help them through their loss. The old Zulu word of "insiswa" means "that which takes away the dark", referring to the ability of the plant to help with depression and sadness.
http://www.sutherlandia.org/
http://www.sutherlandia.com/sutherlandia_frame.htm


Trigonella Foenum-Graecum
Fenugreek
Fenugreek is a bitter herb that increases milk-flow, stimulates the uterus, soothes irritated tissues, lowers fever, reduces blood sugar, improves digestion, promotes healing, and has laxative, expectorant, diuretic, anti-parasitic and anti-tumor effects. Fenugreek sprouts are also used to promote hair growth, especially in men.
Fenugreek is used internally for a variety of problems, such as to treat diabetes in adults (late-onset diabetes), poor digestion, gastric inflammation, digestive disorders and tuberculosis. It is also used for painful menstruation, labor pains and insufficient lactation. Men on the other hand benefit from it for loss of libido, painful testicles and premature ejaculation. It is often used for weight loss, anorexia and for poor appetite. In Chinese medicine it is used for kidney related pain - such as back ache, as well as premature ejaculation, loss of libido, painful testicles, hernia, painful menstruation and edema of the legs. In Ayurvedic medicine it is used for rejuvenation and as an aphrodisiac, as well as for digestive and bronchial complaints, gout and arthritis.
Fenugreek seed has been used for stomach upset, swelling (inflammation) of the upper air passages or throat, appetite, for lowering blood sugar, and for softening the stool. It also has been used as a gargle to relieve sore throat, and as an external dressing for swelling (local inflammation).
http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-fenugreek.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/fenugreek_trigonella_foenum-graecum-oral/article.htm


Warburgia Salutaris
Pepperbark tree
In Southern Africa, the medicinal plant Warburgia salutaris is commonly used for the treatment of inflammatory and other diseases.
This species is highly regarded as an expectorant for the treatment of dry cough and as a remedy for colds, chest infections, sinusitis, malaria, venereal diseases, stomach ulcers, toothache and dermatological disorders.
As an expectorant or smoked, they are a widely used remedy for common colds. Dried and ground, they make a snuff used to clear the sinuses. Taken orally are believed to cure spots in the lungs. Both stems and root bark are a remedy for malaria. Powdered and mixed with water, they are believed to cure sores in the mouth.
http://het.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/27/11/827
http://www.sahealthinfo.org/traditionalmeds/monographs/warburgia.htm
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8D-41C2RT3-P&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=32d0c7b5b94a055c34fbe3d07d4779e5
http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantwxyz/warburg.htm

Global tools enhance local exchange through community currency in an alternate economy

So... the thesis - outline of issues to address as follows:

The thesis will look at the way in which Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), traditionally renowned for enhancing global reach, can be used to build and strengthen local exchange systems using community currencies. I will look particularly at the Community Exchange System (CES), an initiative of the South African New Economics Network (SANE). The CES is a community-based, global trading network using an “alternative, parallel, local, community or complementary currency system.” The system is currently used by 123 exchanges in 17 countries, with Australia (35 exchanges), South Africa (23), America and New Zealand (20 each) most active. The relevance of the CES in today’s economic climate is stressed by its coverage in CNN Time’s business pages, where it is noted that “[al]ternative means of trade often surface during tough economic times.”

The Internet has long stimulated thought and discussion around the idea of an alternate economy based on reciprocal exchange. When Barbrook first noted the emergence of what he termed a ‘high-tech gift economy’ emerging in cyberspace in 1998 he was considered controversially leftist. Today the terms ‘giving’ the ‘gift economy', ‘reciprocity’ and ‘relationship economics’ are featured regularly in the mainstream media and technology blogs, all the more in the light of the ‘conventional’ economy’s plight.

To date however the benefits of this gift economy have been largely virtual, exchanging gifts of knowledge, information, ideas and comments. Examples of gifted ‘goods’ include contributions to the development of open source software, specialist advice published online, wikipedia, reciprocal comments shared on blogs, and in online social and business networks. Yet, despite the dramatic changes in social interaction and exchanges facilitated by online networking, and the evolution of what may be referred to as the “high-tech gift economy”, the potential of the Internet to really revolutionize economic systems has been limited, as the gifting involved did not extend beyond the realms of cyberspace.

By contrast to this global, virtual, gift economy that has developed online, the CES, which is closely related to the Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS) model developed by Michael Linton in the early 1980s, is very much focused on physical, local, community-based exchange. Local trading systems have traditionally operated offline, posing obstacles in terms of administration as well as establishing sufficient ‘connectedness’ between members to facilitate easy exchange. The impact of the Internet has revolutionized their scope in a number of ways, including:

• Reduced administrative burden of record keeping
• Search engine functionalities for goods and services offered and required
• Communication tools providing the ability to instantly connect with others’ wants and offerings
• Networking tools to build community between users, in turn strengthening the network and the types of services that are exchanged. Social features were originally built into the CES trading site, but are now primarily concentrated in the the communityexchange.ning group. This forum encourages discussion and educates members on how to establish community exchanges in their area.
• A web-based system allows for transparency, as users have instant access to each others’ trading records and account balances. This encourages a spirit of reciprocity which is essential in exchange systems where users can take out, but must also give back to, the ‘community pool’ of goods and services.
• The geographical scope of a community exchange is extended, allowing for certain types of services (notably the virtual kind more commonly associated with the online gift economy) to be exchanged globally, and making it possible to use community currency while traveling, connecting with users of local currencies in distant destinations.

While the last point above notes the advantages of global scope, community currencies essentially retain a local focus. In this light the research will focus specifically on the Cape Town Talent Exchange (CTTE), which was the first exchange established under the CES network.

The principle of social justice forms a crucial foundation of the CES philosophy. In this regard the digital divide must be considered as a critical limitation of a ‘gift economy’ using tools only accessible to some. Yet it has been shown in the evolution of New Social Movements (NSMs) like the Zapatista in Mexico and the South African Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) over the past decades that even the disconnected can benefit from ICTs through mediators providing indirect access to Internet utilities. In a similar manner the CTTE has expanded the CES to include those without access to the Internet through the use of a parallel paper-based system on which transactions are recorded, and then entered into the web-based system by administrators. The thesis will explore such online-offline linkages, noting how the system aims to encourage community-building across the digital divide, and the extent to which it succeeds in doing so.

Hot & bothered

Shwee... been slow...

A most magical last weekend at Origin festival, followed by a week of itching. Believe, possibly... finally... sandfleabites that haunted many party goers may finally be healing. And just possibly managed to not get my whole house infested as I somewhat feared earlier in the week. May be too soon to tell but so far at least I don't seem to have any new bites...

Still pretty stiff-backed tho - not sure whether from 3 days & nights of quite vigorous dancing, about 600km on the road to Agulhas and back on Wednesday, or my perhaps not too ideally heighted workchair & desk at home. Or perhaps even my bed though really hoping it's not that... hmmm...

Anyway, a little overwhelmed right now I must admit. Workstuff's really gotto be done - most notably the Agulhas project - assessing the social impacts of expanded public works programme (EPWP) implemented by SANParks on poverty relief in surrounding communities. Had a planning meeting with park managers on Wednesday that went down well. Now a preliminary progress report on activities to date along with fieldwork tools to be developed due in less than a week. So best get on with that... Then some weeks of fieldwork in the not too distant future. Promises to be quite an adventure - to be staying all by my lonesome in a mammoth historic old farm mansion that's just been renovated. About 30km from civilisation, the last 15 km along a dusty gravel road. Exciting stuff. (Having confirmed that there's at least some (though slow) wireless netconnectivity out there it should most likely not be too unbareably isolated and lonely...)

Should also be getting on with the studystuff - now the idea of reciprocity through generalised exchange across cyberspace, and more specifically in the alternate currency environment of particularly the Cape Town Talent Exchange, and more broadly the Community Exchange system in general is pretty fixed as topic for the thesis. But how to expand on that... hmmm... will require some serious thought and much more interaction with exchange participants.

And thenthere's the Cairo conference - funding confirmed. Still waiting for detail about travel arrangements. Much look forward to wander the streets of Cairo again, thouh be it only briefly. But that requires still writing the paper to be presented at the conference. Hmmm... Roughly concerning monitoring and evaluation of South Africa's population policy. Somewhat similar to something I presented in Denver last year, but definitely still needs some work to adapt, update, make more relevant for this conference, and also much shorter than what Denver proved to be way too much for way too little time.

So... those be the things to focus on. Any moment soon... Meanwhile I'm melting... Summer really is quite completely upon us - more so in the past 2 days than any others in recent months. Still with gusts of wind (one of which crashed a window yesterday. Just had that fixed. Also had my car washed this morning. Way overdue. But oh so lovely now - all clean inside and out like she hasn't been in... would say 'months', but 'years' may be more accurate... So, at least something constructive has been done on this heated day. Also washed some dished and packed away some clean laundy. Arbitrar tasks one might say, but these too have been... erm... somewhat overdue one might say... Now there's still the matter of the 'office-corner' of my li'l bachelor's tower pad. The corner I've somehow neglected to address in all recent attempts at housecleaning (few and far between as those have been.) But tja.. .this corner - completely swamped with papers and documents and a bunch'o otherstuff I really have no idea what exactly to do with. Some boxes to just stuff it all into might be handy right now. Alternatively a concerted effort at figuring out what's what and then deriving a plan for a place to put it all. Oi... not quite sure where to start really...

Guess the only way is to "just do it"... Perhaps a li'l bit'o external order might filter into psyche too and boost inspiration to get to the most uregent priorities of SANParks, community currencies and conference paper...

Any moment now... Really...

How online can facilitate an offline gift economy

Tim O'Reilly's "Work on stuff that matters" recently struck to heart. Been faffing much with thoughts and ideas and reading oh-so-much-and-then-some about the High tech Gift economy / Relationship Economy and online networking and how it all pertains to the current economic crisis and and... And much as all these things indeed seem to 'matter', I was left quite overwhelmed at what I, personally, really could possibly have to add to all of this. Feeling quite out of my depth really. Also, much beautiful as these conceptions of an alternate economy evolving in cyberspace, I couldn't quite get how this e-volved economy based on relationships, reciprocity and exchange of informational and technological gifts can translate into actual bread and butter issues essential for survival. Which, as social development researcher/ consultant down at the southern tip of Africa is the type of thing that seems to me would really matter.

A g-chat with my dear frien Foom, who suggested I look around on .ning for local inspiration proved most inspiring when my curson stumbed on the Community Exchange Network .ning group, and from there to the CES exchange site. This is not the first time I come across them. Joined the Facebook group awhile back, and been intermittently following and in principle agreement with the SANE philosophy and principles behind LETS systems for years. So why this didn't strike me before one might wonder... But never mind. Now it has and for the first time in awhile I feel a sense of deeper purpose awakening with this research focus I'm to be developing into a thesis in coming months.

For here it would seem is a system that can, just maybe, translate the benefits of a new economy facilitated through ICTs into real benefits for real people, for some of whom actual access to these technologies and the world they represent is (and could remain for some while to come) unfathomable. And yet through the help of others like the CTTE bankers/brokers in Khayelitsha, Cape Town they can benefit from a system made ever so much easier through such technology.

So, I've joined the .ning group, created an account with Cape Town's Talent Exchange, added some offerings on the site, checked out some wants - earned myself some talents and went to a community market in Delft on Saturday to spend some. More on that later. It's late - much to do before this week ends.

EpsilonSD - how this blog got its name

"Epsilon" is a word/ idea I've always held great affinity for for its symbolic value. Derived from the formal proof of mathematical limits, based on:

"For all epsilon greater than zero" (epsilon is always positive), "as epsilon tends towards zero" (epsilon is veryvery small - the smallest value you can imagine, squeezing up the tangent to the axis) "|f(x) - L|" (the absolute (i.e. always positive) value of whatever the function of 'x' you're trying to prove minus the value you're trying to prove it can never surpass but will tend to with ever greater values of 'x') is less than epsilon (i.e. less than this very small, positive thing that's as small as you can possibly imagine it but still the difference between the function and limit is smaller so it must be darned near zero so it might as well be the same and hence the limit...)

OK that's a lot of words for what mathematicians put ever so much more gracefully in a few symbols, but just to roughly illustrate the mathematical relevance of 'epsilon' - something by definition as small as you can imagine, but positive, the founding concept on which a proof for 'limits' (quite a lofty concept really) is based. The touchy feely social development researcher/ anthropologist in me just loves that. It makes me think of the Grameen Bank of Professor Muhammad Yunus. A huge benefit from a relatively so small input.

The SD... when I created this blog in 2007 I was partly toying with the idea of opening a cc through which to run the freelance consulting I was doing at the time. Never got round to all the admin part and ended up joining Southern Hemisphere (SHC) which turned out as perfect solution to still do what I was doing plus a greater range and variety of interesting work and loads of learning and team support without losing the flexi-freelance lifestyle.

At the time I was playing with a possible name I might give such a cc. 'Epsilon' had to be in there somewhere as it's been with me for years (remaing as relic and reminder of the mathdegree I did a decade ago before moving into social development consulting careerwise flowing from the BA I also did at the time.) But I had to make it somewhat relevant to the work I thought to be promoting if indeed this blog was to serve as quasi-website for this up&comin cc of mine. So the SD would have stood for 'Social Development' in a way. I'm not so fond of the term 'social development' and whatever connotations it might have in many minds (including my own in many ways.) But it most accurately described the type of work I do. At the time it was mostly social impact assessments (SIAs) as part of environmental (EIAs) for various big developments - power stations, golf courses, mines etc. - Not exactly the most 'social development' oriented clients one could boast of but in a way I justified it (and still do when those projects come in though SHCs clients have generally been more 'goodly' NGO's and government/ donor funded projects geared to human upliftment ('development') in some way or other.)

Going with the 'mathematical' theme helped me get over 'development' connotations... I thought a possible business card would have the ESD all in Greek capitals. With S = 'Sigma' which mathematically signifies "the sum of" (unity, coming together, adding, joining etc.), and D - 'Delta' - the symbol for "change". So EpsilonSigmaDelta would really, as my personal 'mission statement' refer to a 'very small, positive thing', 'unity', and 'change'. (The nitpicker in me wasn't entirely happy with the order of these symbols - SE=D might make a more powerful (well, more 'mathematically correct' anyway) statement: "the sum of very small positive actions resulting in change" - but I kinda made peace with the compromise - "very small positive actions, joined together, result in change". And since I hadn't actually done any math since 1999 and don't move in circles where the position of 'Sigma' makes any difference whatsoever, I figured it could work.

Never did start the cc so never needed the name. Or the 'website' for that matter. In retrospect I could probably have started using it as a blog before but... got caught up in other things I guess... Now that it's revived and I suddenly see the purpose of such a space, guess the name remains as relevant as ever to encaptulate what I'm about - well... try to be about... we all have our moments and the ideals we strive towards. Guess this is mine. (Along with my motto's for daily living: "observe; be aware; don't judge"; "do to others as you'd have them do to you"; "from each according to abilities, to each according to needs" and the Serenity Prayer ("God grant me the serenity; to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. ")

hope?

On finally (somewhat reluctantly) waking this morning, I fumbled my way to laptop, logged into email. Nothing too urgent on this Sunday am, so skimmed through some newspaper headlines. Which, I'm happy to say (for this day) suddenly seem unusually filled with possible positivity:
"Gaza skies calm as Israel halts offensive"
"Optimism over DRC peace deal"
"Washington gears up for dawning of Obama era"

I'm not as naive as to think the world's problems are over, that peace will reign into the future or that all is well in any way, but, just for today anyway, it's quite nice to, for once, scan through headlines that actually bring a glimmer of hope rather than despair. (Reading a bit further into said articles for yet another glimpse of the extent of carnage wrecked in Gaza in recent weeks, and onto some others e.g. "Hungry Zimbabweans see even leaner times ahead" quickly reminds that all is still far from rosy in this world we live in.)

But for a personal perspective on this day think I'll try cling to the glimmer of hope (elusive though it may seem) for the moment.

Reciprocal relations between role players in social networking

What I've been thinking much about lately is how 'reciprocity' (you give something you gain something or, conversely, you get something you gotta give something) works in the online networking world. Facebook in particular.
Who all contribute to Facebook? What do they get in return?
Who gains from the service? What do they give in exchange?

So, looking at the various role-players involved.

• There are the founders and ongoing creators of the site. Mark Zuckerberg and those who work with him.
• Then there's 'civil society' - the users. All ~150mil of them - can imagine there are quite a range of motivations and uses there.
• And business - advertisers, partners (notably Microsoft), those investing in the service for future profit motives.
• And when we have civil society and business, the natural flow of thought leads to the state sector. One can pretty much guess what government agencies could gain from a massive and growing database of identity information willingly submitted by users. What are they prepared to (/ do they) give in exchange?

I'll be exploring these ideas further in months ahead.