Observatory-2021_0925-V0.1

Observatory

I am working on a couple datasets for Ledgerback’s Library. Specifically, these datasets are for the Observatory project, a database monitoring convergence (connection and integration) convergence is my interest so I am including extra fields. If you are a member and want your fields added, please send me a message! and pluralistic actors, organizations, movements, events, protocols, networks and more in the Ledgerback Frontier (Decentralized Web (DWeb) and related fields).

Convergence is my interest but anyone can add any fields they want.

These datasets will help map the space and hopefully make it searchable. I think I will try to approach this project similarly to MetaBrainz .

The datasets are:

1. Observatory (a dataset monitoring convergent (connection and integration) and pluralistic actors, organizations, movements, events, protocols, networks and more in the alternative internet (i.e., decentralized web, indieweb, Web3, distributed web)), mayve name this the DWeb Convergence Observatory
2. Glossary (a dataset constructing a convergent glossary of terms that span and link across communities in the alternative internet, and grey and academic literature),
   1. The world’s most comprehensive decentralized web and related fields glossary
   2. The worl’d most comprehensive Ledgerback Frontier glossary
3. Tools ( a dataset of tools for spanning the alternative internet, including communities, data-driven apps, social tech, study resources, and more ),
4. DGov_Score-DAO_Index-2021_0921-V0.1
5. FAQs
   1. probably use for a NLP Q&A system demo
6. Global Tech Commonwealth (GTC) Index
7. Convergence Lit. Rev.
8. Solutions
   1. Backyard_BrainTrust-2021-1004-V0.1

I think I can get a preview version of them out pretty soon.

As always, send your feedback to my Twitter account.

Observatory

Outline

what do people need to know: answer big Qs

1. what will we do?
2. why crowdfund?
   1. benefits for crowdfunders
   2. what money will get used for
3. benefits for stakeholders
4. problems to solve
5. addressing problems

What is the Observatory

A dataset monitoring convergent (connection and integration) and pluralistic entities (actors, organizations, movements, events, protocols, networks and more) in the alternative internet (i.e., decentralized web, indieweb, Web3, distributed web).

What are the problems that the Observatory anticipates addressing?

Here is a non-exhasutive list of problems the Observatory may address:

• hard to map entities converging the decentralized web which makes it easier to navigate the decentralized web
• hard to find entities working in the background
• hard for convergent entities to promote themselves because they are at the edges of communities
• finding basic information on the the decentralized web
• hard for beginners to know where to search to find sources
• hard to find domain-specific resources

Problems we will address

The problems we will specifically address are:

1. map entities and relationships converging the decentralized web
2. finding domian-specific and other context-specific resources

Initial plan to address them

1. Create a dataset to map entities and relationships
   1. Open dataset to public for crowdsourcing
2. connect dataset schema to 3rd party datasets

What are the benefits of the Observatory?

What work is coming out soon from of the Observatory project?

A quick preview of the dataset and a contribution guide.

Additionally, a newsletter covering updates on the Observatory.

What future is the Observatory observing towards? (i.e., vision)

A knowledge graph of entities that can be used by multiple apps and stakeholders for their knowledge work.

Making a searchable dashboard. Maybe like https://twitter.com/dmihal/status/1389960811020488708 & https://openorgs.info/

Provides a public API for easy access to data.

Glossary

Outline

what do people need to know: answer big Qs

1. what will we do?
2. why crowdfund?
   1. benefits for crowdfunders
   2. what money will get used for
3. benefits for stakeholders
4. problems to solve
5. addressing problems

What is the Glossary

A dataset constructing a convergent glossary of terms that span and link across communities in the decentralized web, and grey and academic literature.

What are the problems that the Glossary anticipates addressing?

Here is a non-exhasutive list of problems the Glossary may address:

• inability to connect terms across online communities, domains, contexts, academic and grey literature, and more in decentralized web
• hard to assess terms because of multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions of terms
• hard to track ever-evolving neologisms developing to describe the entities and contexts in the decentralized web
• lack of explainers and analogies of terms across contexts
• hard to relate decentralized web neologisms to older terms
• hard for beginners to know where to find a glossary
• hard to find a glossary that has terms from multiple domains
• trace authorship of terms

• Terminology shapes reality. What’s true for the phenomena that we address in our research is certainly also true for the terminology we use for our research. What at first sounded like a banal truism, for us gradually evolved into the idea for this project, establishing a new special section Defining concepts of the digital society. At a time, when branding new, occasionally innovative but often only catchy terms has become a familiar activity of researchers, companies and policymakers alike, we felt it was particularly necessary to reflect on which of these concepts was actually worthwhile, provided analytic value and actually described something new – besides the fluffy rhetoric that repeatedly becomes rampant in academic discourse.

• There is high demand for concepts and explanations that condense the complexity of the world by transforming it into cogent and manageable ideas. Empirical research typically addresses single aspects of the current transformations. Adding small pieces to the puzzle, individual reports, research papers and essays tend to be rather unconnected, sometimes even resisting being combined with each other. While they certainly have a heuristic value, for example by validating or falsifying assumptions for well-defined, yet restricted contexts, they cannot provide overarching explanations and narratives. This is where more abstract concepts come into the picture. Operating on the level of middle range theories, they are able to integrate diverse phenomena under one notion by foregrounding certain shared characteristics. We need those overarching concepts to make sense of the current transformations.

Problems we will address

The problems we will specifically address are:

1. inability to connect terms across online communities, domains, contexts, and academic and grey literature
2. lack of explainers and analogies of terms across contexts

Initial plan to address them

1. Create a dataset to map terms and relationships
   1. Open dataset to public for crowdsourcing
2. connect dataset schema to 3rd party datasets

What are the benefits of the Glossary?

• easy, updateable glossary for stakeholders (e.g., academics, journalists, marketers) to use in their documents

What work is coming out soon from of the Glossary project?

A quick preview of the dataset (preview excludes most of the advanced fields) and a contribution guide.

Additionally, a newsletter covering updates on the Glossary.

What future is the Glossary defining towards? (i.e., vision)

A knowledge graph of terms that can be used by multiple apps and stakeholders for their knowledge work.

Making a searchable dashboard. Maybe like https://twitter.com/dmihal/status/1389960811020488708 & https://openorgs.info/

Provides a public API for easy access to data.

Tools

Outline

what do people need to know: answer big Qs

1. what will we do?
2. why crowdfund?
   1. benefits for crowdfunders
   2. what money will get used for
3. benefits for stakeholders
4. problems to solve
5. addressing problems

What is the Tools?

A dataset of tools for spanning old and new functions in the decentralized web, including communities, data-driven apps, social tech, study resources, and more.

What are the problems that the Tools anticipates addressing?

Here is a non-exhasutive list of problems the Glossary may address:

• inability to connect tools across online communities, domains, contexts, and more in decentralized web
• hard to develop toolkit that covers social and technical needs of developing decentralized web communities because of multiple, different skills are needed (e.g., a tool to develop Ethereum DApps and tool to develop communities)
• hard to track ever-evolving tools and toolkits in decentralzied web
• lack of explainers and tutorials of tools across contexts
• hard for beginners to know where to find tools
• hard to find experts to teach or mentor how to use tools
• hard to keep track of tools entities use
• hard to know how popular a tool is

Problems we will address

The problems we will specifically address are:

1. inability to connect tools across online communities, domains, contexts, and more in decentralized web
2. lack of explainers and analogies of terms across contexts
3. build toolboxes to meet social and technical needs

Initial plan to address them

1. Create a dataset to map tools and relationships
   1. Open dataset to public for crowdsourcing
2. connect dataset schema to 3rd party datasets

What are the benefits of the Tools?

• easy, updateable tools repository for stakeholders (e.g., academics, journalists, marketers) to use in their projects
• We will host skill-based webinars to help people learn how to use their tools

What work is coming out soon from of the Tools project?

A quick preview of the dataset (preview excludes most of the advanced fields) and a contribution guide.

Additionally, a newsletter covering updates on the Tools.

What future is the Tools functioning towards? (i.e., vision)

A knowledge graph of tools that can be used in multiple contexts.

Making a searchable dashboard. Maybe like https://twitter.com/dmihal/status/1389960811020488708 & https://openorgs.info/

Provides a public API for easy access to data.