TheOilDrum.com has had 45 million page views and 19.8 million unique visits since its inception. While I don’t rule out the possibility that 90% of these were Porge and Oldfarmermac, I suspect that the people that have at least stopped by occasionally over the years to learn and/or contribute number in the hundreds of thousands. Below the fold I ask for interest in, and technology/logistical suggestions on, how we might choose a “TOD” day, enabling anonymous people around the country that have found themselves here based on their understanding of world events, to meet in real life, in their own locales/regions around the world.
To me, theoildrum has been of value in several respects. One, it allowed for high level discussions on resource depletion and related issues with a high signal/noise ratio. Two, it has been like an interesting puzzle, a Rubiks Cube of Modern Civilization if you will – connecting various new dots between energy, ecology, debt/economy, the environment, etc. and internalizing how they all fit into the bigger picture of what we are facing has been interesting and fun. Third, it has served as a home for those aware of the broader implications of being part of an infinite growth paradigm as it intersects with physical/social limits – it is comforting to have a place to speak with your own tribe, generally speaking. Fourth, the integration of the topics discussed here, might accelerate social change (using energy differently, thinking about the future differently, etc.) in ways that will put some or all of us on more benign footing than the default trajectory. I suspect most of us that spend some time here do so for some combination of the above reasons.
The purpose of this Wed/Sat Campfire series on TOD was to go beyond mere discussion on the technical aspects of resource depletion and focus on a)actual social and human capital via skills and local change and b)discuss large unanswerable questions about how resource depletion will change the future. I know there are many people reading this site in Wisconsin and Minnesota, as I have met them at various conferences, but how would others, short of wearing corny T-shirts announcing “I read theoildrum”, be able to connect with eachother, perhaps at a minimum to meet new friends and a social support group, but possibly to better leverage needed social change in their own communities/regions.
My technology skill-set is about a 2 on scale from 1-10. I know there exist sites like Meetup.com where people can set up meetings locally for like minded individuals. But is there some better way?
Please share your thoughts below the fold on:
-Would you be interested in meeting local people that perhaps also frequent this and similar websites but don’t know how? Or would you prefer just accumulating information/watching?
-How could this be accomplished? Can TOD, without expending too many resources, act as a clearinghouse of sorts to assist this effort?
I don’t know the viability of such an effort, but this thought has crossed my mind a few times. For all I know, my neighbor reads TOD and I have no idea. (Then again probably not…;-)
