https://develop.consumerium.org/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=142.177.103.54&feedformat=atomConsumerium development wiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T13:07:47ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.39.6https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Problems_with_free_software_and_open_source_models&diff=3318Talk:Problems with free software and open source models2003-12-14T23:04:31Z<p>142.177.103.54: larger tradeoffs; suggestions, problems we still have even if we pursue a split "CSL front end with GPL back end" strategy</p>
<hr />
<div>I still cannot see a problem in this. If the backend stuff is [[GPL]] and the frontend (Delievery Engine) is under [[Consumerium Software License]] then there are ''theoretically'' no problems of skewed software. And besides keeping the majority of stuff forkable makes it more easy to manage operations without fierce flame wars. [[User:Juxo|Juxo]] 00:57, 15 Dec 2003 (EET)<br />
<br />
:Well this page is about general problems of these licenses for any project in a [[healthy signal infrastructure]]. Maybe it should be more of a pros and cons thing - a problem with a CSL that is not say a [[Green Software License]] that many groups use, is that it will not be as easy to integrate with those other parts. So there's at least an argument for seeking [[Consortium license]] wherever we can, if only to work closely with [[essential projects]] that for whatever reason aren't using the [[GFDL]] or [[free software]] models.<br />
<br />
:Avoiding flame wars by enabling [[bad copy problem]] is a poor tradeoff. I ''tend'' to agree that if the delivery engine is under a [[Consumerium Software License]] that the [[Consumerium Governance Organization]] controls, then the most obvious [[worst cases]] go away, and many [[threats]] seem more manageable even if [[free software]] problems infest the rest. Problems are:<br />
<br />
::1. that license doesn't exist yet, and many people will argue "it isn't needed, just GPL everything" which is an ideological position that doesn't come from any analysis, just from a vague belief that "free is good, open is good" etc. So we need this page just to convince people we have a problem that the CSL would solve.<br />
<br />
::2. just because ''we'' think it's good enough, doesn't mean it is. Keeping our analysis transparent to let anyone see it and add to it, like this page and [[worst cases]] especially, makes it harder for us to be totally blind-sided<br />
<br />
::3. a lot of jerks just "fork for the sake of forking", leaving 3000 versions of Linux that the end user can't tell from each other.</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Slowing_down_your_food&diff=2166Slowing down your food2003-12-14T22:57:35Z<p>142.177.103.54: trolls *hate* unnecessary capitalization</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Slowing down your food''' is a blog-like feature of [[Consumerium]] to help you get more out of life. See [[User:Juxo/Kitchenblog]] for the inspiration - but anyone can add recipes here.<br />
<br />
=== soup ===<br />
<br />
Many soups are better the second day than the first, especially chowders.<br />
<br />
Here's a simple vegetarian black bean soup that's really easy to make:<br />
<br />
*a whole litre of black beans, soaked overnight<br />
*three large or five small onions, cut into wedges<br />
*Chinese oyster sauce (can be real-oyster sauce if you aren't a vegetarian)<br />
*two cloves garlic<br />
*canola oil<br />
<br />
Fry the onions to transparency in canola oil and add the garlic. Quickly, add the oyster sauce and about four litres of water, and the beans. Stew for about a half hour. If you can, let it cool down and sit cold for a few hours before re-heating and serving with fresh french bread for dunking.</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Slowing_down_your_food&diff=2163Slowing down your food2003-12-14T22:56:57Z<p>142.177.103.54: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Slowing down your food''' is a blog-like feature of [[Consumerium]] to help you get more out of life. See [[User:Juxo/kitchenblog]] for the inspiration - but anyone can add recipes here.<br />
<br />
=== soup ===<br />
<br />
Many soups are better the second day than the first, especially chowders.<br />
<br />
Here's a simple vegetarian black bean soup that's really easy to make:<br />
<br />
*a whole litre of black beans, soaked overnight<br />
*three large or five small onions, cut into wedges<br />
*Chinese oyster sauce (can be real-oyster sauce if you aren't a vegetarian)<br />
*two cloves garlic<br />
*canola oil<br />
<br />
Fry the onions to transparency in canola oil and add the garlic. Quickly, add the oyster sauce and about four litres of water, and the beans. Stew for about a half hour. If you can, let it cool down and sit cold for a few hours before re-heating and serving with fresh french bread for dunking.</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Slowing_down_your_food&diff=2162Slowing down your food2003-12-14T22:54:01Z<p>142.177.103.54: general feature?</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Slowing down your food''' is a blog-like feature of [[Consumerium]] to help you get more out of life. See [[user:Juxo/kitchenblog]] for the inspiration - but anyone can add recipes here.<br />
<br />
=== soup ===<br />
<br />
Many soups are better the second day than the first, especially chowders.<br />
<br />
Here's a simple vegetarian black bean soup that's really easy to make:<br />
<br />
*a whole litre of black beans, soaked overnight<br />
*three large or five small onions, cut into wedges<br />
*Chinese oyster sauce (can be real-oyster sauce if you aren't a vegetarian)<br />
*two cloves garlic<br />
*canola oil<br />
<br />
Fry the onions to transparency in canola oil and add the garlic. Quickly, add the oyster sauce and about two litres of water, and the beans. Stew for about a half hour. If you can, let it cool down and sit cold for a few hours before re-heating and serving.</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Ecological_yield&diff=14273Ecological yield2003-12-14T22:22:17Z<p>142.177.103.54: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Ecological yield''' is the amount of growth in an [[ecosystem]] each year. This, or less, is what can safely be harvested and remain [[sustainable]].<br />
<br />
See [[w:ecological yield]] and [[ecosystem valuation]].</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Experience_Economy&diff=14272Talk:Experience Economy2003-12-14T22:20:28Z<p>142.177.103.54: general issue with relying too much on Wikipedia</p>
<hr />
<div>This seems to be a really important concept.<br />
<br />
Also, it's one of those where the Wikipedia treatment may not be deep enough for our purposes, so this article may expand a lot. Wikipedia has a generally wrong and stupid way of deciding what matters and what doesn't (they have for instance 5000 articles on Ayn Rand's fictional characters and NONE on things like [[w:moral reasoning]] and [[w:labour economics]] that might challenge Ayn Rand's ideology). They badly need [[m:regime change]] over there. So we can't always rely on what their articles will say. They are VERY badly biased and do not admit this - mostly because of who has power on their "mailing list" and etc. Wiser users like [[w:User:Netesq]] and [[w:User:Mirwin]] and [[w:User:Cunctator]] have already said all there is to say about this, and so there is no point repeating it.<br />
<br />
Other articles that are going to require more detailed treatment here because they are critical to [[moral purchasing]] include: [[comprehensive outcome]]s, [[ecological yield]] (the difference between sustainable and unsustainable use of an ecosystem), [[service economy]] itself (wrongly defined in [[w:service economy]] and consistently vandalized by right-wing economics advocates), and the way [[state services]] are dealt with - how [[types of countries]] might have to be distinguished. Good material on this appears at Wikipedia and is very quickly censored by the cabal (TINC), and this will continue until [[m:regime change]]. So we might want to start to advocate this regime change, if we are going to rely on Wikipedia material.</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Technological_escalation&diff=14271Technological escalation2003-12-14T22:12:35Z<p>142.177.103.54: </p>
<hr />
<div>'''Technological escalation''' is the more correct term for the type of phenomena usually called an [[arms race]].<br />
<br />
See [[w:technological escalation]].</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Arms_race&diff=14270Arms race2003-12-14T22:11:51Z<p>142.177.103.54: </p>
<hr />
<div>An '''arms race''' is a [[conceptual metaphor]] for any form of [[technological escalation]], but especially one that has no benefits to anyone in the long run, except for those who make their living creating and selling technologies.<br />
<br />
See [[w:arms race]] for the history of this metaphor.</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Arms_race&diff=2158Arms race2003-12-14T22:11:27Z<p>142.177.103.54: wrapper</p>
<hr />
<div>An '''arms race''' is a [[conceptual metaphor]] for any form of [[technological escalation]], but especially one that has no benefits to anyone in the long run.<br />
<br />
See [[w:arms race]] for the history of this metaphor.</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Main_Page&diff=2590Talk:Main Page2003-12-14T22:06:52Z<p>142.177.103.54: </p>
<hr />
<div>The intro essay is the only thing that makes sense on this page. <br />
<br />
:So, of course, sysops delete it, and trolls restore it.<br />
<br />
Thankfully it contains links to all the good [[starting points]]. So maybe what's needed is just to divide up by [[advocate]], [[developer]], [[designer]] roles? So that we figure out what people can do for Consumerium, and send them to the right place?<br />
<br />
:hmmh. hmmh. Thanks. True. Aren't developer and designer the same thing in practice? Shouldn't that be the other way around?<br />
<br />
::They're the same only in ''bad'' practice. Three different roles. The advocate figures out what's important, the developer responds in code, the designer responds in design and changes to the [[user model]]. <br />
<br />
::Why should the person who chooses the words "Main Page, Recent changes, View discussion", layout and other aspects of the user interface be the same as the person hacking the code? In general the two skill sets are totally different. Bad user interfaces like say [[TikiWiki]] come from setting up stupid development cycles where if you can't talk like a developer, you can't be heard about the user interface. Why do you think Microsoft rules the soft-world? Because they have Program Managers to design things and mock them up, and Project Managers to deliver them in good debugged code. There's nothing in common except the "look and feel" between the two jobs.<br />
<br />
::A good guide to how to lay out a main page for a meta type discussion like this is at http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page_style - this style is expressed for Meta-Wikipedia in http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page_Neutral which is sort of the "users' main page". A Main Page *HAS TO* give a concrete and specific understanding of a project, and it *HAS TO* provide clear visible up-front links to the values and concepts of the project. Look at *ANY* non-profit organization's page. They do *NOT* open with all the wonderful technology they are going to use... or a vague mission statement. They open with very specific stories and images.<br />
<br />
--------<br />
<br />
''Shouldn't this be linked from the [[Main Page]] as "[[Consumerium Services]]" or something?''<br />
<br />
::Doing it. Will include ALL of what's below in a detailed essay, and after that, will summarize to the [[Main Page]] to keep the intro to three paragraphs with specific stories and images and an idea of "what you will see and hold in your hand"<br />
<br />
==Brief Introduction to The Concept of Consumerium==<br />
<br />
From the consumption perspective Consumerium is about enabling a shift from affective buying behaviour based on illusions to affective buying behaviour based on [[features|information]] on the social and environmental impacts of the production and naturally the perceived quality of the product.<br />
<br />
We hope to achieve this by building two, consumer accessible, complementary facilities:<br />
*[[Content Wiki|The Content Wiki]] where we hope people will build an abundance of '''neutral information''' about products and their production processes and all involved factors. The integrity of this information will be negotiated and upheld by peer review in a similar manner as in [[Wikipedia]], The Free Encyclopedia and furthermore by maintaining a backend data storage called The Consumerium Vault which mostly validates the existance or non-existance of things the articles in The Content Wiki claim to refer to. The goal of the Content Wiki is to be '''objective'''.<br />
<br />
*[[The Consumerium Exchange]] or [[Opinion Wiki|The Opinion Wiki]] - Where strictly formed datastructures are used to record, archive and enable the aggregation of information on the popularity of different '''opinions''', mostly in the form of competing [[campaign]]s on issues related to production and consumption. The Consumerium Exchange is very rigid internally, but the view it provides to consumers and producers alike is very fluid and based on ones '''subjective preferences'''.<br />
<br />
Both of these facilities will be accessible through the Internet, but we hope to work together with the retailers of the world, who seek an competitive advantage by providing a better shopping experience for their clients, to bring access to the '''shelf front''' via [[short-range wireless]] connections, optimally [[Bluetooth]], for zero cost to the consumer.<br />
<br />
:"Bluetooth" is not "zero cost". It costs money to buy hardware and more money to keep it up to date. Also wireless services usually cost money. The cheapest devices to do this would certainly not be Bluetooth but dumber analog FM or other RF devices. Don't "Require" hardware that isn't required.<br />
::Well the original concept was rather technology-centered and I can see your point in your argument but looking at it from where I stand [[bluetooth]] is a very essential technology because it allows ''anonymous'' (from v1.2 on) and ''secure'' access to information resources in close physical range which of course is a terribly essential thing. I mean that [[consumerium]] isn't worth building at all if the [[consumer]] as a human can't be protected from things like [[company]], corporation, advertisement agency or algorithms made by any of the previous or whatever other [[no body]]<br />
<br />
...to be continued...<br />
----<br />
It is one of several [[essential projects]] that will make [[moral purchasing]] a daily reality. Consumerium focuses this '''''[[moral purchasing power]]'''''.<br />
<br />
Advice will probably be seen by the [[end user]] as a [[red light|red]]/[[yellow light|yellow]]/[[green light]] traffic-type signal, or as a [[score]] easily translated into a [[price premium]], or as a note in [[Simple English]] about issues with, or merits of, the product. All rely on [[opinion wiki]] comments compiled by software using a [[wikitext standard]]. [[Semantic link]] standards may be required also.<br />
<br />
In any case, the release of this advice is keyed to [[bar code]]s, and may rely on frequently updated data embedded in hand-held devices, and/or dynamic retrieval via [[short-range wireless]] to the shelf front. Where possible, reasons for making buying decisions, or refusing a certain product, will go as [[feedback]] to the [[producer]]s. This will enhance the consumer experience, advance product development and keep this planet as hospitable as possible for human and other natural life.<br />
<br />
The alternative, of course, is for us all to be blissfully [[ignorant]].<br />
----<br />
Here's a summary of anticipated [[Consumerium Services]]:<br />
<br />
:Our front end will be seen by the [[end user]] as a [[red light|red]]/[[yellow light|yellow]]/[[green light]] traffic-type signal, or as a [[score]] easily translated into a [[price premium]], or as a note in [[Simple English]] about issues with, or merits of, the product. Release of this advice is keyed to [[bar code]]s.<br />
<br />
:There are several ways to connect back to front end: we may rely on frequently updated data embedded in hand-held devices, and/or dynamic retrieval via [[short-range wireless]] to the shelf front. Where possible, reasons for making buying decisions, or refusing a certain product, will go as [[feedback]] to the [[producer]]s. <br />
<br />
:Our back end relies on [[opinion wiki]] comments compiled by software using a [[wikitext standard]]. [[Semantic link]] standards may be required also. To work out the conventions and issues involved, we are working through a wiki in the R&D phase. <br />
<br />
''This'' is that wiki. We invite you to participate by editing proposals and discussions below. Any page can be edited by anyone, or restored to a previous state by anyone, which is the convention we assume will also apply in operation:<br />
----<br />
humm. It's better now imho. [[User:Juxo|Juxo]] 23:58, 14 Dec 2003 (EET)<br />
<br />
:Thanks. The [[Consumerium FAQ]] could use an update maybe, but the questions answered on the front page are the ones that give the clearest legal and physical and trust relationship picture of what we've talked about - the ones that most people will tend to ask up front, suspicious about "who controls this" and "what will this look like?" It really pays to filter out people who care more about "Free software purity" or "gaining status by pleasing powerful people". The Main Page should be simple enough that you can read it, agree or disagree, respond emotionally quite favourably or not, and move on if you have doubts. A good front page is something you can tell in about two minutes if you want to participate, or not.<br />
<br />
:http://www.metaweb.com is a good example of this kind of front page. We might work with them on wiki style issues, they have done a pretty good job especially with their [http://www.metaweb.com/wiki/wiki.phtml?title=Metaweb:Intermediate_page intermediate page format].</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Problems_with_free_software_and_open_source_models&diff=3321Problems with free software and open source models2003-12-14T22:00:49Z<p>142.177.103.54: basic issue list... will take some searches to find more</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Problems with free software and open source models''' for discussion:<br />
<br />
1. ''issue'' - "No restrictions on field of use" means that software is explicitly licensed for military purposes, spying purposes, selling environmentally and socially destructive products, hiding activities of companies, and anything else that opponents of [[moral purchasing]] may want to do. There is no legal recourse. While there are few incentives to subvert operating system or database software, there are ''many'' incentives to subvert or gain advantage in the operations of a [[healthy buying infrastructure]]. With no way to restrict these activities with civil court action, only technical means are available to subvert such subversion - wasting everyone's time in an [[arms race]] that is to no one's advantage.<br />
<br />
:''position'' - there should be quite specific hard restrictions on use of any [[Consumerium License]] software, at least, what a [[Consortium license]] tends to contain: "no using this software to set up your own competing consortium."<br />
<br />
2. ''issue'' - No party with power to sue. Under [[GPL]] and other free software licenses, "the community" is assumed to exist and have some powers of persuasion, but they have no powers to actually force the license terms to be met. Consortium and private licenses, and some open source licenses like the [[BSD]], specify exactly who can and must act to protect license integrity. <br />
<br />
:''position'' - the [[Consumerium Governance Organization]] should have the power to sue those who abuse the license terms. Anyone else might have the right to sue for harms done by that abuse, and the CGO should be obligated to provide certain help. For instance, an organic jam maker whose product is shoved off the shelves by a commercial food enterprise that deliberately tries to create confusion in the Consumerium system with competing software, should be able to make claims and have them supported by the CGO in the courts.<br />
<br />
3. ''issue'' [[bad copy problem]] - impossible to control variants<br />
<br />
4. ''issue'' [[self-interested fork problem]] - there are already Adbusters and other groups' versions of this possibly being created, and no doubt stores will come up with "their own". To prevent this requires cutting a balance so that a self-interested party has every incentive to use Consumerium, but once they have committed to it, have no easy ability to fork it.</div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=2314Main Page2003-12-14T21:52:40Z<p>142.177.103.54: </p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[Fair trade]], [[political consumerism]] and [[moral purchasing]] trends are coming together to create what we call '''''[[moral purchasing power]]''''':<br />
<br />
[[Consumerium]] is a not-for-profit project to focus that power. We are collaborating under the [[GFDL]] [[licences|license]], to design a [[healthy buying infrastructure]]. We are identifying [[hardware requirements]] for storage, transport and display of varying levels of [[features|product information]] to [[consumer]]s at the [[point of purchase]]. We hope to be part of an evolving [[healthy signal infrastructure]] that all [[essential projects]] can participate in.<br />
<br />
Q: Will every element of this be [[free software]]?<br />
<br />
:Not necessarily. Free software and open source models have [[problems with free software and open source models|problems]]. A [[Consumerium Governance Organization]] may develop or aggregate "non-free" software to assist in the compilation and validation of information to guide purchasing. For integrity reasons and to prevent bad copies and misleading competitors, this may require a more specific [[Consumerium License]] regime. We reserve the right to use your contribution to achieve the general goals of Consumerium. Discussions remain GFDL so that a different implementation on the same design could be, conceivably, created as "pure" free software for those ideologues who want it.<br />
<br />
Q: What exactly will this look like to me as an end user?<br />
<br />
A: here's our best current guess:<br />
<br />
:Our front end will be seen by the [[end user]] as a [[red light|red]]/[[yellow light|yellow]]/[[green light]] traffic-type signal, or as a [[score]] easily translated into a [[price premium]], or as a note in [[Simple English]] about issues with, or merits of, the product. Release of this advice is keyed to [[bar code]]s.<br />
<br />
Q: How will this data be updated to the users' device?<br />
<br />
:There are several ways to connect back to front end: we may rely on frequently updated data embedded in hand-held devices, and/or dynamic retrieval via [[short-range wireless]] to the shelf front. Where possible, reasons for making buying decisions, or refusing a certain product, will go as [[feedback]] to the [[producer]]s. <br />
<br />
Q: How will this data be kept accurate?<br />
<br />
:Our back end relies on [[opinion wiki]] comments compiled by software using a [[wikitext standard]]. [[Semantic link]] standards may be required also. To work out the conventions and issues involved, we are working through a wiki in the R&D phase. <br />
<br />
''This'' is that wiki. We invite you to participate by editing proposals and discussions below. Any page can be edited by anyone, or restored to a previous state by anyone, which is the convention we assume will also apply in operation:<br />
<br />
<center><br />
===Selected articles===<br />
<br />
'''[[Links|Looking for info on companies and products now?]]''' - '''[[Features|Planned Features to The Consumer]]''' - '''[[Consumerium Services]]'''<br>'''[[Opinion Wiki]]''' - '''[[Content Wiki]]''' - '''[[The Consumerium Exchange]]''' - '''[[Design paradigm|Current Design Paradigm]]''' - '''[[Essential projects]]'''<br><br />
'''[[Fairtrade On Demand]]''', '''[[Consumerium User Stories]]'''<br />
</center><br />
----<br />
<table border=0><br />
<tr><br />
<td><br />
===New to Consumerium or Wiki?===<br />
* [[Consumerium:Welcome, newcomers|Welcome, newcomers]]<br />
* [[Motivation]]<br />
* [[Features]]<br />
* [[Consumerium:Philosophy|Philosophy]]<br />
* [[Consumerium:FAQ|FAQ]]<br />
</td><br />
<td><br />
===Ready to [[Contributing|contribute]]?===<br />
* [[Research]] <br />
* [[Wikipedia]]<br />
* [http://simple.wikipedia.org Simple English Wikipedia]<br />
* [[wiktionary:Consumerium translation lists]]<br />
* [[Consumerium:FAQ]]<br />
</td><br />
<td><br />
===[[Links]]===<br />
* [[Wikipedia|Links To Wikipedia]]<br />
* [[Essential projects]] - don't miss these!<br />
* [[Interesting projects]]<br />
* [[Interesting companies]]<br />
* [[Interesting organisations]]<br />
* [[Interesting software]]<br />
* [[Research|Ongoing works in Wikipedia etc.]]<br />
</td><br />
</tr><br />
<tr><br />
<td><br />
===[[Software]]===<br />
* [[MediaWiki]] [[(NEW)]]<br />
* [[MediaWiki modifications]]<br />
* [[ConsuML]] <br />
* [[Sourceforge]]<br />
* [[XML]]<br />
* [[XML/DTD]]<br />
</td><br />
<td><br />
===[[Hardware]]===<br />
* [[Hardware Requirements]]<br />
* [[Bluetooth]]<br />
* [[Near Field Communication]] [[(NEW)]]<br />
</td><br />
<td><br />
===Other===<br />
* [[Consumerium:Village pump|Village pump]]<br />
* [[Timeline of Consumerium]]<br />
* [[Past]]<br />
* [[Future]]<br />
* [[Goals]]<br />
* [[Stages]]<br />
</td><br />
</tr><br />
</table><br />
----<br />
Use [[w:Wikipedia]] to link to http://www.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia (and [[m:]] to meta). Avoid unnecessary replicating, we're in the [[GFDL]] part of the world after all :)<br />
----<br />
<sub>Thanks to http://pingviini.net for hosting us. Thanks to http://wikipedia.sourceforge.net for this great Wiki software</sub></div>142.177.103.54https://develop.consumerium.org/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=2155Main Page2003-12-14T21:49:54Z<p>142.177.103.54: the main page *must* give a clear *visualization* of what is going on, else we lose 99% of the audience... move anything here to the FAQ, but NOT the greenlight/redlight stuff, that's critical</p>
<hr />
<div>__NOTOC__<br />
<br />
[[Fair trade]], [[political consumerism]] and [[moral purchasing]] trends are coming together to create what we call '''''[[moral purchasing power]]''''':<br />
<br />
[[Consumerium]] is a not-for-profit project to focus that power. We are collaborating under the [[GFDL]] [[licences|license]], to design a [[healthy buying infrastructure]]. We are identifying [[hardware requirements]] for storage, transport and display of varying levels of [[features|product information]] to [[consumer]]s at the [[point of purchase]]. We hope to be part of an evolving [[healthy signal infrastructure]] that all [[essential projects]] can participate in.<br />
<br />
Q: Will every element of this be [[free software]]?<br />
<br />
:Not necessarily. Free software and open source models have problems especially when they have to work together all over the planet at once, where strong self-interest is involved, and where many entities may have incentives to skew the data. A [[Consumerium Governance Organization]] may also develop or aggregate "non-free" software to assist in the compilation and validation of information to guide purchasing. For integrity reasons and to prevent bad copies and misleading competitors, this may require a more specific [[Consumerium License]] regime. We reserve the right to use your contribution to achieve the general goals of Consumerium, and the discussions remain GFDL.<br />
<br />
Q: What exactly will this look like to me as an end user?<br />
<br />
A: here's our best current guess:<br />
<br />
:Our front end will be seen by the [[end user]] as a [[red light|red]]/[[yellow light|yellow]]/[[green light]] traffic-type signal, or as a [[score]] easily translated into a [[price premium]], or as a note in [[Simple English]] about issues with, or merits of, the product. Release of this advice is keyed to [[bar code]]s.<br />
<br />
Q: How will this data be updated to the users' device?<br />
<br />
:There are several ways to connect back to front end: we may rely on frequently updated data embedded in hand-held devices, and/or dynamic retrieval via [[short-range wireless]] to the shelf front. Where possible, reasons for making buying decisions, or refusing a certain product, will go as [[feedback]] to the [[producer]]s. <br />
<br />
Q: How will this data be kept accurate?<br />
<br />
:Our back end relies on [[opinion wiki]] comments compiled by software using a [[wikitext standard]]. [[Semantic link]] standards may be required also. To work out the conventions and issues involved, we are working through a wiki in the R&D phase. <br />
<br />
''This'' is that wiki. We invite you to participate by editing proposals and discussions below. Any page can be edited by anyone, or restored to a previous state by anyone, which is the convention we assume will also apply in operation:<br />
<br />
<center><br />
===Selected articles===<br />
<br />
'''[[Links|Looking for info on companies and products now?]]''' - '''[[Features|Planned Features to The Consumer]]''' - '''[[Consumerium Services]]'''<br>'''[[Opinion Wiki]]''' - '''[[Content Wiki]]''' - '''[[The Consumerium Exchange]]''' - '''[[Design paradigm|Current Design Paradigm]]''' - '''[[Essential projects]]'''<br><br />
'''[[Fairtrade On Demand]]''', '''[[Consumerium User Stories]]'''<br />
</center><br />
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<table border=0><br />
<tr><br />
<td><br />
===New to Consumerium or Wiki?===<br />
* [[Consumerium:Welcome, newcomers|Welcome, newcomers]]<br />
* [[Motivation]]<br />
* [[Features]]<br />
* [[Consumerium:Philosophy|Philosophy]]<br />
* [[Consumerium:FAQ|FAQ]]<br />
</td><br />
<td><br />
===Ready to [[Contributing|contribute]]?===<br />
* [[Research]] <br />
* [[Wikipedia]]<br />
* [http://simple.wikipedia.org Simple English Wikipedia]<br />
* [[wiktionary:Consumerium translation lists]]<br />
* [[Consumerium:FAQ]]<br />
</td><br />
<td><br />
===[[Links]]===<br />
* [[Wikipedia|Links To Wikipedia]]<br />
* [[Essential projects]] - don't miss these!<br />
* [[Interesting projects]]<br />
* [[Interesting companies]]<br />
* [[Interesting organisations]]<br />
* [[Interesting software]]<br />
* [[Research|Ongoing works in Wikipedia etc.]]<br />
</td><br />
</tr><br />
<tr><br />
<td><br />
===[[Software]]===<br />
* [[MediaWiki]] [[(NEW)]]<br />
* [[MediaWiki modifications]]<br />
* [[ConsuML]] <br />
* [[Sourceforge]]<br />
* [[XML]]<br />
* [[XML/DTD]]<br />
</td><br />
<td><br />
===[[Hardware]]===<br />
* [[Hardware Requirements]]<br />
* [[Bluetooth]]<br />
* [[Near Field Communication]] [[(NEW)]]<br />
</td><br />
<td><br />
===Other===<br />
* [[Consumerium:Village pump|Village pump]]<br />
* [[Timeline of Consumerium]]<br />
* [[Past]]<br />
* [[Future]]<br />
* [[Goals]]<br />
* [[Stages]]<br />
</td><br />
</tr><br />
</table><br />
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Use [[w:Wikipedia]] to link to http://www.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia (and [[m:]] to meta). Avoid unnecessary replicating, we're in the [[GFDL]] part of the world after all :)<br />
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<sub>Thanks to http://pingviini.net for hosting us. Thanks to http://wikipedia.sourceforge.net for this great Wiki software</sub></div>142.177.103.54