Explainer Video

Start a popular description of the GVCS here.

Suggestion: rename to GECK. Garden Eden Creation Kit. Easy to pronounce and remember.

Gee-Vee-Cee-Ess isn't that hard to pronouce. While I usually like Biblical references, I don't think it works all that well here. We can't recreate Eden and that image isn't exactly what Marcin is working toward (let me know if I'm wrong). --MatthewMetzger 17:47, 11 August 2010 (UTC)

Second that. Maybe another acronym might work, but for now GVCS is OK. -Adam

If you want to go a different route with GVCS, or a name that might have a bit more sticking power, I would suggest something like ARCCS (Abundant Resource Colony Construction Set) goes along the theme of building an ark, which ties into the biblical story of Noah which parallels in a way what OSE is doing. Just my 2 cents --DC

Video Script Scratch-board
Here at Open Source Ecology we are turning ‘dirt and sticks’ into advanced civilization by building the necessary tools and technologies to create sustainable and resilient communities around the world. Utilizing local, low-cost resources we aim to provide a complete set of open-source tools we call the Global Village Construction Set or GVCS. The GVCS is meant to give a community control of its production in the face of our increasingly uncertain global systems. In fact, we need not make sacrifices in quality of life to move beyond our destructive industrial systems; all we need is the integration of existing resources in order to close loops and end waste. Nevertheless, the GVCS is not about generating new technologies, it is about refining existing ones to meet the needs of people rather than corporations.

Open-sourcing the production process has allowed us to quickly develop solutions through online collaboration and support.

For example...

CEB

Life-Trac

PowerCube

Etc...

By encompassing the production of low-impact housing, renewable energy and wholesome food, the open-source integration of the GVCS will lead to greater self-suffciency and improved quality of life for all. But openness is more than just a process for us, we believe in openness as an ideology of transformation. Imagine the knowledge necessary for sustaining advanced civilization available to everyone, not just a limited technical elite; we could then truly become creators of our own destiny rather than consumers of its ghostly shell.

Together we can make local communities work at only the cost of scrap metal, but it will take global knowledge and cooperation. The GVCS is applicable anywhere soil, sunshine, and water are found, which is just about everywhere. So we challenge you to join us at Open Source Ecology —review and comment on our progress, connect with True Fans, empower others to freedom, or commit to a Dedicated Project Visit- we are ready for you. With all our hands and all our brains, we can create a more sustainable and equitable world for all.

Quote from Marcin: Most people are on the verge of understanding what sustainability implies: maintain the status quo by not taking from the future. Simple --easy. But when you take it the next step and mention the adjective regenerative, people get lost. It's about sustainability to the point where we are repairing the world -- healing the damage and giving back. It's like sustainability + 1. What we are talking about is even further down the line: resiliency. Resiliency implies all that regenerative does, but includes a level of adaptability. We're regenerating the world through adaptable/modular technology.

Lucas' Notes
OSE ToolSet in 2 minutes

I'm internet-starved these days, so I haven't looked if there's further developement on this.

Today I went to the hardware store looking for some nuts and bolts, met my next-door neighbour for a couple of minutes, and quickly told him “a few friends are building machinery and placing the details on the internet” (now that's the shortest version of what's going on, isn't it?). He said he hates having to replace the full door of his oven instead of just a piece of glass that had come unglued. So I thought, can we write a 10-seconds mini-script for “design for disasembly”, what it is and why it's valuable for users, builders, the economy and the ecosystem?

Here's my first draft:
 * Each machine in the toolset has detailed plans, and those plans are becoming available on the internet.
 * This means when some part eventually breaks, you or some local practitioner can disassemble, repair or replace, and reassemble the exact piece that broke, and nothing else.
 * This means specific value for you, the local economy and the global ecology in one blow!

We'd need pictures to go with this: a wikipage, closeup to a machine, then a piece that comes unscrewed, then screwed back. Same message as the text, in images. Maybe some icons for user, worker, trees.

This reminds me of something a friend told me long ago: 3-9-27. For each “idea nugget”: 3 supporting ideas in 27 words said in 9 seconds. There's room for 12 such “nuggets” in 2 minutes, or 10 if you leave out the beginning and the end.

My first draft had 60 words, so here's a second draft:
 * Each piece in the toolset has detailed plans available on the internet.
 * So when one part breaks, someone local can fix or replace that specific part only.
 * This benefits owners, the local economy and the ecology in one blow!

That's 39 words, and I counted 14 seconds, which eats time from other nuggets, so there's room for improvement.

(Notice this: there's a What, then a How, then a Why. Maybe this can be formalised further.)

Third draft: ''The detailed plans for each machine are available on the internet, so if one part breaks then that single piece can be fixed or replaced locally. This has obvious benefits for the owner, the local economy and the ecology in one blow.'' (42 words.)

Is OSE's message designed for disassembly? ;-) Seriously, some parts can share wording, so there's no need to go for 27 words for each nugget if they build on each other. I'd say 40 words for each nugget, then paste and get rid of duplication.

Looking at it, the message, with a top-bottom view, here's what I think (my mental model of the thing):
 * OSE builds and shares a complete set of tools so people can build civilisation from the ecosystem. (It's not really from scratch, is it?)
 * unfold that in 3 sentences, 3-9-27.
 * The building and sharing part is being done: open source as in software, but applied to hardware.
 * same.
 * The complete set of tools includes energy, fabrication, farming, transport and much more.
 * etc.
 * Each tool is designed to be disassembled, which means replacing broken parts only, locally.
 * The set will be complete when it can build itself from dirt, scrap metal and solar power.
 * No-one needs a full set to have extremely worthwhile equipement: making bricks works already.
 * The first products have started to be comercialised, and there are other advanced prototypes in line.
 * With current resources all looks doable in a couple of decades – with your help maybe in 2-4 years.

That's 8 nuggets, with room for 2 more nuggets, and of course for changing the whole lot as needed. So what's missing and how does this bird's view get rearranged?

Each nugget then gets 3 sentences in a simple outline, and it's all visible in one page. Maybe the nugget is displayed in writing in the video, and translated.

Hope this helps.

Rasmus' Notes
I would start out by saying something about the Open Source movement in general: it all started with computers / software, now this is the logical extension to more things. People are familiar with open source software and generally like it. This “open source everything else” idea was mentioned on a recent blog post at openP2Pdesign.org (thanks to user "Aleo" for providing the link from our wiki page “other work”).

I would also emphasize the “product ecology” aspect of the project. We have a limited set of products, and they interact in synergistic ways. This interaction makes the GVCS superior to proprietary technologies.


 * Definitely showcase the innovations that have already been produced by OSE.
 * Development Wiki: collaborative platform where hundreds of users contribute.
 * timeline for completion of GVCS

[more notes to follow from me]