The GEN-db project aims to create a multilingual, open-access web database and social platform for projects focused on sustainability and transition to resilience. It will allow users to visualize profiles, share multimedia content, communicate and find information on topics like eco-tourism and volunteering. The GEN-IS department will maintain GEN-db, working transparently with distributed teams using tools like Gentool. An alpha release is planned for June 2012, with the goal of improving the platform based on user feedback. Partnerships will be important for long-term maintenance, while respecting social values. Total annual costs are estimated at 230,000 Euros to support professional staff and infrastructure needs.
2. Project GEN-db 1/5
The vision
GEN-db is a web-
database of knowledge
Projects can visualize
their profile
Multimedia can be
added in structured ways
The User-interfaces are
multi-lingual and easy
3. Project GEN-db 2/5
The vision
Feature-example: Projects can visualize their profile
4. Project GEN-db 3/5
The vision
Searching and browsing
with interactive features
Easy tools for eco-
tourism and volunteers
Social networking
between users and projects
Event-Calendars, Maps, 3D-Visualization, Mobile-
devices, Fair-Trade markets, …
5. Project GEN-db 4/5
The vision
”
With the GEN-db you can present
yourself and your projects. You
can search and browse all kind of
information. GEN-db makes it easy to
upload media, like documents, pictures,
movies or songs. You can communicate
with other users and projects about
travelling, volunteering or whatever topic.
All together in the name of...
'Transition to Resilience'.
6. Project GEN-db 5/5
The vision
The GEN-db will host useful
knowledge and enable both
public and moderated evaluation.
7. Project GEN-db 1/3
The way
The department GEN-IS (Information Service) is maintaining the
GEN-db over the next years.
GEN-IS has over 10 years of
experience running a database of
ecovillages, doing networking and
giving technical support.
All project works are transparent
and open, welcoming the
contribution of everybody willing
and capable.
Tools for distributed project-
management are used.
A specialized software called
Gentool is already in
testing-phase.
8. Project GEN-db 2/3
The way
Alpha-release is planned for June 2012.
Collecting feedback and improving quality and quantity of
service and data become the key-issues then.
Partnerships and contracting are part of the long-term-
maintanance-strategy heading
for Win-Win-situations.
9. Project GEN-db 3/3
The way
Social-skills like Gender-Neutrality, Religious-
Freedom or Non-Violent-Communication are fully
respected.
Innovative methods are used, such like Dragon
Dreaming, Holacracy or Systemic Consensus.
We do not speak about leaders and rules but about
focalizers and recommendations.
” Whatever we do, the 'rule' is...
We have to feel good with it!
10. Project GEN-db 1/3
People and partners
Several teams are formed inside GEN-IS...
Vision
Tester Office
Developer Support
Tech Communication
Design
Celebration
Language
11. Project GEN-db 2/3
People and partners
Both with personal contact and with a set of user-
friendly online-tools GEN-IS is empowering the
public to contribute. E.g. online-translation-tools
Several possible partners are already in contact,
including 'Gaia-Education', 'Art of Hosting', 'Fellowship
of Intentional Communities', 'Federated Social Web',
'GaiaVillages', 'EcoBasa', ...
”
All people want to do their best for
the planet. Give them the tools
and they love to contribute.
12. Project GEN-db 3/3
People and partners
An alliance of three of the strongest players in the
Transition-movement is forming. We are working together
as a 'community empowering communities'.
13. Project GEN-db 1/2
The resources
The GEN-db is quite a big and complex project with several
needs arising in following areas...
Human labor
Project-management
Infrastructure
Travel-expenses
Hosting of meetings
External resources
The most cost-intensive factor is human labor. Even if volunteers are
empowered, the project GEN-db will need professional staff. The
payment can be far below industrial standards.
14. Project GEN-db 2/2
The resources
One low-paid developer costs about 25.000 Euro per year.
The estimation resulted in a total project-cost of about
230.000 Euro per year.
”
The yearly cost for the GEN-db appears similar
to the cost of a western house. Let's build
a digital home of useful knowledge empowering
thousands of projects
and individuals.
15. Project GEN-db
Let's get started
You are welcome to contribute...
Be informed, keep up-to-date.
Tell others about the project.
Help fund-raising, be supporter.
Use GEN-db, give feedback.
Contact us...
Thank you! db@ecovillage.org