From Co-Existence to From Co-Existence to ConvivialityConviviality

A leap into Direct RealityA leap into Direct Reality

By Gilbert CattoireBy Gilbert Cattoire

www.directreality.comwww.directreality.com

Spring 1995, SarajevoSpring 1995, Sarajevo

What were 3 journalists and a telecom What were 3 journalists and a telecom engineer doing in Sarajevo in March ‘95,engineer doing in Sarajevo in March ‘95,

with laptops and satellite phones,with laptops and satellite phones, building a satellite IP link ?building a satellite IP link ?

►A web forum between Sarajevo & the A web forum between Sarajevo & the “Rest Of The World”“Rest Of The World”

Sarajevo Alive - Sarajevo Sarajevo Alive - Sarajevo OnlineOnline

► The Official ProjectThe Official Project

A gesture of solidarity with the local daily A gesture of solidarity with the local daily Oslobodjenje.Oslobodjenje.

Official assignement was to interview a Official assignement was to interview a few selected personalitiesfew selected personalities

Political debates were to be avoided.Political debates were to be avoided.

Sarajevo Alive - Sarajevo Sarajevo Alive - Sarajevo OnlineOnline

►Backed by UnescoBacked by Unesco

►& a Syndication of 30 international & a Syndication of 30 international newspapers (La Stampa, El Pais, Süd newspapers (La Stampa, El Pais, Süd Deutsche Zeitung, Yomiuri Shimbun, Deutsche Zeitung, Yomiuri Shimbun, The Guardian,…)The Guardian,…)

Sarajevo Alive - Sarajevo Sarajevo Alive - Sarajevo OnlineOnline

►The AccidentThe Accident

The team took the decision to let any The team took the decision to let any inhabitant express themselves on inhabitant express themselves on whatever topic they wantedwhatever topic they wanted

All postings were published unedited and All postings were published unedited and uncensoreduncensored

Sarajevo Alive - Sarajevo Sarajevo Alive - Sarajevo OnlineOnline

►The resulting content was a The resulting content was a breakthrough in war journalism:breakthrough in war journalism:

A besieged city's online diary,A besieged city's online diary, updated daily,updated daily, to which people all over the world to which people all over the world

responded spontaneously.responded spontaneously.

Sarajevo Alive - Sarajevo Sarajevo Alive - Sarajevo OnlineOnline

►Access to the service was easyAccess to the service was easy

The website was updated twice daily via The website was updated twice daily via emailemail

The feed was also available via a mailing listThe feed was also available via a mailing list

►Emotional response was overwhelming. Emotional response was overwhelming. Internet as a medium was beyond doubt Internet as a medium was beyond doubt the “hottest” of all.the “hottest” of all.

From Co-Existence to From Co-Existence to ConvivialityConviviality

►Enabled by digital communications, the Enabled by digital communications, the audience fits quite naturally as an audience fits quite naturally as an integral part of the information process, integral part of the information process, influencing the course of events as they influencing the course of events as they happen.happen.

► Journalism is evolving away from its Journalism is evolving away from its mandatory lecture mode to include mandatory lecture mode to include conversations and actions.conversations and actions.

A Leap into Direct RealityA Leap into Direct Reality

► Because exposure to news is Because exposure to news is disintermediated, allowing participants to disintermediated, allowing participants to participate and litteraly direct reality from a participate and litteraly direct reality from a personal, first-hand perspective, as opposed personal, first-hand perspective, as opposed to the passive mass media experience were to the passive mass media experience were reality is being directed for you. reality is being directed for you.

► And because this leads to no less than a new And because this leads to no less than a new political proposition. New cultures, new social political proposition. New cultures, new social interactions are pushing people through the interactions are pushing people through the Internet door, from coexistence to conviviality. Internet door, from coexistence to conviviality.

From Co-Existence to From Co-Existence to ConvivialityConviviality

► ...there is more to news than zapping...there is more to news than zapping► ...there is more to politics than blind ...there is more to politics than blind

alleysalleys

►Of course we all knew all this all the time. Of course we all knew all this all the time.

►But where was it for so long? And where But where was it for so long? And where are we going?are we going?

From Co-Existence to From Co-Existence to ConvivialityConviviality

►the Internet is an “evolution catalyst”the Internet is an “evolution catalyst”

blogs are a perfect illustration,blogs are a perfect illustration, Wikis (watch out for them) are even more Wikis (watch out for them) are even more

symptomatic.symptomatic.

From Co-Existence to From Co-Existence to ConvivialityConviviality

►both the offer and the demand for both the offer and the demand for such direct experiences are reaching such direct experiences are reaching people beyond the usual sphere of people beyond the usual sphere of “social activists”...“social activists”...

► ... at least expanding it to a new degree... at least expanding it to a new degree

A Leap into Direct RealityA Leap into Direct Reality

► ““Let everyone talk, publish everything Let everyone talk, publish everything (don’t edit), favour dialogues”: the (don’t edit), favour dialogues”: the spontaneous principles that let Sarajevo spontaneous principles that let Sarajevo Online make the news have since become Online make the news have since become mainstream with blogs.mainstream with blogs.

►Making webloging technology available to Making webloging technology available to anyone was indeed a genial intuition.anyone was indeed a genial intuition.

Communicate + Collaborate = Communicate + Collaborate = ParticipateParticipate

► People are willing to People are willing to participate if they participate if they are given the means are given the means to collaborate and to collaborate and communicate.communicate.

► Sounds obvious but Sounds obvious but was hardly ever the was hardly ever the case until the case until the Internet came along. Internet came along.

Communicate + Collaborate = Communicate + Collaborate = ParticipateParticipate

► It feels good to know that there’s more to It feels good to know that there’s more to progress than the emerging reality of progress than the emerging reality of intelligent machines. intelligent machines.

►We’re still in the evolutionary game, live and We’re still in the evolutionary game, live and direct.direct.