Totalism Cooperative:
What we do
< RFC+ >
Project index → 🔗coop.
Last updated: 2021-08-17
Table of Contents
¶Brief introduction
The Totalism Cooperative is a general labour association, operating since 2016. We specialize in applied research, consulting and educating in the fields of information & knowledge technologies, collaborative organization, and artistic co-production.
Our cooperations prioritize common-goals alignment, so they are better for everyone involved - affordable, rapid, exciting and cheerful. This in turn changes our labour's accessibility, and inclusivity.
### both?
The broader logic, and implications for our labour cooperants, can be found here:
→ 🔗coop-manifesto.
The Totalism Cooperative is a general labour association, operating since 2016. We specialize in applied research, consulting and educating in the fields of information & knowledge technologies, collaborative organization, and artistic co-production.
Our cooperations prioritize common-goals alignment, so they are better for everyone involved - affordable, rapid, exciting and cheerful. This in turn changes our labour's accessibility, and inclusivity.
The broader logic, and implications for our labour cooperants, can be found here:
→ 🔗coop-manifesto.
¶ ( Brief )
###[!!*] just merge this, should be visible from the TOC
General software and information technology research, development and deployment.
* full-solution specification
* open-source software deployment
→ 🔗hacker-tools
* development + support:
→ 🔗workflow, 🔗dev-index
* openhardware research and "free industry" production:
also see → 🔗openhardware
* develop for bounties
* research, systematics and overviews
* teaching and workshops:
→ 🔗teaching
* GNU+Linux system administration, dev-ops and hosting infrastructure
->>> #servercoop
* events support (audio, video, network, workflow)
General software and information technology research, development and deployment.
* full-solution specification
* open-source software deployment
→ 🔗hacker-tools
* development + support:
→ 🔗workflow, 🔗dev-index
* research, systematics and overviews
* teaching and workshops:
→ 🔗teaching
* GNU+Linux system administration, dev-ops and hosting infrastructure
* events support (audio, video, network, workflow)
¶ * Data consulting: quick transform dive [onsite, 2w:100h]
Every contemporary organisation and each individual can benefit from improving their organisational processes, regarding how they handle data — authoring, collaborating, organizing, search & retrieval, representation and visualization, conceptual models, data mining, etc.
2 week focus:
* Figure out the main organisational and technical problems & actionably document them
* Rapidly document, specify, develop and deploy a solution to a painful "quick fix" technical problem
* Sketch & rethink the internal research & development practices, towards an innovative direction
* Consider ethical and legal challenges & opportunities
* Concord a longer term smart data strategy
### can be expanded further to ... 1) help make other problems actionable ... 2) by TCO direct work or stewarding
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Example outcomes
#1 (Belgian software/media company):
* Rethought the database model (conceptual clearing for future proofing, performance improvements)
* Made plans for graph database and "extended use of data"
* Made foundation for reinforced learning on example that influenced search weights
* Made foundation for statistical test infrastructure
* Quick-fixed a broken "Solr" search engine instance
* Written up a single page executive report for future tech (was immediately used in a successful VC round)
#2 (UK open hardware project):
* base structure and vision-setting for this "zero stage" (🔗non-shitty) startup
* for results, see XXX🔗voxelcraft ###RECOVER !!!
Every contemporary organisation and each individual can benefit from improving their organisational processes, regarding how they handle data — authoring, collaborating, organizing, search & retrieval, representation and visualization, conceptual models, data mining, etc.
2 week focus:
* Figure out the main organisational and technical problems & actionably document them
* Rapidly document, specify, develop and deploy a solution to a painful "quick fix" technical problem
* Sketch & rethink the internal research & development practices, towards an innovative direction
* Consider ethical and legal challenges & opportunities
* Concord a longer term smart data strategy
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Example outcomes
* Rethought the database model (conceptual clearing for future proofing, performance improvements)
* Made plans for graph database and "extended use of data"
* Made foundation for reinforced learning on example that influenced search weights
* Made foundation for statistical test infrastructure
* Quick-fixed a broken "Solr" search engine instance
* Written up a single page executive report for future tech (was immediately used in a successful VC round)
¶ * Topic consulting / outsourced research [offsite, 4w:50h]
Process:
* Initial creative storming & direction-setting
* Regular consulatory briefings
* Prototype specification & development
* 3/4 term main presentation
* Compile a white paper or executive report
* Outline open directions for possible further work
### past clients: UK University, International climate research non-profit
Process:
* Initial creative storming & direction-setting
* Regular consulatory briefings
* Prototype specification & development
* 3/4 term main presentation
* Compile a white paper or executive report
* Outline open directions for possible further work
¶ * Overview: Groupware (collaboration/ideation/knowledge software & processes) [50h + Y:100h]
### merge [!!!]
$$$$$
Process:
* Investigation: work to understand the main collaborative culture & challenges
* Preparation: suggest several formats
* Setup & introduce a new solution
* Regular Maintenance, small consultations, upkeep & adjustments (~10h / month)
(Not unlike #lovely.tools project.)
Process:
* Investigation: work to understand the main collaborative culture & challenges
* Preparation: suggest several formats
* Setup & introduce a new solution
* Regular Maintenance, small consultations, upkeep & adjustments (~10h / month)
¶ * Data expansion: Semantic web positioning & compliance [20h]
Consultation: positioning within and taking advantage of the Linked Data ecosystem.
### future prospects
### can include prototype
Consultation: positioning within and taking advantage of the Linked Data ecosystem.
¶ * Hosting software for collaborative groups [20h + Y:50h]
### could merge with "groupware overview" above, or differentiate on ANALYSIS + IMPLEMENTATION + INTRODUCTION/CONSULTATION modules
We host on & administrate exclusively GNU+Linux servers.
Includes:
* initial setup
* regular upkeep
* support: introduction & small consultations
* select hardware and responsible/reliable shops/isp services
Typical work effort (~50 hours):
* 8h talk + preparation
* 8h initial education
* 8h setup
* 16h yearly upkeep
* 16h yearly support requests
We host on & administrate exclusively GNU+Linux servers.
Includes:
* initial setup
* regular upkeep
* support: introduction & small consultations
¶ * Own & free software deployment and integration
See:
→ 🔗dev-index (own solutions)
→ 🔗hacker-tools (free & libre/open source software for any need)
See:
→ 🔗dev-index (own solutions)
→ 🔗hacker-tools (free & libre/open source software for any need)
¶ * Directioned improvement of existing (FLOSS) products
Typically software development on top of products we already use.
¶ * Custom specification / R&D services per specification
Micro (<10h), mini-projects (<50h), and larger projects (~500h).
Broken down in several deliverable stages.
Micro (<10h), mini-projects (<50h), and larger projects (~500h).
Broken down in several deliverable stages.
¶ * Participating in a larger creative projects
Specialization:
* Co-develop and concord specifications
* Care to transfer responsibility to wider community later
* Analyze broad community, political and legal implications, challenges & opportunities
* ###
Specialization:
* Co-develop and concord specifications
* Care to transfer responsibility to wider community later
* Analyze broad community, political and legal implications, challenges & opportunities
¶PROCESS & DOCUMENTATION STEWARDING
Collaborative projects always struggle to capture and maintain their document systems. Their tool choices are often improvised, and thus incomplete, unkempt, and unconsolidated.
A Document Steward position ensures regular quality overviews:
* pushes adoption of standard processes, from the basic (onboarding, archiving, meeting agenda setting, ...), to more advanced & custom
* directly resolves complex problems with key document duplicates, mergers, etc
* upkeeps styles and document hierarchies
* keeps the processes functional & active
* passes methods to an internal group of stewards-in-training, to adopt & pass on
References from a number of associations, companies & collectives available.
Collaborative projects always struggle to capture and maintain their document systems. Their tool choices are often improvised, and thus incomplete, unkempt, and unconsolidated.
A Document Steward position ensures regular quality overviews:
* pushes adoption of standard processes, from the basic (onboarding, archiving, meeting agenda setting, ...), to more advanced & custom
* directly resolves complex problems with key document duplicates, mergers, etc
* upkeeps styles and document hierarchies
* keeps the processes functional & active
* passes methods to an internal group of stewards-in-training, to adopt & pass on
References from a number of associations, companies & collectives available.
¶TEACHING & EDUCATING
In-person, online, or mixed.
High variety of topics, levels and customization, see → 🔗teaching.
Examples:
* Beginner programing course in schools (Python, Scratch, or equivialent)
* Varied-skill e-textile crafts
* Navigating information & the internet effectively (from basic to expert)
* Simple hardware projects (soldering & basic microcontrollers)
* E-studying (from primary education, to complex digital scholarship setups)
In-person, online, or mixed.
High variety of topics, levels and customization, see → 🔗teaching.
Examples:
* Beginner programing course in schools (Python, Scratch, or equivialent)
* Varied-skill e-textile crafts
* Navigating information & the internet effectively (from basic to expert)
* Simple hardware projects (soldering & basic microcontrollers)
* E-studying (from primary education, to complex digital scholarship setups)
¶ * Individual mentoring
young people (in schools, etc)
Mentoring and individual consultation on a wide-variety of technical and organisational topics.
We connect with existing institutions, to support their current audiences & reaching out to new ones.
Mentoring and individual consultation on a wide-variety of technical and organisational topics.
We connect with existing institutions, to support their current audiences & reaching out to new ones.
¶GOODS PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
Specification, positioning & comparative analysis of goods.
Consulting on & setting up ethical & effective supply chains.
End distribution .
Also see:
→ 🔗lim0
→ 🔗ordering
Specification, positioning & comparative analysis of goods.
Consulting on & setting up ethical & effective supply chains.
End distribution .
Also see:
→ 🔗lim0
→ 🔗ordering
¶GRANTS & RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Artistic, research & entrepreneurial grants.
Strong in ideation & material organization, collaborative technology, network-stewarding, software specification & leadership, proofing.
Artistic, research & entrepreneurial grants.
Strong in ideation & material organization, collaborative technology, network-stewarding, software specification & leadership, proofing.
¶ * artistic production & execution
Technical and conceptual support .
Cross-media, speculative, and wide range of fine arts.
* Quommoning (with Željko Blaće), 2019 — collaborative graph
* canal boat sound art (with ooooo.be), 2019 — graph, production, performance assistance
* CCQO: R2A, 2020 — research, graphical notation
* ###
Usually as a part of a group, coordinated under a grant.
Usually includes (re)deployments & advanced configuration of existing software, presentations, and running support.
Technical and conceptual support .
Cross-media, speculative, and wide range of fine arts.
* Quommoning (with Željko Blaće), 2019 — collaborative graph
* canal boat sound art (with ooooo.be), 2019 — graph, production, performance assistance
* CCQO: R2A, 2020 — research, graphical notation
Usually as a part of a group, coordinated under a grant.
Usually includes (re)deployments & advanced configuration of existing software, presentations, and running support.