This page contains descriptions of a number of projects that we have worked on in the past and that no longer typify the kind of work that we wish to undertake in the future. We maintain this page out of archival interest only. Consider our current projects page for more information regarding our current projects.

Open Source

Open source software presents a novel mode of collaboration for the creation of intellectual products. Open source methodologies allow developers to create software in collaboration with each other and the users of that software. The nature of this collaboration is effected by and has a profound effect on how we think about: “ownership” in relation to information, how freedom is expressed (or not) through software and the cyborg interaction, how openness effects community organization, how leadership is expressed in distributed communities, and how productive work is accomplished in distributed environments among other important questions.

Information Management Solutions

Information management presents one of the leading problems for cyborgs as information is only useful insofar as the system that manages it is accommodating and usable.

The best information management systems provide helpful organizational structures, are easy to amend and append with new information, and are stored in a way that is flexible enough to accommodate future use. Furthermore, information management solutions are most useful, when they allow information exchange between users and contexts, when the system becomes a trusted and ubiquitous element in the workflows, and when it encourages rather than mystifies the process of getting work done.

Even with this vision firmly in hand, it can be difficult to find concrete examples of well functioning information management systems. Thus we attempt to address “the information management problem” from two angels

• We experiment with existing solutions and tools and report on how these technologies function and address information management concerns. The evidence of this work can be seen on the blog and on our wiki, and we would enjoy discussing our finding and collaborating with you.

• We attempt to develop and design specific solutions for specific problems. In many cases this involves direct work with clients to understand specific needs and to then construct solutions to address their specific needs In some cases we provide ongoing support and services to clients so they can focus more on their own work.

  It’s our hope that this kind of work with both enable great work, but also inform future practice and research. If you’re interested in these kinds of projects please read about our services.

Work on information management is challenging because these kinds of systems often have nuanced requirements and because existing solutions often perform poorly in many use-cases, but developing your own information management solution is often quite difficult. Systems need to be able to handle a great amount (and diverse collection) of information both existing and in the future, and sometimes this is a hard perspective to gain on your work.

Examples of information management solutions include: private hosted “blog notebooks,” for scholars in the humanities; hosted wiki-based tools for collaboration and teams; and training for specific software packages and organizational best-practice.

Strategies for Cybercultural Integration

With the advent of great tools and services for existing in cyberspace–from personal publish tools like WordPres, to social netowkring and media services like twitter, YouTube, and facebook–it’s frighteningly easy to take your projects “online.” With so many options and tools, it’s also possible to proceed with disorganized and unproductive strategies for getting the most out of the technology and culture.

We attempt to collect information and develop working theories for best practices in cyberculture. We hope that this work will be accessible and useful to participants in the cyborg milieu of all skill levels and backgrounds. Like all of our projects, the larger goal is to help encourage the development of technology and users to enable effective work that allows humans/cyborgs/technology to work to their full potential.