Conversation

Replying to and
As a traveler, I’m ethereal; I’m an airport passenger walking thru that bookstore then back out maybe/likely never to be seen again. We hardly touch the community. But the bookstore IS a portal, like an airport, in that it’s shelves can transport us to other times & places.
1
Replying to and
The portal you speak of—the other times/places, the staff recommendations, the place specific gems. Isn’t that a community? You are a visitor, but what makes the curation/place/vibe special is the human community.
1
1
Replying to and
Yes, I’d say portals allow us visitors to (briefly) touch the history of place & community. But Ribbon Farm, too, by definition, is curation ( & others), a place (the website, made physical at camp venues) and a special vibe. Refactor Camp embodies all that, too, right?
1
Replying to and
So I guess, w/o meaning to, I’m now also questioning ’s take on whether airports are distinct from a community or also a part, and how that shifts the metaphor for Refactor Camp, in addition to his dislike for local bookstores! Might have to spend some time digging on this.
1
Replying to and
The diff between an airport and a community is divergent chaos vs convergent continuity. As long as there's no continuity in theme and persons, it'll be more like an airport. vgr does have a vibe, but he's ok with shaking things up, even if losing people.
1
Replying to and
Sure, re airport. I just don’t agree “shaking things up” creates a discontinuity of persons or shared belief such that calling it a non-community is accurate. I’d argue VGR definitely has a community around him, but I plan to dig deeper on the article’s argument this week.
1
Replying to and
As for airports, not at all arguing it is a community, but a community does shape it in the same way it shapes a bookstore. A bookstore may ALSO have its own community (book club, events, etc), but an outside visitor isn’t entering the community, just glimpsing thru the window.
1
Replying to and
And in that way, Refactor Camp is far more a community - e.g. 50% continuity of people; continuity of leadership; shared values/beliefs - than an airport OR bookstore! Local bookstores (the shelves especially) are also, IME, incredibly chaotic lol, for whatever that’s worth.
1
Replying to
Certainly not! But this thread w/ Woof has gotten well away from your more simple answer re: local bookstores of e-ink & digital catalog completeness. Curious if this community/airports/portals piece even plays into your feelings expressed in initial tweet?
2