2020 Action: Radically Regular Radically Do-ocratic KB newsletter

Just trying to understand a bit closer what is meant, I believe we have 3 newsletters:

• e.V. member newsletter

• people who bought a ticket newsletter

• ppl who signed up for general Kiez Burn newsletter

Except for the e.V. newsletter, I do not think the board needs to give consent for this initiative.

Totally agree with you that the newsletter is super important (census)

Looking forward to what will come out. Maybe an interesting tip: I had a chat recently with a befriended organization who do a bi-weekly collective email that is ugly but almost everyone reads it (because it is so easy to read). Their secret: they have a spreadsheet where everyone can add stuff. And then every 2 weeks, they just copy the spreadsheet content and send it out as a newsletter. Also, their advice was: give it a name (they named it "fruit of the week")

❤️🎉 great initiative!

Calling @Remy Schneider @Erin Jeavons-Fellows for advice and input (because involved in general comms and newsletter is part of big picture and more specifically @clement and @loomikate mentioned as newsletter co-creators in the Communicorns chapter of Talk - but the handles are not working?

1. Do you see this approach as a good way forward?

2. Do we have a Communicorns 2019 post-mortem I could read?

3. Is there anyone else I should be reaching out to?

4. Would you consent to respond to a few questions I have about the past victories and troubles (with the newsletter) and legal sides (access to Mailchimp account, access to email lists) that are necessary for trying this out?

@Alina, also known as Milda! check out on the deliberations of Realities. let me know if you have any issues to open the file.

Thank you @Veroca R. Sala ! Is this the place I should be looking: https://realities.kiezburn.org/e3470f41-1963-4c24-bf1d-a53b959e1ecc ? The last link there is not working - also I do not see a post-mortem in there? Am I in the right place?

yes, is there on the Deliberations ( links ) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tdASCjiw_VeFBu89iVmOYA_KjwGbnqS6/view

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ppI-DL7FZpKV9q9YPabRHS1MNKdkn4R0f4xxO3DV_0U/edit#heading=h.1dsjttduku8p

Hei @Alina, also known as Milda! -

you do have my personal consent for setting up this document. I think it might be a good idea. I could also see you realizing the whole newsletter-need. Are you interested in that at all?
In fact, I already have some ideas I'd add to the newsletter (such as a 'LOOKING FOR' section with links to open positions).

EDITED FOR CLARITY + UPDATED WITH SCHEDULE

Roughly, imagine there are 4 sections:

In 2020, each edition of Kiez Burn newsletter is created by a different individual/group of/Kiez.

The schedule is predetermined. See the Talk thread here: https://talk.kiezburn.org/d/9TuN3ohs/-proposal-radically-regular-radically-co-created-kb-newsletter

The content is up to you.

The skeleton format proposed is:

1. News from Event Coordination Team

• Choose the 3 burning topics that need to be shared. You can collect these by being present at the Event Coordination/Realizer meeting, scrolling through Talk or reaching out individually.

2. News from the Board (optional)

• 1 topic. Nice if it's not too serious.

3. TALK thread on the month

• 1 thread chosen by newsletter maker(s) - let's keep promoting Talk for good steady burner traffic

4. The Wacky Window: Radical Self Expression Podium for the Newsletter Realizer. Show your colours!

• This is for radical self expression of the individual(s), group or Kieze doing the newsletter. And some radical fun. Do something silly, something useful, share a hot mess of a Kiez selfie and a background hot mess of a story - it's up to you. Make this awesome for those who read and a total pedestal moment for yourself. This is like your Cabaret moment condensed into one Newsletter!

IMPORTANT POINT

It is also up to the maker(s) to get in touch with the Event Team and/or to select what THEY feel should be the 3 things that go into the newsletter about the Event. Radical empowerment. That means that if they happen to choose something else over "Looking For ", it's their prerogative. This is supposed to make this a bit scary, fun, radical and promote communication between all parties :)

Outstanding things to work out:

1. how to get access to Mailchimp for those doing the newsletter. If it's changing/rotating people?

   👀IDEA: change password every time; one password holder responsible

2. perhaps find a pool of editors/proofreaders who can help with the final version, but ideally I want the maker(s) to do this themselves. If it's a mess, so be it - a colourful, imperfect mess! 😉

I was wondering what the timeline of this newsletter proposal is? As linked above, the newsletter is crucial in getting more engagement with the community. Last year we sent out the first newsletter on the 1st of March.

Hola Hola @Alina, also known as Milda! I have posted on Facebook but no results yet. You could announce in your first edition that you seek for a fella to work on the newsletter! many people don't use Facebook but for now, it is what we have... there is a 2nd Leads Meeting on the 9th. if we extend the invite through the newsletter more ppl will be included and perhaps someone jumps in. Here is the FB event of the Leads meeting.

Given the urgency of sending out a newsletter, I have just followed the process as it was before: https://talk.kiezburn.org/d/Q0BCyfEK/-collaborative-2nd-newsletter-6th-of-march

This does not need to interact in any way with your proposal. A second newsletter in March would not be a bad idea...

@waldo @Veroca R. Sala I guess that first newsletter just radically co-created itself. That's cool. I will be at the meeting. I wanted to use it as a platform to collect what is cooking within the community and in the event location team to send mid-March.

Hello, here is the schedule for the radically co-created do-ocratic newsletter in 2020

What you can do:

• Sign up as the Realiser. You can be an individual, a group of, or a Kiez (yeah!). You are not alone in the process. You will be guided by me (Alina) in case of any questions. Mailchimp access to be guided by myself as well.

NEW!!!!

• Idea for a take-over of the newsletter by a Kiez! This sounds like a great plan to make this funky AF and also give Kieze a voice pre-event!

WHERE TO GET THE HOT TOPICS

• The newsletter mailing date is linked to the 3-weekly Realizer Meetings happening every 3rd Monday starting Monday 9.03.2020 at Burner Embassy. Then it switches to biweekly from May and then weekly in June. You can come or dial in to the Realizer Meeting to have an overview of what the burning topics are - or keep your eye on Talk or talk to Event Coordination Team. Easy!

AD-HOC "FUNCTIONAL" Emails

• We can decide to launch a very "functional" (one topic only) Newsletter connected to important announcements as Ticket Sale or Dreams Platform Launch. This can be designed/sent out by the Realizer and ideally remains one-topic-only.

LAUNCHING THE DO-OCRATIC NEWSLETTER

• How about sending a Newsletter to launch this initiative on WED 18th?

@waldo (because you've radically involved yourself in Newsletters) and @Erin Jeavons-Fellows as Comms Lead - please have a look at the above schedule. How does this sound? Also, let's discuss facilitation of Mailchimp access ?! How may I guide this best?

The skeleton format proposed is:

1. News from Event Coordination Team

• Choose the 3 burning topics that need to be shared. You can collect these by being present at the Event Coordination/Realizer meeting, scrolling through Talk or reaching out individually.

2. News from the Board (optional)

• 1 topic. Nice if it's not too serious.

3. TALK thread on the month

• 1 thread chosen by newsletter maker(s) - let's keep promoting Talk for good steady burner traffic

4. The Wacky Window: Radical Self Expression Podium for the Newsletter Realizer. Show your colours!

• This is for radical self expression of the individual(s), group or Kieze doing the newsletter. And some radical fun. Do something silly, something useful, share a hot mess of a Kiez selfie and a background hot mess of a story - it's up to you. Make this awesome for those who read and a total pedestal moment for yourself. This is like your Cabaret moment condensed into one Newsletter!

Cool, I'm super looking forward to stepping out of this topic & really appreciate the energy and dedication you put into this Alina!

My closing advice:

• Update the thread with the conclusion of this topic and the structure etc. This makes it more likely people will understand what is decided.

• Potentially: Move this thread to advise processes group and make a new newsletter thread in the Communicorns group that focuses on the implementation.

• Potentially move away from calling this "radical", since we used to cocreate newsletters already, the main change seems to be, that it will be more structured and guided. I believe that is an amazing added value that you bring with structuring it. So maybe phrasing it as such will make it clearer what this is about.

Calling ECT: @Hanna-Maija (Animal) @Franzi @Alexxx @Bee @CJ Yetman @Veroca R. Sala @Cris @Erin Jeavons-Fellows @Clément Marchand Le Poittevin

• can you please check the Newsletter schedule above and see if this covers your potential needs for communications? The idea is to keep the newsletter schedule-driven = steady, regular, with time for preparation available.

• There is still space for "functional" newsletter if needed, such as "Tickets are on sale" or urgent comms pre-event. Ideally, not to be abused.

With your consent, I am launching this baby on 18th of March!

p.s. Cannot find tags for Daisy, Sven, Keegan - if you know the correct tag, please tag? I will look for alternative ways to ping as well.

HI @Alina, also known as Milda! The newsletter schedule works for me. Maybe there can be a little flexibility in time if there is other messaging that could go inside the newsletter that is important? I hope to not spam people with the newsletter, but im loving this idea.
For example, if the newsletter is scheduled for the 1st april and we have important notice such as tickets to announce, maybe we can adjust the date a little and combine it with other information also.

PS. Pirates have agreed to take the first newsletter. 💀

Dear area realizers <3 Can you please check the newsletter comms plan and work with Alina to make sure your comms needs are covered.

@Hanna-Maija (Animal) for Kieze comms

@Mareike for gate

@Veroca R. Sala for Volunteer coordination

@otto @keegan for Tickets

@Andreas Angelakis @David for sound

Survival guide team?

@Purzel for Fire & Safety

@Alina, also known as Milda! you need to add otto, keegan and mareike to this group otherwise they won't see it. I cant do it myself.

To clarify - for all involved. I am NOT asking for feedback on the dates fitting the time where you need to share infomation. The question is about the frequency of Newsletter - do you feel that this is enough to cover our needs for communication? Please pay attention to increasing frequency over time - first every 3 weeks, then 2, then 1. The dates need to be fixed in advance to ensure the makers can make the Newsletter. Please try and see the concept in its entirety. Thank you for your time! <3

I consent to this plan. I don't necessarily believe it's the best or most effective plan, but I don't think there's a lot of significant risk here, and I can appreciate that having a rigid schedule sometimes forces you to do the stuff you need to do on time. With the added possibility that an ad-hoc newsletter can be sent at any time outside of this rigid schedule, all needs can be covered, and the only real cost of sending out a few empty newsletters is that @Alina, also known as Milda! will waste her own time doing it, which she has willing agreed to.

Ok understand. If we cant align the main content of the newsletter with one of these newsletters then it just means additional newsletters will go out and could feel spammy. But lets see how we go, maybe it wont be an issue. Im putting together newsletter content for the upcoming one in regards to tickets and corona etc. @Purzel , we can align on your content also.

Thanks alina

Thank you for being willing to run with this experiment!

Let's remember that Do-ocracy is experimental and that experimenting (=having fun with it) is crucial for this to be a healthy do-ocracy.

I read, hear and appreciate your concerns.

But I also would like to point out that I have faith this will go well. Also, having worked on corporate newsletters for 2+ years in the past, please believe me, there is always something "important" that will be forgotten or miss the deadline. It is OK. We can handle this, it's just a newsletter. There will be the next one or the AD-HOC option if really all is burning to hell if the info does not reach the people.

Also, let's trust that we are in a different context here and a separate newsletter for an urgent KB matter will not be perceived as spam.

I have signed up as a Realizer now. My previous resistance to doing this was the idea that technically, it is the maker of the specific newsletter that is the Realizer. That a radically co-created Newsletter does not have one person carrying the responsibility - as we all do :) But perhaps this is just a nuance that I do not have to push.

Thank you for your trust - also for expressing your concerns, that I have heard.

This Action is now LIVE

I still have a question: how will be the process of communicating to the newsletter realizer-realizer? What do I do if I have sth to add to the newsletter and I'm not going to realize it? A specific thread in communicorns?

@Saskia (The Fuzzy Facilitator) - let's discuss where the links should sit best separately - this particular link is dedicated to discussing the new Newsletter concept with the community only. and me keeping the process transparent. As @Cris mentions, it's probably not the best place for easy find. I'd place it on top level of Communicorns. Let do this talking elsewhere to keep this thread on point, would you agree?

AHHH I am sorry I was wrong. @Cris - you can find the links for the newsletter here: https://talk.kiezburn.org/d/f5yDuEs3/do-you-have-important-topics-for-the-newsletter-write-them-here


Also agreeing with you, @Alina, also known as Milda!

@Alina, also known as Milda! here it is

Volunteers sign up depends on ticket sales and tickets from the budget. The budget depends on a whole complex analysis.

I had the hope we could rely on some flexibility for the Newsletter at least for the edition close to tickets sales and volunteers sign up ( beginning of April ) cause its important. Saying this can have an impact on recruiting volunteers on-site ergo on the event as a whole.

If the link to the sign up is sent out 3 weeks after, it can very much affect my work ( i don't take it personal gotta say).

Not everybody is on Facebook and for sure not on talk. So using these channels will not be that efficient.

My dream of the decentralized Kiez Burn is a bunch of hippies pulling towards the same direction independently but collaborative. Sending a newsletter with no news two days before the real news it will be counterproductive in my opinion.

I kindly ask to take this into consideration since I can't confirm at this very moment if that date (1st Arpil) will work out for volunteer coordination.

other than that, thank you @Alina, also known as Milda! for doing this!

@Alina, also known as Milda! hey dear, it wouldnt be the event coordination team to work with. Best is to work with the area leads and check in with them.

This is not correct. if the community does not take the newsletter on, there will be no newsletter. I am not aware of any other developments in the area for the time being and have not been able to gain much traction here. however @waldo in the meantime I need to understand how temporary access to mailchimp can work. And who the main liaison is for password. I'd also like to set up a template inside the system. Would you have time to connect on that?

are you aware of anyone else within the community interested in joining this initiative?

sure, just message me regarding mailchimp. The topic regarding Mailchimp alternatives is looming though. We will not be able to use Mailchimp without paying for it.

The thing about the AP: to me, this is a closed advice process, that got adopted. Now you are focusing on the implementation. People jumping into this topic would just read the main thread and then mainly see a proposal, only by reading through all the comments, do they get to the implementation. Therefore, my advice would be to just start a new thread to focus on the implementation, so it is easier for new folks to get onboard and co-create. Anyway, just an advice.

@Erin Jeavons-Fellows Arrrgh! Arrrrgh! Amazeballz! Which date do the Pirates want? Please specify <3

Thank you @Erin Jeavons-Fellows. As a Realizer I would be happy if we could stick to the schedule. It's the radical thing about it and sits at the core of the idea. Therefore I am seeking understanding of the concept from parties on this. This type of Newsletter only makes sense (in my head) if it is schedule driven.

>>> the dream is to get rid of all the faffing around - the dates are set, so we/I prepare for the dates. It is OK. Anything can really wait until the next one or be published elsewhere!

>>>> As mentioned, if there is anything urgent, a "functional" newsletter could be sent out - by whoever has the urgent news. I'd say Tickets deserve their own standalone one anyways! Just the Tix subject/header and the link.

Anything else can really be planned for the newsletter before and/or after, also can be posted on Facebook and Talk - we do not have to rely on the Newsletter for 100% of information, right?

sounds like you are a realizer, just maybe only for the first couple of times :) Looking forward to reading it!

@waldo thank you for the comments.

• Regarding radical: it will be - if there is no Realizer stepping up, I shall send out a blank Newsletter. So, quite radical.

• I do not see a requirement for an AP here. We just gotta get started ;)

• I need to connect with you re: Mailchimp access. I'll reach out to you directly on FB in a few days, OK?

Thank you for the question @Cris. The name of the person making the newsletter will be communicated in the schedule that I will pin above, alongside the date. So you are welcome to pre-emptively reach out to them with your topic and the copy. However, one important point is that we must agree that a newsletter cannot have TOOO much information in it - otherwise it's simply unreadable. It will be up to the maker, in case they already have 756352 items to communicate, to decide which ones will make it into the newsletter.

Idea! >>> If you would like to take over a Newsletter as you awesome self or as, for example, a Ranger lead, you can rule (make) the Newsletter, make it blue with reflective stripes, call it "Cris (or Rangers) present" and dedicate a significant part of it to your topic! That would be fun, actually, and is how this concept is supposed to work. If you decide to do this, pick a date on the schedule, communicate it to me and I will guide you through the process! :D

The links for the co creating newsletters are going to be posted here. Just like the both next newsletters are linked above already.

She has not. Alina is very keen on stressing that s he wishesd to guide for 3 weeks only and then leave her radical newsletter for others to fill out.

As event coordinator i would risk it and if it doesn't work... then let fail.

As volunteer coordinator i have given my input. Up there

As Realities realizer: @Alina, also known as Milda! role as realizer is arguable since she will make it happen the first editions and then she steps back but still sends a blank newsletter. And that doesn't enable other people to see the Need.

Realities doesn't support this radical way of taking on a responsibility and then let it go to the wind.

Id suggest eventually when stepping back. Removing yourself as a realizer and be the guide. Im taking this detail as a learning for the future. And im open to hear more about this input from realities perspective.

Correct me if i misunderstand

Thank you@Bee. I reply in more detail below as to why I believe we need a bit of a radical solution here. I am defending this approach, because I hear the community calling for "business as usual" on the newsletter - which cancels out my radical proposal and the idea I am driving. So I would like to respond that I hear you and understand the worries. However I feel that the framework provides enough "safety" to cover for your concern of missing out on information. As a general comment, I'd like to inspire us to not try to manage all risks and cover all fronts - in an area that can carry some slack - I am arguing that this is taking the fun out of the project.

Thank you very much for clarifying. I must have missed the concrete aim of guiding it for 3 months hands on! :))9

I acknowledge your critique, thank you for sharing.

Yes, you are right - the framework that I propose does not need one realizer - rather, there would be a different realizer on every newsletter, if we want to use the Realities language.

It is a radically do-ocratised newsletter indeed.

I am aware of the post-mortem for the newsletter.

To clarify:

• this approach seeks to get rid of the need for one single person to write newsletters every month

• my dream is to make a framework that can be easy to work with for anyone. So yes, there is a need for some defining of what goes into the newsletter (main 4 sections) beforehand, so that anyone who steps up can do this and does not need to work from scratch.

• yes, this is radical and a bit scary, but this is what do-ocracy means to me. The positives are decentralisation and community empowerment

• I see my role as a role of a guide - someone who ensures that there is some initial guiding to familiarise the community with the process, perhaps first 3 editions.

• In practical terms, what this means is, I will set up a schedule for the newsletter (once a month) as well as a template within Mailchimp that anyone can work with. In the first three months, I will actively guide the thing and also assist the makers (Realisers) of the newsletter with any questions/difficulties

I think this is a pretty sweet way forward and could work wonderfully - or fail terribly. But I'm up for trying.

Hei Alina,

when I read this:

 So my idea is that there is a framework with topics and every month there is a new newsletter maker that makes the newsletter. Or a group of. But we have this frame that is easy to fill.

And then I read this:

It is also up to the maker(s) to get in touch with the Event Team and/or to select what THEY feel should be the 3 things that go into the newsletter about the Event. Radical empowerment. That means that if they happen to choose something else over "Looking For ", it's their prerogative. This is supposed to make this a bit scary, fun, radical and promote communication between all parties :)

I get the impression that you have very strong ideas about how the newsletter should look like but no really strong desire to lead this project or owning & realizing for an extended period of time.

I also do believe that it is the realizers or group of realizers who will get to decide on the structure of a (mostly likely cocreated) newsletter.

To bring another example: I may have strong feelings about which toilets we get and where to put them and how to make them enviromentally friendly. But as long as I am not realizing toilets, my ideas remain suggestions.

So your post is a suggestion for the future realizers. Suggestions are very welcome but they do not need our consent or anything. If you are the realizer of the newsletter, it is very up to you to be going 'hei only 3 event related things go into this newsletter'. But if you're not the realizer, your suggested structure is nothing but a suggestion and can be ignored.

Secondly, I do think that having the newsletter completely decentralized will not do the trick in informing the community when information gets really dense and intense during the weeks leading up to the event.

As for the amount of work for the realizers contained, see post mortem here.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12F7D8boDlm966Fgq6dSxYUpSIoZ7HLEj

As an outsider to this topic, what usually seems to work is to put together a concrete proposal for the next newsletter (a first prototype). Your idea atm still is a bit abstract. Getting a bit more concrete might help in garnering support. I can help you with access to Mailchimp btw. since I have taken on the job of password master.

Thank you dear @Veroca R. Sala ! What does this mean - in concrete steps? Should I wait? Should I reach out to persons I know were involved in newsletters - such as Remy and/or Kate - or should I hold back until a sign from you?

@Alina, also known as Milda! btw, was wondering which of the 3 newsletters you now mean to radically re-do?

HI Alina! I thank you for taking on this. Regarding the documentation 2019 we have next & last meeting tomorrow friday 21st. and we will bring transparency on this matter asap here on Talk. There have been other priorities that hold us back from the Post Mortem. @Kate was also on the newsletter if you wish to try to reach her out.

hehe, yeah, let's call it wacky ;) I just asked him, hopefully will post it here soon.

nice one @waldo this is close to what I am thinking, with a bit less "ugly" (I want to replace it with "wacky" ;) please send me an edition of said newsletter for inspiration if possible.

Thank you, Saskia! I still cannot find the links, though 🐣 Could they be in the description? This conversation is already a bit long with a lot of other links.

Hey Alina, so it seems that in putting this proposal here you are opening for feedback on the whole thing, which apparently includes a rigid and non flexible structure that will later on have no fixed Realizer from one to the next.

Can I ask why the dates have to be fixed? There has already been some feedback from different area leads addressing their concerns about this and how it might negatively affect them. Please consider this, as by pushing this proposal you are assuming accountability for the intended and unintended outcomes. (I would consider it a negative outcome for example if the newsletter fails in time to call out for volunteers which could then have an effect on multiple areas of the Burn). I would suggest some flexibility here, maybe have a week long period for submission/publishing in which you're able to hold back in case of certain announcements as one option maybe.

I also am happy you are guiding the process, I think to propose this without ensuring it goes through and actually happens is a little risky and not so cocreative. I also think that this guidance should extend for more than just three weeks. It would be good to confirm there is some responsibility, as putting out newsletters that are blank would be quite demotivating to receive and open as a participant. This could look like aseuming the full Realizer position for this, or finding co-realizers to help enact the newsletter and share the accountability with you.😊

I didn't know that, thank you, I'll hopefully will see her at the site planning meeting this week anyway 😊

I withdraw my request for now, maybe at a later point there is a need for an announcement.

Hey @Purzel, for first aid stuff we also use the survival guide since people use this to pack before coming on site. For fire stuff its also good to partner with @Hanna-Maija (Animal) to make sure all Kieze Leads are aware of the regulations and brandschutzstufe and so on

I'd like some infos for my area to be included in the newsletter, going out on the 01.04. It wont be much just how to be self reliant in the sense of fire safety and first aid and I should be able to wrap something up till than. I'm sending this to @Alina, also known as Milda! ,right?

Thank you @Veroca R. Sala Here is my answer:

I personally would like to proceed with the dates as is, because this is essential for the concept to function and also for the planning (and hippie Newsletter takeover to happen in advance (=radically regular).

Do you think the option of the AD-HOC "FUNCTIONAL" Emails (please see above) could satisfy your need for an adhoc Newsletter specifically about your subject - if a scheduled date does not work for you?

To explain my thinking:

There will ALWAYS be that one super-important bit of information that has to be in the newsletter. If not Volunteers or Tickets, then something else. So, the Newsletter will always be waiting for a number of channels to sync together for one send-out.

Your other option is to bargain with the Newsletter realizer (not me - the one actually taking over the Newsletter) for a date change. This is not a good outcome for me personally, but you might be able to convince the Newsletter "maker".

To sum up, I propose a different model, where the Newsletter dates are known in advance. This enables planning content ahead, and this enables for someone "making" the newsletter to have a deadline to work to.

If that particular date has just passed and you cannot possibly wait another 3 or 2 or 1 week to share, then you can go ahead and use the "Functional Newsletter" option and just go ahead yourself in Mailchimp?

Do you think we could work with that?