Some of you may recall that, not too long ago, a couple of CGCS members began working to create a website for an online grassroots think tank, which initially went online in late November. For those of you who are just hearing about the website for the first time, this will also give you some background to our developments.

The initial "demo" version of the website had a rather minimal, bare-bones structure, and we would like to thank everyone who experimented with the site and showed us the demo's shortcomings as well as its great potential.

We are proud to announce that the website now has a new and improved layout, with a well-defined and more elaborate structure, detailed project descriptions and guidelines, and numerous technical assistance resources. The website also has a new web address: http://www.rootstalk.org

Whereas we initially informed only CGCS members, we are now beginning much broader efforts to let folks know about the site.

Here is our Mission Statement:

Rootstalk is an online think tank that enables advocates of liberal, progressive, and populist approaches:

to collectively author shared principles, ideals, and goals,

to collaborate in proposing ways to achieve those goals,

to clarify differences in perspective that arise,

to develop a critical understanding of conservative views, policies, and political strategies.

In contrast to an online forum, Rootstalk is product-oriented: for each think tank project, individual members contribute to and edit a collectively-authored statement, on an ongoing basis, on a shared wiki page.

In contrast to a traditional think tank, Rootstalk has an online grassroots basis, encourages participation from a relatively broad range of perspectives, and seeks to create consensus democratically through collaboration and collective authorship.

The aim of Rootstalk is to build consensus and collaboration around core values and ideals and to produce policy statements that connect principles, goals, and ways to achieve them.

If you're interested, please join, contribute, and spread words to anyone who you think might be interested.

BNW

Thanks for pinning the thread!

I thought I'd provide a couple of direct links to pages that might be helpful.

What the heck is a "wiki page"? Go here: http://www.rootstalk.org/wiki/WikiBasics

Take an overview of the new layout here: http://www.rootstalk.org/wiki/OverviewOfRootstalkWebsite

The frontpage for the think tank projects is here: http://www.rootstalk.org/wiki/FrontPage

Is there any collaboration with the Principles Project Team which is in the process of finalization ? http://www.principlesproject.com/

no. i've been contributing to the principles project (as a user, not as an organizer or moderator), and i've contacted the partnership organizations that have supported the project. the director one of those organizations has said he'd like to chat.

i haven't contacted the project organizers themselves, but i will in the next day or so. i'll try to make a strong case that once the principles project is finished, Rootstalk would be an excellent place for their contributors to go and keep working, but they might have plans of their own. i'd like to win over one of the moderators in a one-on-one exchange first so that i have an "insider" advocate. we'll see how it goes.