HELLO WORLD. It’s me, Drea.
To those of you who are new to Flux, welcome to Junto’s weekly newsletter! This is a channel for our team and community to share updates/important info as well as relevant content surrounding the intersection of humans, culture and technology.
Movement: A Short Reflection on Changing Scenery
I don’t like to believe it, but sometimes New York City can really trick you into thinking it’s the only place that exists. A vibrant and rapidly progressing scene of arts, music, people and technology - why would I ever leave when everything I need is right here?
But scope is a tricky thing, because there’s just something about a clear horizon of mountains more than 5 times the length of Manhattan away that makes you start to see things a little differently.
This past week, the Junto team embarked on a journey to Colorado, where we had the chance to participate in a Holochain/Junto/CoGov meetup and interact directly with members of an entirely different community than the ones we’re familiar with. This was inexplicably thought-provoking, to say the least.
So in the vastness of humanity, what is the true scope of an idea? There’s no denying that passion project gets a whole new flavor when it rolls off the tongue of someone from a community you’ve never known. And an even more unique tone when they’d already read your rough draft, and are now feeding back a newer iteration with their own special spice. So in the spirit of open sourcing the non-digital world, what is it that makes Junto work for your community?
For me, it’s conversations that embrace the challenges that come with digital expression as opportunities for growth in our understanding of humanity. Because in total honesty, there are some wildly unnatural interactions perpetuated by social media. As my friend Kelsey Ables, 23, pointed out yesterday:
When you “friended” someone in middle school, you agreed to be their friend for 10+ years. You didn’t know it, but that’s what you were signing up for.
…Right? And it’s not to say I have anything against that kid from 8th grade algebra period 7, I just don’t have any natural inclination to scroll through their cousin’s destination wedding photo album. But here we are.
As we give and receive information to and from our devices in an increasingly symbiotic fashion, the line between physical reality and digital reality blurs. My personal belief is that to maximize the organic communicative potential of these devices built on binary, we must embrace flexibility of interaction wherever possible. I don’t think I’ve ever referred to Junto as a movement before, but to not settle in complacency for the way things seem to be headed is to not shy away from really shaking them up.
Ultimately, we are the beginning of generations to come whose entire lives may be documented digitally.
What kind of foot do we want to set out on? How do we balance our relationship with technology?
Utilizing the already-present distributed networking capacity that exists in both hard drives and communities seems like a good place to start. =)
Special announcement of gratitude to Ray Powell for his continuous support of the Junto Foundation, Nicole and Kyle Hornick for providing unmatched accommodations during our stay in Colorado, Josh Parkin for always making the long journey across the pond and - last but not least - the Junto Foundation’s now official board of directors: Riley Wagner, Ekene Nkem-Mmekam and Kyle Hornick.
Holochain: The world's first truly Scalable Distributed Ledger, check out
http://holochain.org | http://holo.host
CoGov: Collaborative Governance Framework: Transparent Social Architecture for a New Paradigm
What’s new
#HolochainMeetupNYC
The excitement born in the vastness of fresh pine-smelling air that is Colorado will not be left behind! If you’re in the NYC area, come out to a 6pm meetup Junto will be hosting at the NYC Blockchain Center: 54 W 21st St, New York, NY.
https://www.facebook.com/events/390624531762425/?active_tab=about
#JoinTheConversation
We’ve decided to open up our “Junto Pack” public chat channel to individuals who would like to participate on a more casual basis. If you are interested in following these conversations, getting to know the team/community, sharing your ideas or collaborating, fill out this survey and we’ll add you to the channel.
#JuntoIndiegogo
Due to a stream of requests, we’ve extended our crowdfunding campaign to Indiegogo InDemand. Check it out here!
#CreateWithUs
We’re looking for two engineers to join us. Below is a description of what we’re about and who we’re looking for. If you want to help bring this to life or know someone who might be a good fit, don’t hesitate to reach out at eric@junto.foundation. https://junto.substack.com/p/flux-13-create-with-us
#SustainableSuccess
We are happy to share our partnership with Sustainable Success, the longest running highest quality event for conscious entrepreneurs. This event attracts a diverse community of conscious business owners, holistic practitioners, social activists, creatives and leaders. It’s back in NYC on April 7th for a full day of networking meets classroom meets healing experience.
Use code JUNTO for $10 off.
#WeeklyResonations
Here’s what our team found valuable this week:
From Drea:
From Yaz:
We want your feedback.
Like what you see? Share it! Think we can be doing things better? Let us know. We’re open to ideas so DM us at hi@junto.foundation or drop any of the team members a note at their individual emails listed on our website here.