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I don't like talking about myself, but after I was chastised for simply describing myself as a "big nerd," I decided to try to summarize some current interests for people I've met recently. If you just want to see what I'm up to, skip to [[#Current work]].
Vegan and pesco-lacto-ovo vegetarian recipes, mostly taken from the globe and mail web site for no particular reason and copied here because their articles have disappeared in the past.


After moving to Montréal from Toronto in December 2007, I've managed to take some French instruction, complete [http://scpa-eapc.concordia.ca/en/graduate-diploma-in-ced/ Concordia's one-year Graduate Diploma in Community Economic Development], and participate in a few local, national and international projects. Transitioning to Montréal hasn't been easy, without strong French it's like living in a small town with a big city's bureaucracy. I'll take full blame for not learning French better, but I need to find a way to study it full time for an extended period without sacrificing all I'm developing, and even then it will take years of dedication to become fluent. (And, I have to admit I still enjoy feeling like I'm living in a foreign city, but I know I'm missing out on a lot.)
[[Danish potato salad with dill]]


<div style="float: right">
[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/no-baking-powder-no-problem-just-make-it-yourself/article1525428/ Making your own ingredients]
http://semantic-mediawiki.org/w/images/smw.gif
</div>


My work and interests from [http://zooid.org/~vid/io/short_history_of_io.html way back] have revolved around developing participatory systems. I'm a strong believer in government, but today's service oriented bureaucracy, with many gatekeepers and alpha-leaders, is just wrong. I want to help get people involved any way they can. So I focus on digital systems and literacy, trying to make Web based systems that are read-write, not brochures. Digital literacy goes well beyond filling in forms, people should be learning about hypertext, content policies, what's happening behind the scenes. Wikis have been a key tool; I used to develop low-level custom software (source code and database stuff) but now I find [http://semantic-mediawiki.org/ Semantic Mediawiki] has ways to do most of the things groups need, while preserving the ideals of wiki. Wiki is Hawaiian for quick, while wiki systems can be used for restricted Web publishing, their best application is to allow anyone to quickly edit, as well as follow the low level development of a site, and make activity and content transparent. Semantic Mediawiki adds in database features, which makes managing structured data easier, so a wiki can contain both free-form pages and reusable data like tables, events, map data, and so on. (see more thoughts [[SMW as Lego blocks|here]].) Add in a [http://www.creativecommons.org clear and fair content license] and it's a pretty good model for shared public data.
[[Wine choices]]


I expect the long term results to be significant. As data becomes more linked, quality will increase, and like a puzzle missing pieces will become evident. With the ability to easily find out answers, useful participation will become something like playing video games, using Facebook, or stamp collecting; creating fun visualizations, adding data, asking simple questions, fulfilling our natural desires to organize in commonly useful ways. It will include young and old people. The only thing holding this revolution back is cynicism.
[http://allrecipes.com/Search/Recipes.aspx?WithTerm=beer%20bread beer bread]


Among the many examples today of this today, http://www.openfile.ca is a standout. It's a geographically focused "newspaper" that follows up on community submitted stories, and encourages full community participation in their development. They don't wiki, but they use a Creative Commons license. The [http://data.gov.uk/wiki/RDF UK], led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee Tim Berners-Lee] (a truly great man), also appears to be sincerely attacking publishing their data in re-usable formats in an open way. Along with many other government initiatives, open inquiry individual and citizen group efforts. Unfortunately, many businesses and non profits still take an opaque, silo approach.
[[Cauliflower, honey and garlic parathas]]


== Current work ==
[[SQUASH FLAN AND SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS]]


On to my current work, where I try to balance ideals with realities. To pay the bills, refine technical skills and spread wiki, I work part-time at Concordia's Fungal Genomics lab.  That's right, the programme in CED led to supporting scientists working on things like "directed evolution."  The goal of the group is to find more efficient enzymes for biofuels. Today's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol#As_a_fuel ethanol] solutions hardly make sense from an environmental perspective, but growing cellulosic material — trees — is beneficial in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_cycle carbon cycle]. Fungi are pervasive in nature as part of the cycle of breaking things down, necessary to create efficient biofuels. So our group analyzes tens of thousands of digital genomic samples, and when a likely candidate is found — they grow it. It's pretty cool stuff, and a breakthrough would be huge. Wiki is successfully used for internal communications and for the project's websites.
[[Tofu recipes]]


I am called a Fellow at the [http://www.innovationcell.com Health Innovation Cell]] in Toronto. The group analyzes technology and social innovation to make recommendations and implement interventions to make the health system more responsive and efficient. I'm quite happy with the web site, from it's [http://www.wikipedia.org Wikipedia-inspired] front page (great inspiration, [http://www.twitter.com/carlosrizo Carlos]), to use of wiki to manage content, to its potential as a linked data participant. Good projects are under development, and Innovation Cell has also been a strong promoter of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference Unconference], participant led conferences in the health field.
[[Eggplant and Papaya Curry]]


I'm also an associate of [http://www.equalit.ie Equalit.ie], a technical human rights support group, supporting the technical platform and helping to develop a wiki based publishing system.
[[Black Chickpea Curry]]


Speaking of Unconference, I'm participating in [http://wwww.rococo2010.org Rococo 2010], a wiki and Open Spaces (very similar to unconference) event in Montréal June 25 - 27. Judging from a recent Open Sspaces event, it should be great.
[[Ricotta gnocchi]]


I'm also helping bootstrap [http://www.asiancanadianwiki.org Asian Canadian Wiki], today it looks ugly but has some good content and eventually I expect a vital resource.
[[Pan-fried salmon potato cakes]]


In June I also had a chance to speak at the [http://semantic-mediawiki.org/wiki/Spring_2010_SMWCon Spring 2010 Semantic Mediawiki conference] at MIT, and participated in a focused roundtable at Harvard about independent media and human rights groups dealing with hack attacks.
[[Jeweled golden rice]]


Well, now I'm really tired of talking about myself.  I'm working on several other good, formative projects, but always welcome "on the ground" projects with common factors. Getting experience on an "away from keyboard" project is something I'd like to do someday, but in the meantime I always find capacity for good projects with committed partners.
[[Asian Vinaigrette]]


[[User:DavidM|Work and interests]]
[[Banana and toffee sticky cake]]


{{Blikied|June 14, 2010}}
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/recipes-capture-fiery-indian-flavour-at-supermarket-speed/article1354231/
 
== Recipe links ==
 
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Watermelon-Almond-Tart
 
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Croissants
 
== Growing food ==
 
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/basil-is-a-fickle-herb-and-the-very-essence-of-summer/article1179967/

Revision as of 22:51, 18 June 2010

Vegan and pesco-lacto-ovo vegetarian recipes, mostly taken from the globe and mail web site for no particular reason and copied here because their articles have disappeared in the past.

Danish potato salad with dill

Making your own ingredients

Wine choices

beer bread

Cauliflower, honey and garlic parathas

SQUASH FLAN AND SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS

Tofu recipes

Eggplant and Papaya Curry

Black Chickpea Curry

Ricotta gnocchi

Pan-fried salmon potato cakes

Jeweled golden rice

Asian Vinaigrette

Banana and toffee sticky cake

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/recipes-capture-fiery-indian-flavour-at-supermarket-speed/article1354231/

Recipe links

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Watermelon-Almond-Tart

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Croissants

Growing food

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/basil-is-a-fickle-herb-and-the-very-essence-of-summer/article1179967/

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