SpaceCollective
Encyclopedia
SpaceCollective is a community driven website where information and ideas are being exchanged about the current state of our species, our planet and the universe. The website, founded by film-maker Rene Daalder
in collaboration with interactive designer Folkert Gorter, went public at the end of 2007, and is now occupied by more than 2500 contributors.. Gorter is besides the site's interaction designer also the main curator of the SpaceCollective Gallery, a showcase of images and texts. The system architecture and technology of the website is created by Josh Pangell. A series of videos is presented on the website called "The Future of Everything". These episodes are edited by Aaron Ohlmann
and produced by American Scenes Inc; executive producer: Joseph Kaufman. The website's slogan is "Where forward thinking terrestrials exchange ideas and information about the state of the species, their planet and the universe, living the lives of science fiction today".
's Voyager Golden Record
, a time capsule that contains the life on Earth that was sent into space. But soon Rene Daalder
realized that in a place of non-linearity and interactivity such a movie-like project wasn't going to work. Daalder teamed up with Folkert Gorter to build a website with intrinsic value of its own. Inspired by thinkers like Carl Sagan
, Gene Roddenberry
, Marshall McLuhan
and Timothy Leary
, who helped articulate the future by adopting a pop culture vernacular, they wanted to "use the online platform to do something similar for our times in a radically different interactive medium". They wanted to use the Internet to create updates of the Voyager Golden Record
and beam them up in space every month. Because in 2006 the Internet shifted from primarily text-based to video-based they decided to create the video series called "The Future if Everything". In a interview with Volume Magazine
, Rene Daalder
sayed the goal of the project is: "The Internet and the larger digital realm of computer intelligence it connects with provide us with the blueprint for the future far before the physical world is able to follow its lead. And in the case of Space Collective we use all the information that is available online to help people see the forest for the trees, opening them up to new perspectives. There are lots of people with the desire to change the world, but they have been conditioned that that is an almost impossible ambition to accomplish.".
Rene Daalder
Rene Daalder is a Dutch writer and director. He lives in Los Angeles...
in collaboration with interactive designer Folkert Gorter, went public at the end of 2007, and is now occupied by more than 2500 contributors.. Gorter is besides the site's interaction designer also the main curator of the SpaceCollective Gallery, a showcase of images and texts. The system architecture and technology of the website is created by Josh Pangell. A series of videos is presented on the website called "The Future of Everything". These episodes are edited by Aaron Ohlmann
Aaron Ohlmann
Aaron Ohlmann is a Los Angeles-based editor, producer, and documentarian who works on projects that focus on the arts, international politics, and social architecture.He has worked on projects for the Discovery Channel, PBS, and VPRO...
and produced by American Scenes Inc; executive producer: Joseph Kaufman. The website's slogan is "Where forward thinking terrestrials exchange ideas and information about the state of the species, their planet and the universe, living the lives of science fiction today".
History
The initial idea of SpaceCollective was to make a story driven website based on the idea of Carl SaganCarl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
's Voyager Golden Record
Voyager Golden Record
The Voyager Golden Records are phonograph records which were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977. They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for...
, a time capsule that contains the life on Earth that was sent into space. But soon Rene Daalder
Rene Daalder
Rene Daalder is a Dutch writer and director. He lives in Los Angeles...
realized that in a place of non-linearity and interactivity such a movie-like project wasn't going to work. Daalder teamed up with Folkert Gorter to build a website with intrinsic value of its own. Inspired by thinkers like Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
, Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
, Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan
Herbert Marshall McLuhan, CC was a Canadian educator, philosopher, and scholar—a professor of English literature, a literary critic, a rhetorician, and a communication theorist...
and Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
, who helped articulate the future by adopting a pop culture vernacular, they wanted to "use the online platform to do something similar for our times in a radically different interactive medium". They wanted to use the Internet to create updates of the Voyager Golden Record
Voyager Golden Record
The Voyager Golden Records are phonograph records which were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977. They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for...
and beam them up in space every month. Because in 2006 the Internet shifted from primarily text-based to video-based they decided to create the video series called "The Future if Everything". In a interview with Volume Magazine
Volume Magazine
Volume Magazine is a quarterly international magazine published in Amsterdam.Volume Magazine is a project by Archis , AMO and C-Lab...
, Rene Daalder
Rene Daalder
Rene Daalder is a Dutch writer and director. He lives in Los Angeles...
sayed the goal of the project is: "The Internet and the larger digital realm of computer intelligence it connects with provide us with the blueprint for the future far before the physical world is able to follow its lead. And in the case of Space Collective we use all the information that is available online to help people see the forest for the trees, opening them up to new perspectives. There are lots of people with the desire to change the world, but they have been conditioned that that is an almost impossible ambition to accomplish.".
Projects
A growing number of universities, architecture and design schools are conducting projects on SpaceCollective. Several of these courses are initiated by SpaceCollective, others are originated by the schools, who may opt to open them up to the public or restrict them to participation By Invite Only. The Public Projects, whether created by SpaceCollective or its members, are open to all registered users. One of these projects is "The Voyager update project".External links
- http://spacecollective.org SpaceCollective website
- http://www.renedaalder.com/img/pdf/volume.pdf Interview with Rene Daalder on SpaceCollective
- http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7210614628&ref=ts SpaceCollective on Facebook