MyMises
We are exploring the idea of dramatically expanding Mises.org to permit it to become a full service networking site. This would mean a huge expansion of the Network to allow you to create your own blog, collect links, upload files and photos, have friends, and the works, somewhat like a smart MySpace.
Sound good?
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Comments (42)
Comments (42)
Josh Purinton
No. Stay focused on disseminating the core principles of Austrian Economics. Let other sites do the social networking.
Published: March 28, 2007 4:54 PM
John Delano
I suppose it would be ok if it didn't consume too many resources. Would the extra usage overburden your servers? Also, would it take too much of your time away from other projects?
Published: March 28, 2007 5:38 PM
Kathie
Absolutely bring in more input.
Published: March 28, 2007 6:07 PM
Bill Milligan
I tend to agree with Josh. mises.org should not get distracted in its mission and values. Administration of this site will get bogged down by policing small disputes. Expect both Vandals (people with nothing better to do) and Visigoths (people with a political axe to grind) to start blogs. mises.org will googlebomb itself into oblivion. At that point you will be faced with two potential choices: either shut it down altogether and take bad press, or admit surrender and let the lunatics take ownership of the asylum.
If you want to do something like this within the LRC/mises umbrella, that might be well and good. But I strongly advise a few things:
1) Start a separate group. Don't do this as mises.org, but have a different but closely affiliated set of personnel.
2) Take the GMail approach. Have members strictly by invitation, with an total invitation cap. This will reduce your chances of hostile takeover. Send the first invitations to the rolodices of yourself, Lew, and other mises.org staff. (Get volunteers to run Dr. Paul's blogsite.)
3) Social networking online is nice, but what is really missing is real human interaction. Build the site to encourage this through built-in meetup functionality.
4) Define the heck out of your vision and purpose. Hammer these home to all participants from the word go, otherwise you won't need to wait for the Vandals or the Visigoths. All participants will claw the walls down from the inside. Take care to insulate the other organizations so that they don't get taken down in the social meltdown. (Think NBI vs. Objectivism.)
Hope this helps!
Published: March 28, 2007 6:11 PM
Niels van der Linden
That doesn't sound like a smart thing to do.
There are already many sites with this functionality, and they include specific groups for your audience. For example Facebook has an Austrian School of Economics group (399 members), and an anarcho-capitalism group (308 members). I created a group on Youtube recently: http://www.youtube.com/group/marketanarchy . It now has 31 members.
And these groups within larger sites stimulate transfer of ideas towards the larger population.
I think it would be a good idea to get yourself more prominently on these sites actually. For example, I'm now trying to get the Thomas Dilorenzo video lectures on Youtube. They have audio-issues, so at this moment they're not well viewable on any of the streaming video sites.
Published: March 28, 2007 6:30 PM
Mark
Applying some economics: What's the comparative advantage of Mises offering essentially the same services as all those other sites?
To Mises consumers (such as myself), I doubt there is any. To Mises.org, there is some branding possibilities for such a feature expansion, but since the network of people using it would likely be insular, I doubt Mises.org would see much increased traffic.
Instead, why not provide more and more interesting integration capabilities with other sites? Some ideas that come immediately to mind:
Published: March 28, 2007 6:32 PM
Stranger
I would use it.
Published: March 28, 2007 7:13 PM
Brent
I agree with Bill. It is a good thing to want more networking, but an open-ended myspace type of environment is just asking for trouble (resource drain, content dillution, etc.).
Published: March 28, 2007 8:22 PM
Mark Brabson
I would tend to be against the idea, for pretty much the same reasons the previous posters mentioned, so I won't elaborate, other than to concur with the previous negative viewpoints.
Published: March 28, 2007 8:25 PM
CJ
I do not see how a social network would go against the principles of the Mises Institute.
Mises.org is about the communication of ideas. A social network complements that.
The fact that there are troublemakers should not stop something good from being created.
The Mises Institute itself would not exist if it shyed away from troublemakers.
Published: March 28, 2007 8:50 PM
Axel Riemer
I'm also against doing a myspace copy.
Thing is, if it's done right, it'll be a wild success, but if its done wrong, it will be a terrible disappointment.
Erring on the side of caution, I'd say no, unless you think you can one-up facebook (possible, but it would be tough).
Published: March 28, 2007 9:20 PM
awhogan
If you've got the time and resources to moderate the site I think it would be a fantastic idea.
Published: March 28, 2007 9:31 PM
jeffrey
Probably I shouldn't have mentioned MySpace, which is a tacky disaster. But facebook? not that either. I don't know why but it's never appealed to me personally (not that that is the issue). We are really thinking of a dramatic expansion of the existing Network to give it more flexibility for users, so that there can be all the features listed above - an Austro-centric interactive community where students and professors could host their own content. It wouldn't change Mises.org at all, just be a supplement. I hope that clarifies things a bit. It still might be a bad idea.
Published: March 28, 2007 10:06 PM
Josh Purinton
Don't go down this road.
Future generations will be grateful to you not because you expanded into yet another social networking site, but because of your single-minded focus on preserving and transmitting the ideas of Mises. You do this by making classic texts available in print, pdf, and audio, by writing expository articles, by running conferences, and by providing fellowships for students.
Remember that virtually no one else is doing these things. Few have your bravery, integrity, and unwavering commitment to the principles of freedom, peace, and prosperity. Those will always be scarce resources. Use them wisely, and leave the social networking to others.
Published: March 28, 2007 10:57 PM
Colin Colenso
The advantageous of this are not so clear to me. In the past even Austrian forums have struggled to generate much activity of note. The blog has been an advance in this regard.
One area that the MI should focus upon, I believe, is encouraging the production of video content such as video podcats. Possibly a weekly review on recent topical news with an Austrian interpretation.
I believe MI has the intellectual resources to become a significant contributor to news and discussion of current affairs in the internet age, and video is already the most influential form of content.
Lecture videos, while enjoyable to a few, are just not gonna cut it as popular content.
Colin
Published: March 29, 2007 2:03 AM
Matthew De George
What you should do (if you haven't already) is create a Mises.org user on Myspace. Rather than trying to create the social network just hook into it. I'd 'add' you as a 'friend'.
Published: March 29, 2007 2:35 AM
libertyfirst
I think the focus should be on making all the Austrian School available online for interested people, both students and scholars, in order to create the basis for the diffusion and the advancement of the docrines of the Austrian School. So, the idea of creating a social network sounds good or not depending on its complementarity/substituability relation with the main goal. This is not something I can judge.
Published: March 29, 2007 4:10 AM
flix
Not a good idea
FOCUS ON CONTENT!
There are far too few austrian videos, books, cartoons, publications, ect.
Don't get bogged down in distributing the stuff, there are plenty of sites already doing it. Make more of it.
There is already an austrian presence in most social networks, don't get sidetracked into creating another one, give them more stuff to talk about!
Published: March 29, 2007 5:13 AM
Nick Bradley
Bad idea.
Published: March 29, 2007 6:31 AM
Dan Coleman
I -- with my extremely limited, 'outsider' perspective -- would agree with many others that it seems to be an issue of time and resources. Creating a blogsphere and communication network has advantages, but to run something like that *well* would probably come at a high cost.
Published: March 29, 2007 7:27 AM
Axel Riemer
I only mentioned facebook because of their versatility and addiction to constantly adding new features.
I feel that in order to be generally successful, MI would need people in charge of the network at the level as the guys who run facebook. I don't see that happening, and I would rather see MI keep to its solid track record of distributing content and keeping its focus as a scholarly institution.
It may be an interesting idea to try out your network upgrades within Mises Institute itself first, and then when you feel that "wouldn't it be great if everyone could be part of this" open up the membership a little wider.
Published: March 29, 2007 9:34 AM
hz
Content is way more important. If all mises.org did was post austrian-related content in one long gopher-style page, i would still check it every day for new stuff.
Published: March 29, 2007 10:06 AM
darjen
I'm with the other posters in using the popular social networks that are already there, like creating official Myspace and Facebook users. If you want to improve the blog, I would suggest expanding into something more thread oriented, like maybe slashdot perhaps. For what it's worth I am a web developer/programmer.
By the way, there are already Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard users on Myspace, and they are on my friends list. I was wondering if anyone here created them, but it doesn't look like it.
Published: March 29, 2007 11:04 AM
Jordan
I have a different idea: The Austrian Reading Circle.
You decide the books and the basic principles of the program, but you encourage other people (professors, general readers) to set up local chapters. Then the local chapters would meet every so often (monthly perhaps) to discuss the book they decided to read.
LvMI would just advertise the chapters and help different chapters interact and so forth. Perhaps you could use meetup.com or something. Sort of like the von Mises Book Club.
Maybe even have some kind of competition involved between chapters, once it develops further.
Published: March 29, 2007 11:40 AM
David J. Heinrich
I agree with others that it could spiral out of control, and would be a distraction. I like the idea of using services that aready out there, like Facebook and Meetup.com.
Also, it would suck up more bandwidth and resources from the LvMI.
But, definately, I think a reading club, with efforts to establish local chapters, would be a great thing. What, I think is needed most, is more frequent interaction among Austrians in more "remote" areas that don't have as many Austrians (e.g., not Auburn, Grove City, or New Orleans).
Published: March 29, 2007 12:16 PM
Bill Milligan
Chapter-of-the-month club sounds excellent! Sign me up! I would welcome to meet other like-minded people in person.
On facebook, myspace, etc, I agree with other posters. "Division and specialization of labor" is a concept I learned from this very institute -- here's a practical means to apply what we know!
Published: March 29, 2007 1:06 PM
Yancey Ward
I concur with the very first comment.
Published: March 29, 2007 1:40 PM
Brian
Love it. A satellite community at Zaadz would be cool, too. We just got an investment from John Mackey (CEO of Whole Foods) who turned me on to Mises:
http://www.csrwire.com/News/7996.html
his non-profit is hosting some interesting chats like this:
http://pods.zaadz.com/flow/discussions/view/47781
-brian
Published: March 29, 2007 1:53 PM
pete
Stick to your knitting and focus on high quality Austrian content and discussion like it is today.
I think it's a good idea to outsouce the social functions to other existing sites e.g. Zaadz. This way there can be more readers and awareness but less hassle and admin issues.
Published: March 29, 2007 2:20 PM
Nathan Reed
Bad idea.
I agree with comments above regarding a reading club or variation on that idea. I would be better served by mises.org providing some guidlines on how to get that started rather than a bunch of people engafed in pointless arguing on-line. There are plenty of forums for that activity (although there does appear to be a large market for this). I think we need more face to face interaction.
Published: March 29, 2007 2:28 PM
Dennis
I also agree with the very first comment and those in that vein. Disseminating and encouraging the further development of Austrian Economics, especially the "Mises-Rothbard tradition", and Classical Liberalism/Libertarianism should remain the prime mission of the Mises Institute.
I concur with David Heinrich's suggestion to develop a reading club, with local chapters. This would be a worthwhile pursuit that would utilize minimal Mises Institute resources, and encourage the further development of grass roots support.
Published: March 29, 2007 2:52 PM
EconAndre
Bad idea,
Stay focused on education and dessimination of Austrian economics at more levels. Why not establish a curriculum from K - 12 to college to grad school. At the higher levels, this could be called the Mises Shadow University.
Published: March 29, 2007 4:19 PM
Mark Brabson
I would concur with EconAndre:
An Economics curriculum for K-12 particularly. Obviously very simple concepts for the little kids, building up to a general understanding of praxeology and Austrian economics by the time they graduate high school.
A historal curiculum as it relates to economics is also very important. Show the kids the effects of government intervention using actual events, i.e. great depression, the various panics of the 1800's etc.
The curriculum could be made available free of cost or at low cost to homeschooling parents and endevours could be made to integrate it into sympathetic private schools/
Published: March 29, 2007 4:49 PM
Justin Ptak
I tried David Heinrich's book club idea three years ago with the Carl Menger Meetup with limited success when Meetup was all the rage:
http://blog.mises.org/archives/001673.asp
I think this is an intriguing idea if done right. Austrians certainly need more interaction on the ground and through the tubes. The network could be expanded to enable a greater flow of information, exchange and collaboration. It might sound silly at first for those who graduated high school before the internet age, but it is the way the world works and will continue to do so.
Of course it should not detract from the core mission, but it has the potential to actually improve it as we learn more about each other and our abilities than just the name and affiliation that is illustrated in the network as it currently stands. The Austrian forum unfortunately gathers little traffic.
If the demand is there a K-12 program could be one of the first things the expanded network works on. I know we have a ton of talented people that are itching to do their part for the dissemination of Mises's teachings if only the apparatus was available to them on a distributed network where we do not have to coalesce in Auburn, Grove City, New Orleans etc.
Published: March 29, 2007 7:10 PM
Tracy Saboe
Don't think it's a good idea.
Tracy
Published: March 29, 2007 8:49 PM
Jim Tetzlaff
Don't do it!
I'd much rather see an online effort to update the Constitution to prevent government interference in the economy. The anarchist sites are one brick shy of a load- ain't going to happen. Our system can only be fixed at the source- incrementally. While reading about a bunch of old dead guys is interesting it so;ves nothing today. I want to see action!
JimT
Published: March 29, 2007 8:54 PM
Vanmind
No, not all that busy crap--but for a long time now I've been wanting one simple addition: an "Ask a Misesian" input form.
Published: March 30, 2007 12:03 AM
Axel Riemer
I like the idea of book clubs or local meetings. face to face action with fellow classical liberals et al would be nice, especially for people moving to a new area. perhaps the network could have a feature added to show a map demonstrating the distribution of members?
Published: March 30, 2007 1:37 AM
MCLA
Bad idea. Stick to what you do best and nobody else does: publishing high quality content.
Published: March 30, 2007 4:06 AM
Geoffrey Allan Plauche
I don't know. It sounds fun and convenient. However, it would be a bad thing for the movement if most Austrians left the other online communities and spent most of their time here. Then we'd become an insular community and lose out on opportunities to expose others to our ideas.
Published: March 30, 2007 4:32 PM
Tuur Demeester
No to the network.
As some previous people mentioned, I'd say go for the video content. Short films of 2-5 minutes, blogstyle, analyzing current problems would enable mises to break trough in the social networks far more than trying to build its own.
Keep up the good work!
Published: March 30, 2007 6:03 PM
Tuur Demeester
No to the network.
As some previous people mentioned, I'd say go for the video content. Short films of 2-5 minutes, blogstyle, analyzing current problems would enable mises to break trough in the social networks far more than trying to build its own.
Keep up the good work!
Published: March 30, 2007 6:03 PM