ALT.NET is not my first front-row seat to an alternative movement formed around craft and passion. I participated in the RAT Conferences (Regional Alternative Theater) where artists built community and common cause for their vision of a Big Cheap Theater.

It’s not that there’s not enough good work out there; there’s not enough out there out there. Experimental theaters, geographically and financially isolated from one another, struggle separately when they could be struggling together — not in less pain, perhaps, but in a common and revivifying pain.

Strong progressive companies start from scratch again and again, only to disband in frustration on the same scratch plain. We need to share the work — the labor and the ways of laboring. We need to distribute the consciences. We want an engine, outside the marketplace, built low enough to the ground and out of such measly materials that repairs are worked in a wink… - Erik Ehn

The RAT Conferences occurred over a period of almost ten years expanding internationally. Over that period, relationships were built, work shared, and generations bridged creating lasting benefit to companies and artists.

At our theater, RAT inspired a program to invite writers from across the country to work with our company over two weeks to generate new work. Over five years, we fostered new collaborations between writers, directors and performers and produced twenty experimental works many of which went on to further lives.

All this to say, thank you to the organizers and instigators behind ALT.NET. Building community among innovative, passionate people towards action is a great contribution. Technologies bubble, processes adapt, but common cause feeds the human potential to create.

Posted: October 14th, 2007 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none

The Yellow Kid, a 19th century hand-drawn provocateur, was all heart, embodied the anarchy of the slums and is tied to the phrase “Yellow Journalism.”

Scott Bellware, a 21st century development provocateur, is all heart, embodies the anarchy of Alt.Net, and is tied to the phrase “Soluble Code.”

Here the similarities end.

Posted: October 11th, 2007 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 2

I had the privilege of attending the Alt.Net conference last weekend in Austin.

What I experienced was a happy collision of contrasts: mastery and inexperience, idealism and pragmatism, hope and frustration.

During the conference, the cause lacked coherent expression — though JP Boodhoo, who has a touch of the poet about him and can evoke the beating heart of it. Dave Laribee and others are very articulate in their blogs.

Still you can infer a group’s intent from its actions and over two days here’s what I connected with:

• Fellowship: Alt.Net is a loose affiliation of master developers who attract others (like me) who wish to learn.
• Shared Values: These developers aspire to excellence and independent judgement. They embrace passion, courage and honest reflection (articulated by JP). They seek to apply the handiest tool to any given situation and deliver value to their customer.
• Common Cause: These developers want to bring innovative tools, concepts and practices to the .Net platform whether they arrise from within Microsoft, an open and independent developer community, or other platforms. They are calling on Microsoft’s to introduce these innovations to the larger .Net developer community — or at minimum — to not hinder their use by those who wish to adopt them.

Posted: October 11th, 2007 under Uncategorized.
Comments: 1