[PLUG-TALK] Training sites, not tracking sites

Keith Lofstrom keithl at kl-ic.com
Wed Mar 18 02:32:40 UTC 2020


On Tue, Mar 17, 2020 at 03:18:06AM -0400, Tomas Kuchta wrote:
> You are right. I am an idiot, ...

No, we are all stressed.  We are capable of making our own
processors of the data that matters to us, if it matters
enough. 

Which it doesn't really; down here at ground level, what
matters is what to do for ourselves and for our neighbors,
locally and globally, not fear as a spectator sport.

This virus can be addressed with behavior change, extra
cleaning, and simple tools.  Behavior change is hard, but
we can help with that.  Resistance to change leads to some
horrid outcomes (people are imperfect) and we will need 
many very expensive machines to address the consequences.

We should learn to make some of our own tools.  The complex
pored plastic that comprises N95 masks might be difficult
to duplicate, but there are likely other ways to capture
virus particles from air before we breath it.  I imagine
something like a gas mask with a cannister full of sieved
beach sand with a replenishable chemical coating. 

Out of seven billion motivated people, many can figure out
how to make that work.  When they do, we can help spread
information about the invention and its implementation.

The main thing that this community can do is to develop 
information tools that encourage behavior change, and 
enable new behaviors (like ordering LOCALLY online).
Amazon is adding 100,000 temporary employees.  This 
crisis can become full employment and overtime, if we
can help people make the transition and improve their
spending habits.

For example, as restaurants shut down, can we develop
software tools to train food servers to become assistant
nurses, perhaps delivering food and encouragement to
critical medical personnel.  Can we create online tools
to train food prep and dishwashing staff to do similar
tasks for the homebound and hospitalized?  

Can we develop tools that will help small businesses adapt
to online ordering and delivery?  Give the proprietor a
digital camera and have them photograph the stock on their
shelves - we prepare tools to turn that into a website,
videos and programmed learning to train staff to work with
that website, and oversight tools so we can shield them 
from crooks.

Those of us who are hardware engineers can participate in
vastly more hardware production.  Can we double the number
of oxygen concentrators in a month, and double again in 
another month?  Can we refit hotels and apartment buildings
to prevent viral spread through air systems and hallways?

The stock market tanked because of reduced demand for
business as usual.  Our community has already enabled 
"business as digital" for big corporations; lets drill all
the way down to the child's lemonade stand on the corner.

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."  This is
our moment, if we have the courage and energy to seize it.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com



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