What Is a Nomad Base (and other related ideas)

Submitted by Curious George J. on 28 November, 2009 - 12:03

Summary (by George J.):
We discussed "What is a Nomad Base" (or Nomad Place or Nomad Space) in two primary contexts: expectations and function within nomadbase.org.

  • Function: After much discussion about what a nomad base/space/place could be and the differences between them, we agreed on a possible "minimal set" of things that a base is.
  • Expectations: What does a nomad expect from a base/space/place? What does a base/space/place expect from a nomad? These expectations seem wildly different from nomad to nomad and likely will be from base to base, and between bases, spaces, and places. Inherent in everyone's view seems to be the idea of accepting the culture of a nomad base/space/place while there, and working to be a contributing member of it.

Additional points that did not figure in to this framework are also below.

Bases/Spaces/Places

  • Bases are more like hubs to a local network, connecting to multiple places/spaces.
    • They are contact-points. they might have a lightfoot box for local nomadbase.com members to check, hook nomads up to others in the area, host regional nomad work forums, etc.
    • Outside of the internet, nomad bases are the "first point of contact" for a neighborhood/city/country/area. At the very least, someone will open the door at a nomad base and give information about the network.
  • Places are probably locations to sleep.
    • Maybe people hear about them by showing up at a nomad base. if there's not room at the base, maybe they know of a space.
  • Spaces are locations for nomads to go and *do* things.
    • A Nomad Space might be internet work-areas (coffee shop), a work-shop with tools, a space to relax, a "hack lab" or "hacker space", etc.
  • Important points about the function of bases/spaces/places:
    • A location could be all three - base, space, and place - if its creators want or if it evolves that way.
    • "base" "space" "place" etc. need not be names or categories so much as a tags. Other suggested tags: "Collective" "decentralized" "complete-commons" "attempted commons", tags that make it easy to know what to expect it (like "friendly-fuzzy" or "bike place" or "clean")
    • Pre-existing organizations (e.g. a hack-lab) might be induced into joining nomadbase.org to internationalize their reach, in terms of the people they can attract (e.g. nomadic hackers, in addition to regular ones). Note that this requires a framework of an "open network" of friendly locations, rather than a "closed network" of "insiders."

Expectations/ differences in visions

  • some bases/spaces/places are divided between common areas and areas only for people who "live" there.
  • some bases/spaces will want to host long-term-stay nomads only, or short-term-stay nomads on. some won't care, some will want a healthy balance. it depends on the structure of that base/space.
  • motivations are different for different travelers - liberation, cultural experience, sustainability, getting hugs, work spaces, etc. Simply living with other people while being nomadic can be its own motivation.

"There will be someone opening the door" - one idea for a base is that you can expect to be greeted at the door, given information, without the expectation of accomodation. This solves the problem of couchsurfers wanting a place to crash while they're checking out the "base" that many people know about.

robino: open vs. closed debate figures in here. open networks make this more difficult to do safely. closed networks are hard to keep closed as everyone wants to invite people in.

Different needs

jeremy:

  • a base is your home.
  • a place is your friend's house.
  • a space is your (friend's friend's house?)(workshop?)(coffee shop?).

Someone else:

  • somewhere that no one is using at the moment. a place to go because it's a nomad base.

a space for together-effort.

  • an area with a unified culture: e.g. at the casa, we cook together, hang out together, friendly, hugs, etc. Maybe another is conservative, clean, rigid.

annik:

  • network of friendly people
  • can leave stuff there
  • feeling of welcomeness
  • not necessarily living there
  • could help nomads settle in a particular city or area (immigration community center)
  • a mix of long-term, short-term, and immigrants

Two main reasons: rest, recupperate, heal, work. want to connect to a network in that city quickly (3 days to integrate instead of months).

george:

  • minimum:
    • Lodging: I need info on where I can pitch my tent outdoors or inflate my mattress on a bit of floor space or find a friendly nomad space or whatever. lodging can be anything from a park to a bed, I don't care.
    • Recuperation: I need a place I can rest (a chair, a spot on the floor, whatever - just somewhere out of the elements) during the day and shower in between week(s)-long journeys (usually cycling).
  • bonuses:
    • internet access or knowlege of where a net cafe is nearby is a bonus.
    • a place I can share skills and help out in exchange for lodging and/or food is a bonus.
    • a social place where I can live and talk with others is a bonus.
    • a place where I might be able to get leads on local jobs/apartments/friends/people with common interests is a bonus (a hub, like mark was saying bases should be)

Robino:

  • wants to see participatory / sharist culture in bases. As little distinction between guests/ hosts.
  • sees a network of bases where you can come and live for a while, and move on to the next
  • different levels of participation from different people in the network, some people are more experienced with different hosting-cultures, others are new and need to be integrated
  • mentorship/ teaching and learning while living together on all levels, but mostly on life and how to live together itself.

Is there an underlying culture in Nomad Base?

Random points

  • do people think of nomadbase.org as a network of nomad-friendly homes?
  • do people think of nomadbase.org as a collective space where all the nomads "live" in one fashion or another - "our" disjointed space? Or is it something else?
  • The "network of friendly locations" mentality is more conducive to an open network. The "collective space" mentality would require a rather closed network and might be extremely difficult to organize.
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