Hi Andrew,<br><br>First I would like to thank your for all the hard work and I am not surprised over your decision.<br><br>Secondly I do understand your frustration, that such little is done to improve communication and in regards to goals, not even the site have changed layout since I first saw it in 2006. <br>
<br>Thirdly, it seems many PirateParty members thinks that the the international cooperation can be totally decentralized through the youth organissations, I think it needs some structure to work and more people dedicated to work on PPI.<br>
<br>It would be useful with a debate about the future of PPI, how can we use properly utilize this, what are our future plans etc. <br><br>I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors Andrew!<br><br><br>- Nicolas<br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 12:24 AM, Andrew Norton <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:andrew.norton@pirate-party.us">andrew.norton@pirate-party.us</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
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<br>
Ok, time for more of a personal announcement. I'm stepping down from<br>
PPI, and indeed all pirate party positions, as of the end of the month.<br>
<br>
Part of the reason is that after 3 years of work, I feel a bit 'burnt<br>
out'. It's been 3 years of work, learning laws, and languages, and<br>
getting to know many of you. The problem is though, that despite my best<br>
efforts, one of the main goals of PPI - to improve communication between<br>
parties - has not been met. Over the past year especially, I've lost<br>
count of the number of times I've had a request for comment, or a<br>
journalist phone me, and ask my positions on something, and not know<br>
what they're talking about, even after checking my email. When I have to<br>
go hunting through news sites to find out information, thats not good<br>
communication. As a movement that has garnered global interest, we must<br>
be able to effectively use the media to our advantage.<br>
<br>
To many of you, this won't be a big shock, as I have talked to most of<br>
you that needed to know (mainly party heads/boards, and if you're one of<br>
those and didn't know, re-read the previous paragraph again and wonder why))<br>
<br>
The big problem though is the lack of tools. Part of what I see as the<br>
function of PPI is to help get new parties started, such as in Canada<br>
and the UK. however, I'm limited by the amount of help I can provide.<br>
There is only one of me, and I'm limited to what I can do, to the tools<br>
I can create myself. That's not so bad when it's a culture or country I<br>
can understand, but when I'm having to learn a language as well (as with<br>
Brazil) I have a lot less time tos pend actually helping. Heck, it took<br>
more than 2 months to get my access level on the PPI site so I could<br>
create any content, and I usually just don't have any time to do that.<br>
<br>
In the end, a lot comes down to this list, and even then it's misused. I<br>
just checked, and there's over 200 subscribers to this list. Who are all<br>
these people, and why do so very few participate? Worse, some that do<br>
participate are often more concerned with correcting terms to be<br>
'ideologically pure' rather than addressing the content of them and<br>
involving in a productive discourse - acting as a zampolit in essence -<br>
we all know just how well those people actually inspired and assisted<br>
the people they claimed to be helping.<br>
<br>
So, one of the things I'm doing now, is asking if there are any<br>
volunteers for the job. More importantly, I'm asking all current parties<br>
to pledge to support whoever succeeds me and give PPI the support it<br>
needs, so it can give the support the parties need right back. No more<br>
leaving a consultation response until the day of the deadline for 3-4<br>
people to write; no more press statements on behalf of us all, that most<br>
didn't even know about; and most importantly, no more assuming that<br>
because you've got a piece of paper saying you've got a degree, or some<br>
relevant job experience, that you know everything about that subject<br>
than anyone else - the people in power now have more experience<br>
singularly than all of us combined, and by that logic we shouldn't even<br>
bother.<br>
<br>
By the same token, at the end of the month, this email address will no<br>
longer be valid. That's why I gave my personal one - <a href="mailto:ktetch@gmail.com">ktetch@gmail.com</a> in<br>
my democracy research email the other day. I know one person asked me<br>
why, and the answer was simple - this is a job. If it's a job I no<br>
longer have, I don't get to keep it. You don't get to keep your email,<br>
or cellphone(mobile/handy) number that were provided by a job, this is<br>
no different. Perhaps one of the biggest disappointments that I've had<br>
over the past year, is seeing how many party officers around the world<br>
have not considered it a job, albeit an unpaid one. That is what it is<br>
though, and it's one I no longer have the personal strength to continue<br>
with at present.<br>
<br>
I will still be around though. I'll be continuing on my work as a P2P<br>
researcher, and working with some of the news sites. I'll still be<br>
writing my studies (indeed my inspiration for the democracy one came<br>
after I'd decided this) so I will doubtless still communicate with many<br>
of you.<br>
<br>
However, when I listen back to the recordings made 2 years ago, in<br>
Vienna, I realise just how little of what was decided was done. The<br>
quick, easy short-term stuff was done, certainly. The more complex, more<br>
involved, or just plain old more effective things though, did not. A<br>
month ago, we had a victory in the European elections, but just think<br>
how much greater it might have been, had we communicated better, and<br>
worked more effectively.<br>
<br>
<br>
Regardless, I hope this email gives you food for thought.<br>
<br>
Andrew<br>
<br>
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