Sign up to be notified when Agaric gives an online or in-person Drupal migration training:

Since 1997 MIT's Cultura has brought students from two different parts of the world together in a series of online exchanges which help each group understand the other's culture. Students respond anonymously to thought-provoking prompts in their own languages and then discuss their classes' pair of responses bilingually.

Created by a French language class at MIT as an exchange between American students and French students, the project grew to include more than 30 schools and eight languages. A pioneer in international collaborative learning, Cultura also pioneered sharing the learning online.

Unfortunately, by 2014, most of Cultura's 18 years worth of archives were no longer online. To get them back on the web, Agaric used the Migrate module to bring their collection of HTML files into Drupal. A common approach for migrating from a list of files, each file representing what will become a node in Drupal, is to use MigrateSourceList as a source. It needs an instance of MigrateList and an instance of MigrateItem representing the collection and the individual entity.

The Migrate module provides the class MigrateItemXml for importing content from XML files, but our input happens to be HTML from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Luckily libxml which powers PHP XML support can also deal with HTML. Hence it does not require a lot of work to create a subclass of MigrateItemXml that can work with HTML files. The only method we needed to override is MigrateItemXml::loadXmlUrl which is expected to return an instance of SimpleXMLElement.

class MigrateItemHTML extends MigrateItemXML {
  protected function loadXmlUrl($item_url) {
    $dom = new DOMDocument();
    $dom->loadHTMLFile($item_url);
    return simplexml_import_dom($dom);
  }
}

This class can now be used to set up the source of a migration:

abstract class CulturaMigration extends XMLMigration {
  public function __construct($arguments) {
    // ...
    $base_dir = DRUPAL_ROOT . '/../archives';
    $directories = array(
      "$base_dir/{$arguments['directory']}",
    );
    $file_mask = '/(.*\.htm$|.*\.html$)/i';
    $list = new MigrateListFiles($directories, $base_dir, $file_mask);
    $item = new MigrateItemHtml($base_dir . ':id');
    $this->source = new MigrateSourceList($list, $item);
    // ...
  }
  // ...
}

Through the archives we can learn many interesting things, such as that some students at MIT literally don't know the meaning of solidarity.

Sign up to be notified when Agaric gives a migration training:

Transformation Inside and Out: North American Social Solidarity Economy Forum Participants Gather in Detroit for Reflection and Revitalization

In Detroit, many once thriving neighborhoods lay in ruins. Most of the houses in many city blocks can be in a state of severe disrepair, including some that have been completely gutted or burned, with perhaps one or two inhabitable homes that appear to still have people living in them. It should also be noted that 62,000 homes in Detroit last year were foreclosed. It looked like a city after a war.

Where do you think the children play?

I went to Detroit to attend the Social Solidarity Economy Network Forum. Organized by the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy, or RIPESS, the forum addressed several problems by raising awareness that this type of economic debauchery is contagious unless we as citizens deal with it where it lives and rout it out from the roots - which inevitably lie in system-wide corruption. The Social Solidarity Economy Network Forum took place in April, and it was the first project of this North American coalition.

RIPESS is based on human values, diversity, inclusiveness, creativity and justice, and works to connect democratic workplaces, cooperative and individuals with the same values in local, national, regional and global frameworks. This is a huge effort and will take time, but this year, RIPESS and other sponsors made the NASSE Forum possible. The overall unifying message and focus of the North American Solidarity Economy Network Forum was three-fold:

1. self-care is a topic I heard a lot of people repeating as a number one issue to consider - no one can help a movement without taking care of themselves first - period.
2. “De-Colonization” of the movement
3. Strengthening our connections to each other and to our communities were the topics that most workshops took time to discuss, even if not on their agenda. Cooperative people came from around the globe to share experiences and lessons learned on our journey towards building a solidarity economy network.

Laura Flanders was host to the opening of the conference and William Copeland (East Michigan Environmental Action Council) welcomed everyone to the event. Emily Kawano (RIPESS and US Solidarity Economy Network) gave the opening plenary as an overview of the International Social Solidarity Economy movement and defined the role of NASSE.

The crowd of 400+ citizens of the planet convened in solidarity at The Samaritan Behavioral Center where people could gather in small workshops to discuss and find paths to eradicate racism, sexism, cultural blockades and to unite on some single purpose methods to change the world we live in. The conference was a success in that it brought a diverse group of people together to transform the Solidarity Economy movement together and move forward on the road to "ownership" of the tools and the means of production! Many people at the forum represented a worker-owned cooperative, and are members of the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC). This organization does a tremendous job of gathering resources and sponsoring events that raise awareness and bring worker solidarity to the forefront of the Solidarity Economy Movement.

The Samaritan Behavioral Center had a large auditorium for the plenaries, group activities and panels which spoke to the group as a whole. The workshops were held in smaller conference rooms where people could easily participate in the conversations and connect with people to exchange contact information. In the large gathering hall panels with guests from Mexico, Canada, Greece and other parts of the world discussed how solidarity has affected their communities and what measures are needed to be put in place for the future generations to maintain solidarity. A generous time was allotted for questions and answers, of which there were plenty. Two Questions that come to mind addressed human rights and acknowledging that access to the Internet is a human right, which I will detail later in this article.

Free software for the revolution! Yes, we all agreed that the foundation of any people's movement for freedom must be built on a solid platform of freedom, not the privately owned platform. This means that we must build the future using free software, and free hardware must be a component also. How will we do this on the ground?

There must be free workshops for people in their own towns to learn about the options for privacy and security along with protecting their liberty. This brings to the forefront the Free Software Foundation in Boston, MA. The foundation is at the epicenter of our future freedoms and has many volunteers that help to raise awareness and introduce free software to the world through the GNU project.

The GNU project is a collection of free software available for downloading. Their tireless efforts working with other organizations that protect our freedom, like the Electronic Frontier Foundation will make the world a better place for each individual citizen, and the collective population also.

What are the highlights from the North American Solidarity Economy Forum (NASSE) in Detroit on April 8th through the 10th? The conference was well organized with plenaries, panels and enough smaller break-out workshops that allowed maximum interaction between participants. Diversity was present in all ways imaginable with people from around the globe in attendance. I met people from Greece, Canada and Mexico that are all involved in similar efforts to raise the cooperative levels in their community.

The program of inter-related workshop and panel topics addressed by this event showed that a great amount of thinking went into the details and to covering the most vital issues that can propel a movement forward. Three topics emerged as the focal points of NASSE, and they are conversations and actions based on de-colonization of the Solidarity Economy, inclusion and getting to know each other better and the use of free software for the platforms we build and share.

The workshops consisted of many different tracks such as “Intro to the Solidarity Economy”, facilitated by Julie Matthaei and Jessica Gordon Nembhard of SEN. This open discussion covered the definition of the movement. It is really important to have an introduction to the framework of the Solidarity Economy at all events, for people new to the movement. There was one titled “Occupy, Resist, Produce. A talk with workers of the occupied Vio.Me factory in Greece”. Workers from Vio.Me Factory in Salonica, Greece detailed how they occupied their workplace and resumed production, while waging a legal battle to stop the corporation from selling the land. An amazing group discussion ensued.

All of the workshops were inter-connected in general theme as they relate to a community. What is good for the community in the way of connecting people to support creativity, privacy, autonomy and wealth - specifically communal wealth, without which a community does not truly exist. Wealth has been defined by a financial measure and the worth of a person is measured according to their assets. The Solidarity Economy Movement shows us that belonging to a community that treats members well and operates on the 7 Cooperative Principles can be the future.

At the conference, I facilitated a workshop titled: "Internet as a Human Right: the Role of Cooperatives and the Solidarity Economy" hosted by Juan Gerardo Dominguez Carrasco, MayFirst People Link. We talked about the Internet as an educational tool and foundation of our emerging new connected society. The need for rapid communication of information is not just a desired element, it is a necessity for being a relevant contributing member of a community and a citizen of the world. Without the Internet a person is relegated to a level of ignorance that will limit them to being low wage earners and unskilled workers.

There were workshops on a financial track that presented strategies for communities to practice alternative banking methods such as time banking and group loans for local initiatives. Ed Whitfield and Marnie Thompson both of the Fund for Democratic Communities in Greensboro, N.C., led a powerful workshop and discussion based on a cooperative they are helping to develop The Renaissance Community Co-op (RCC) in Greensboro, North Carolina. Their efforts will provide healthy food and a positive workplace for locals. They shared the methods they have been using to build a business that sustains the community. Local to Detroit, the West Grand Boulevard Collaborative, started in October, 2004, by Mildred Hunt Robbins and Tommie E. Robbins, Jr. is currently making good progress in revitalizing the community they live in. Plans have been made to renovate a gutted high rise building. They formed a group to have an alliance with neighbors and to have a bigger voice when raising concerns with the city.

De-colonization of the Solidarity Economy Movement was front and center in almost every aspect of the event. We are defining what it means to grow up colonized into an Extractive Economy (one that does not re-invest in the communities where the workers live) and the pathways to exit that state of mind, old traditions and ideologies. Some workshops that included a discussion on de-colonization found that listening to people add their voice to the solutions was inspiring. Inspiration alone does not a movement make. More is needed to give people the strength and fortitude to carry the movement forward. Workshops on healing and healthful living are a large part of the solidarity economy as we begin to treat the sources of trauma instead of just the symptoms. Creative problem solving along with collaborative games and exercises promotes good relationships. Action is another part of the solution and together, in solidarity, we can define powerful ways to act. One of many great examples of 'action', is Cooperation Jackson in Mississippi. They are taking some positive direct actions to change laws and city ordinance by working with the mayor and town officials to make changes on specific issues that affect their community. By having open and inclusive discussions and presenting solutions to problems, cooperators have found that some of their local representatives have ears.

A great way to get involved is to ask questions of your local activists and see what initiatives are already in progress. Detroit is not unique and this type of devastation can happen anywhere if we are not vigilant and constantly remaining alert to changes in laws and ordinances where we live. When Government services are removed from a city, neglect and decay prevail. The civil servants of Detroit have been remiss in their duties by implementing pernicious policies that have destroyed the city and led to bankruptcy, as this case study shows. I would love to hear about the efforts in your area to prevent Detroit policies that led to this destruction of lives and homes from landing on your doorstep.

Originally published by Grassroots Economic Organizing.

Get updates from Micky, Ben, and other Agarics on their involvement in lots of movement work.  We will send you  occasional dispatches from our perspective on various overlapping movements for freedom and justice, and the building of democracy thereby, as workers fighting the good fight and as passionate observers.

We live amidst a Digital Commons - technology that is built with the principles of freedom and transparency baked into its code and design. It's maintained out in the open by the free software community. This commons is invisible to many of us, but the closer we are to the technology we use, the more that it comes into focus. At Agaric we are knee deep in this Digital Commons. Our name Agaric is a nod to the mycelial nature of the open web. We help create, maintain, and promote free and open-source software that make up this commons.

When you think of training, perhaps you remember an event that you were sent to where you had to learn something boring for your job. The word training does not usually make people smile and jump for joy, that is unless you are talking about Drupal training. These gatherings spread the Drupal knowledge and increase diversity in the community of Drupal developers.

Join us for the next Drupal Global Training Day with our online full day session on getting started with Drupal on November 29th 2017. It will be held online from 9 AM to 4 PM EST.

Sign up now.

A link to the live workshop on Zoom will be provided when you sign up!

The Drupal Association coordinates four dates each year as Global Training Days, designed to offer free and low-cost training events to new-to-Drupal developers and to create more Drupal talent around the world. The community is growing exponentially as more people learn how fun and easy it is to get involved and be productive. Volunteer trainers host these global events in person and online. In 2016, a Global Training Days Working Group was established to run this program. There is a Global Training Days group on Drupal.org that lists trainings around the world.

Mauricio Dinarte will be leading the training online on November 29th. As an introduction to Drupal a person needs to learn certain things that are specific to Drupal and some are not that intuitive. It is important to cover the very basics in terminology and process. An introductory class can include many things, but this list is what Mauricio covers during the day long event:

• Drupal installation requirements and process
• Nodes
• Content types
• Fields
• Blocks
• Theme regions
• Views
• User and permissions
• Menus
• Taxonomy

The outcome of the day of training is that everyone walks away understanding the main moving parts of Drupal and a bit about what they do. Of course you will not become a developer overnight, but you will have enough information to build a simple site and then explore more of Drupal on your own.

You can follow up with many online tutorials and by joining the Drupal group in your area and attending the meetings. At meetings you will connect with other people at different levels of skill and you will be helped and helpful at the same time! If there is no Drupal group in your area, I suggest you start one. It can start as easily as posting online that you will be at a specific location doing Drupal at a certain time of day - you will be surprised at who may show up. If no one shows up the first time, try again or try a different location. One of the best things about Drupal is the community and how large and connected we are. If you start a group, people will usually help it grow.

Bringing new people to Drupal is not only good for increasing the size of the member base, it also brings diversity and reaches people that may never have had an opportunity or access to a free training. Drupal trainings are usually held at a university in or near a city which attracts people from different backgrounds and cultures. We can also reach people that are not in a city or near a school by sharing online.

Have you ever thought about volunteering at a Global Training Days event? We have a blog about organizing your own Global Training Days workshop that can get you started. This is a great way to get to know the people in the community better, up your skills and perhaps share something you have learned. I learned much about programming by assisting developers at sprints and trainings. This is where the real fun begins. Learning does not have to be stressful, and in the Drupal community people are friendly and welcoming. No question is stupid and even those with no experience have valuable skills. Developers love people without prior experience because they make the perfect testing candidates for UI and UX. The down side is that Drupal is so captivating that you will probably not remain a newbie for very long, so enjoy it while it lasts.

One of the true highlights of Global Training Days is seeing all the people around the world gain valuable skills and share knowledge. We hope you can join us.

It's great to be here, and there, and there.

Thanks Indieweb module for Drupal!

A program or application is free software when it is intentionally licensed with our freedom in mind. Specifically, four freedoms (numbered using the zero-based numbering in programming languages):

• Freedom 0 - The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose.
• Freedom 1 - The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish.
• Freedom 2 - The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others.
• Freedom 3 - The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others.

From Linux to Firefox to Drupal, free software is a tremendous force in our world. By building free software, we help building a software commons we can all trust and benefit from.

Why Free?

A Note On Other Words: Libre Software, Open Source

There are similar terms used to describe similar software. Libre software is a synonym for free software. By using the word libre, we remove the ambiguity inherent in free, which can mean free as in no money or free as in liberty. We appreciate this term and use it interchangeably with free software.

Open source is very similar to free software. It emerged, like libre software, as a way to remove ambiguity. However, in doing so it loses the ethical and political power that comes with free/libre software. So while we respect and use the term open source, we prefer free software because of it emphasizes the value of freedom.

Further Reading

The following are excellent pieces for further information on the meaning of free software and some of the differences and debates between the various terms.

• Free Software Wikipedia article
• How I coined the term 'open source' by Christine Peterson
• Why Open Source misses the point of Free Software by Richard Stallman
• When Free Software Isn't (Practically) Superior by Benjamin Mako Hill