Summary
We need some new approaches to a number of major challenges facing humanity, such as those related to the economy, climate, biodiversity, energy, oceans and global instability. We need them now. I’ve developed an integrated set of ideas, tools, models and standards called ProxThink, that can boost thinking, creativity, growth and sustainability. Part of ProxThink is a new growth model that, when combined with the Internet and related technologies, can foster more sustainable proximities, an approach that applies to many of our major challenges. The combination of growth model processes and network-related technologies can shift some, not all, of our attention and efforts more toward proximities, and away from our personal and professional bottom lines. (This is something we often do in wartime, and a number of our challenges are as serious as war. However, it won’t be so grim, and may be enjoyable and even fun.) In times like these, one thing we must not do is stop trying new things. This is where you come in. I’m looking for users, funders, investors, collaborators and partners. At the very least, join ProxThink.com to support the work. As a bonus, you’ll get some new options for your own creativity and innovation. My minimum goal is to raise a year or two of funding, so I can tell more people about this, and find more people who want to get involved. Even better would be to find people to work with, to actually begin building some more sustainable proximities using this approach.
Full Text
We need some new approaches, now.
We’re in a major economic crisis, now. We’re facing looming climate crisis, now. We’re losing biodiversity, now. We’re in a major energy transition, now. The oceans are in decline, now. We’re at greater risk of global instability, due to job losses and the economy, now. We’re having trouble coordinating and collaborating to deal with each of these, now.
I’ve developed something called ProxThink. ProxThink is short for proximity thinking. ProxThink is an integrated set of ideas, tools, models and standards. Together, they can boost thinking, creativity, growth and sustainability. ProxThink can be applied to a number of major challenges and situations we face, such as those mentioned above, and more.
ProxThink is built upon the idea that being is about relating, combined with a focus on the proximity. The proximity is a useful concept since the meaning of proximity includes nearness in relationship, allowing consideration of any elements related to a situation.
The most integrated and useful outgrowth of ProxThink is what I call a Sustainable Proximities approach, which leverages the ProxThink growth model. I suggest we begin trying it in some proximities. The basic idea is that we start keeping our attention and efforts more on the proximity, and shift some, not all, of our attention and efforts away from our personal and professional bottom lines. (This is something we often do in wartime, and a number of our challenges are as serious as war. However, it won’t be so grim, and may be enjoyable and even fun.) We can do this by combining technology and ProxThink growth model processes. Useful technologies include networks such as the Internet, combined with sensing and database technologies. New processes from the ProxThink growth model can help us coordinate, collaborate and manage resources in new ways that are relevant to proximities. This is critical — we have useful technologies available, and can put them to greater advantage with some new conceptual approaches and new processes which ProxThink and the growth model supply.
The Sustainable Proximities approach is more fully described on this page:
http://proxthink.com/ways/sustainable-proximities.php
To see an example of how the Sustainable Proximities approach can be implemented, see the Climate Change Project called proxEarth.org here:
http://proxearth.org
The Sustainable Proximities and proxEarth approaches can be adapted to a variety of other resources and proximities that we want to make more sustainable.
In times like these, one thing we must not do is stop trying new things. This is where you come in. I’m looking for users, funders, investors, collaborators and partners. At the very least, join ProxThink.com to support the work. As a bonus, you’ll get some new options for your own creativity and innovation.
There are three membership levels ($4.95/year, $9.95/year, $19.95/year). You get a 30-day free trial, or a special offer for immediate payment. There are also opportunities to relate and contribute in more engaged ways. For yourself and others, if would be great if you join here now.
http://proxthink.com/join/
If you want to be funder, investor, collaborator and partner, or know people who might want to be, please contact me here:
http://proxthink.com/relatepoint/contact.php
I figure the bill to humanity for what I’ve created should be at least $50 million :-). The benefits should be far, far higher than that. Pay up! I’m partly joking of course. But I’ve invested decades of work, thought and care in this effort. Not to mention a lot of money. My minimum goal is to raise a year or two of funding, so I can tell more people about this, and find more people who want to get involved. I can live, and pay down my startup debt, for around $100K per year, so I need around $200K. I’m willing to start a non-profit for the development portion of the work, if I need to, so funders can write off their contributions. I just haven’t had time for that. I’ve been racing to finish the work and the main ProxThink website. The site isn’t perfect, but it’s a strong start. The ideas, however, are quite solid. Even better than telling people about this approach, would be to find people to work with, to actually begin building some more sustainable proximities using this approach.
Please forward this to others who might be interested.
Below are a few optional links to explore.
Thanks for your attention.
——– ( optional links to explore below ) —————
MAIN SITE: Main site for the ProxThink ideas, tools, models and standards.
http://proxthink.com
SUSTAINABILITY: Ways to create more sustainable proximities and resources.
http://proxthink.com/ways/sustainable-proximities.php
CLIMATE CHANGE: A climate change project, including what you can do.
http://proxearth.org
PRESS RELEASE: A good ProxThink introduction and overview.
http://proxthink.com/blog/2008/11/07/proximity-focus-bears-fruit/
BUSINESS/GROWTH MODEL: A new growth model.
http://proxthink.com/brief/intro-growth-model.php
INNOVATION, PROBLEM-SOLVING, CREATIVITY: Boost them.
http://proxthink.com/join/ways-to-use-proxthink.php#Innovation_Problem-Solving_Creativity
INTERNET AND NETWORKS: New ways to leverage them (three links).
http://proxthink.com/blog/2009/02/09/networks-plus-the-proxthink-growth-model/
http://proxthink.com/blog/2008/12/17/networks-nature-and-new-possibilities/
http://proxthink.com/blog/2008/11/23/upside-of-combining-the-proxthink-growth-model-and-the-internet/
FINANCIAL TURMOIL AND MARKETS: Also includes coordination, collaboration and resource management (two links).
http://proxthink.com/blog/2008/11/24/financial-turmoil-is-avoidable/
http://proxthink.com/blog/2008/10/31/financial-turmoil/
DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT: New ways to share downloadable content (music, movies, video, art, books, software, etc.).
http://artdown.com/downloads.html
MY BACKGROUND: A little about me.
http://proxthink.com/relatepoint/david-loughry.php
SHORT HISTORY OF PROXTHINK: A bit about the evolution.
http://proxthink.com/blog/2008/12/15/some-proxthink-history/
——– ( end of optional links to explore ) —————
Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.
ProxThink River 