Sharing

I often give freely of my knowledge, not only in these blogs but also when meeting and talking to people. I am also an active member of the Bodgers Forum, the biggest green wood working forum in the world.

I have met and seen many people, even those who are the last in the line of their craft, who hold onto their "secrets" with an iron fist. There are also many businesses and multinational companies that want to keep all knowledge to themselves, through intellectual property rights and patents. This means that anyone wanting to use this knowledge has to pay, even if this is a gene in the human body. Do not get me wrong, we all need to make a living, but some people and companies spend far to much time and money on their secrets.


It is clear to me that the free-market capitalist system does not always work very well and we need to find other ways of working together. All this economic doom and gloom pisses me off big time and I find myself being dragged into it.

There are other ways of working. I do not mean the lovey-dovey hippy commune or Communist ways, but ways that are empowering to the individual and beneficial to society. Through this individual action we can collectively make a difference.


Take a look at this inspirational video from TED Talks. This will show you how sharing knowledge and ideas can make a real and empowering difference in the world. In fact have a look, over Christmas, at the other TED Talks. These people inspire me, they give me hope, and they leave me buzzing with new and amazing ideas.
This video is not about wood, but I think that the ideas and the ways that people can work together  are so important and worth taking on board.