Repo Theory

This repo is a peer-to-peer generated website that takes inspiration from repositories like github, the method in which mushrooms generate connections, and how trees grow. We are going to focus here on the more abstract vision for the repo. We do this so that we can envision the future of this project. The mechanics of the system can be reviewed here: How to Replicate this Repo

Github

The complete developer platform to build, scale, and deliver secure software.

If you are not a software engineer, coder, or just general computer hobbyist, you may not know about Github. Github is a repository where folks share code. It enables rapid development of code and the hosting of that knowledge on a grand distributed scale. Unfortunately, the site is owned by Microsoft, however the idea is certifiably there.

now anytime the smart engineers mention github you can be like

This repo aims to emulate some of that thinking. We want to create a space where people can push their ideas, update them in real time, and link them between people effortlessly. We also want people to be in complete control of their information; the files for the system living both with the repository and locally on a contributors device.

In the process of contributing to a repo, you also learn a important fact of life; we all need to communicate, we all rely on the labor of others, and all contributions are of value (that is unless they are malicious, in which case, yikes dude).

Growing Like a Tree

This repo is a core node. The machine that is building the site is the at the core of the system. Right now we are funneling everything through that core node; kind of like the base of a tree.

Our base is still fresh and new. Think of it as a seedling growing. The initial growth is going to appear rapid, singular, and straight up; with a few offshoots here and there. It is incredibly simple, resilient, and also fragile; learning as it grows into its environment:

As we grow we are going to start putting out more leaves, which will turn into branches, which can then hold more leaves. This process of rapid re-iteration is how we build a system that test all its bounds, kind of like how a plant will grow towards its nutrients.

The hope is that over time is that we will strengthen the core of the system. Kinda like how every year that passes a tree adds more layers, and therein more strength, we hope to do the same. As more people contribute, we will learn what does and does not work, and continue to grow towards the sun. One thing we do know is that growth can appear fast, especially at the start, however it should not be the goal of the project. Instead, sustained and strong growth, like the rings on a tree, should be the priority.

The method in which the system works also helps to protect the root, as at anytime the branches can be trimmed. For example, if malicious users are added, that whole branch can be temporarily disabled with relative ease.

It is our hope that as we grow, we are also able to spread many seeds. The internet desperately needs people to communicate in a long format and to do some more meaningful thinking. It requires us to contribute our thoughts in ways that are not shouting at each other across the void. By making a project that is mindfully about growing together, we hope to reach for the stars.

Communicate like Mushrooms

Mushrooms communicate through electric impulses and share resources across their networks. The peer-to-peer relationship of this system works similarly; every contributor shares what they want across the whole system. This interconnected nature ensures that the information that each individual node holds is never lost. If the tree falls, the mushrooms still thrive.

We also must abandon the idea of central control. The mushrooms work as a network however also as individual stems. They can choose where their information and resources flow. They can support different mother trees. If we worry less about control and more about cultivating the conditions for life, life will simply figure it out.