Toolpedia.org: Get Tools

Toolpedia is a community for finding and reviewing the best DOSPEC tools that doers can rely on to get things done.

A Paricipatory Tool Community

The DOSPEC.com tool database is community-driven and includes both negative and positive reviews in search of both DOSPEC passes and failures.

Adoptions: Tools that meet DOSPEC requirements are adopted and documented for methods of successful employment.

Failures: Candidates that don't meet our needs are failed to warn us away from inadequate tools that could contribute to mission failure.

Learn Supplying Skills

Learn how to buy and supply the right stuff to the people who need it quickly and cheaply. 

Inventory Have/Want/Offer Listings

You can view and add to the list of all the tools people have, want and offer.

How do we define DOSPEC requirements?

"When evaluating anything, ask yourself 'What does it do and how well does it do it?'"

—Sean Kennedy

DOSPEC requirements are just beginning their evolution. At the present moment, DOSPECs are somewhat arbitrary and the methodologies for devising doer requirements and testing candidate tools are in an experimental stage. At this point, the main emphasis is on exploring new ideas and providing an initial "better than nothing" set of recommended tools.

Using Prior Art & Off-The-Shelf Tools

"Not Invented Here (NIH) is a term used to describe a persistent sociological, corporate or institutional culture that avoids using already existing products, research or knowledge because of its different origins."

—Not Invented Here in Wikipedia

Not-invented-here approaches have a tendency to reinvent the wheel badly. Empowerment doesn't compete with similar efforts. To anyone working for similar ends we say, "You may already be a member".

Empowerment leverages all the work that is being done by highlighting the current state of the art and targeting the work that still needs to be done to pull it all together for comprehensive solutions.

Most DOSPEC systems need not be developed entirely from scratch. Many essential tools already exist or can be improved to full DOSPEC with contributions to the larger project. Reinventing the wheel is unnecessary in many cases.

Developing New Tools

"The good thing about reinventing the wheel is that you can get a round one."

—Douglas Crockford

Where a gap in existing tools leaves an important doer need poorly served, new tools are researched and developed to fill the void and give us new capabilities.

In some cases existing tools do something close to what we need but we believe we can do much better.

1. First we establish what our ideal system should achieve.
2. Then we document what exists already with temporary workarounds to integrate the pieces to approximate the desired capabilities.
3. Next we initiate the research and development of the desired tool until it becomes a reality.

DOSPEC Testing

DOSPEC exists to help those who want the best tools for the job at hand. You should be able to focus on your mission without the hassles of product research and the dangers of inadequate tools.

DOSPEC is not a restrictive list of approved equipment to prevent you from experimenting with new technology and techniques.

On the contrary, it is a community-based database that relies on adventurous souls willing to take a chance on unproven kit to discover new and improved solutions to add to DOSPEC. That which does not pass muster gets flagged for its failings to warn others what not to use.

An item can be certified as DOSPEC once it has proven through testing to be the best tool for a particular job.

Multiple similar items can be DOSPEC because they serve different needs.

For example, many tool categories have both a high-end and a low-cost solution. You might choose the best for your personal kit, but for outfitting a large group with a limited budget you might have to issue more basic tools.

DOSPEC Writeup Style

Data is in a compressed block format. HEADINGS IN BOLD: Fields plain. MORE HEADINGS: More fields.

Other Review Sites

One of the most exhaustive examples of testing is at http://www.backpackgeartest.org where a very detailed field report methadology is followed. They have a gear testing info page.

Tool Cards

Each tool can have its own tool card that summarizes the core details and pricing. Like idea cards, tool cards are shareable and carrying tool cards for all the tools you use allows you to give out cards to people who express interest in learning more about obtaining the tools for themselves.

How should tool cards be implemented?

• Tool cards are stored as separate nodes the same way as idea cards, with Related Nodes of type tool.
• They could be outlined underneath their associated items.
• Tool cards, like idea cards, can contain double sided information with secondary information on the back.

Track Your Inventory

List what you have, wish list what you want.
Request what you need, offer what you can give.

Soldiers, Doers & Slackers: MILSPEC vs DOSPEC vs NOTSPEC

DOSPEC is based on MILSPEC because doers can learn a surprising amount from soldiers about accomplishing missions against all odds with disciplined teamwork and cutting-edge technology.

DOSPEC Categories

There are a number of distinct subcategories of tech.

Doer Tools

The most important DOSPEC tools are those which enable you to carry out activities effectively.

Mediapedia: Communication Technology

Communications media are technology-driven and mastering DOSPEC media tech like web design and video cameras can make your campaigns more effective. Examples: Tabling Kit

COMMS Technology

Internal COMMS gear is essential to teamwork and preventing COMMS failure.

Survival Technology

Survival is all about staying alive and happy outside of conventional home environments. Activists may need survival skills if they travel abroad to do activism in the field. Survival kit is not strictly for distasters and wilderness. Survival is also about making daily life more efficient and being prepared for every eventuality.

Survival tech can play a crucial role in activism when weather gets bad such as in the case of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution which encamped thousands of people around parliament for weeks in freezing cold temperatures to overturn a stolen election.

SOTA: State of the Art Tech

SOTA tech may not be affordable or practical, but staying abreast of new developments allows early adopters to be the first to take advantage of new technologies as they become available.

Cool tech of the Gizmodo variety may seem totally unnecessary now, but it deserves close monitoring and experimentation to see where things are headed and develop new techniques.

Examples: http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/

Kit Line Organizing