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Post by lavandulagirl on Feb 17, 2011 9:35:20 GMT -5
So, what are your guys' thoughts on the Dervaes family trademarking the phrase "Urban Homestead", and claiming that, because they have somehow done something new and different, they should be allowed to tell others not to profit from the words? Me, I think they found that it was more profitable to reap the harvest from other people's labors than from their own homestead, frankly. It strikes me as a greedy, specious move.urbanhomestead.org/faq#n180
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Post by ottawagardener on Feb 17, 2011 10:43:31 GMT -5
I read their rational and it struck me as double think. Just because people are greenwashing doesn't mean that we have to rake back all environmental words to use for our own profit to prevent others from using it to make money if indirectly. Also, it makes it sound like they are going to approve the use of the term? Is this in regards to how it links back to them or just to make sure they are using the term 'purely' whatever that means.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where a good, marketable idea is kept exclusive so people can pay the mortgage. It would seem to me that a world where the best ideas are shared is better even if occasionally the person doing the using is a user.
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Post by synergy on Feb 17, 2011 14:17:00 GMT -5
I lived in a rental 20 some years ago in the city of Vancouver BC on a tiny urban lot in a pretty average older neighbourhood. Our neighbours were generally older immigrant famillies from all over, you could walk down the back alley and see them planting what they grew in Croatia, Italy , India, Korea ... (you get the picture it was like a UN garden tour walking home from the rapid transit) Most had extensive gardens in their back yards that included meat rabbits, chickens, and pigeon from what i remember. Some cultivated the narrow sides and entire front yard too and balconies and roofs . The Dervaes are commendable but they are NOT as unique as they might think . These neighbours took great pride in their gardens and most spoke in broken english thus unlikely ever thought to have a website to promote themselves thus urban homesteading was well established in some communities , just not promoted. It is great they set a good example and they sell it but I do not see much for articles for others to follow. Same thing with many permaculture sites, they are happy to design you a system but do nothing to educate for free when it is so direly needed in my opinion.
I really do think there is enough BS proprietorship in this world and not enough sharing of knowledge that is for the good.
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Post by garnetmoth on Feb 17, 2011 19:40:09 GMT -5
I recently friended them on FB, and not am seriously considering undoing it because of this. Apparently they are getting other folks using the term on FB shut down, and I am against it. I dont wish them ill, but this is pretty lame.
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Post by steev on Feb 17, 2011 21:39:26 GMT -5
The urge toward "proprietary" knowledge is so closely related to the impulse to form a priestly caste as to make me ill. It all comes down to monopolizing something that can be sold or used to control others. So many people misconstrue the meaning of "knowledge is power". Those who would monopolize basic knowledge, that people could use to improve their lives by sweat equity, are parasites of a rather low order.
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Post by lavandulagirl on Feb 17, 2011 22:37:52 GMT -5
I recently friended them on FB, and not am seriously considering undoing it because of this. Apparently they are getting other folks using the term on FB shut down, and I am against it. I dont wish them ill, but this is pretty lame. Garnetmoth - here's the FB site collecting all the folks who are put out by this behavior. There's some seriously weird stuff going on with that family...www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/pages/Take-Back-Urban-Home-steadings/167527713295518
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Post by lavandulagirl on Feb 18, 2011 1:30:02 GMT -5
BTW - there is a pretty strong effort to disallow their trademarks. If anyone here has used the terms Urban Homestead, or Urban Homesteading in any publication, advertisement, or the like before 2007, there are people who would like to speak to you re: this effort. The can be contacted at trademark@freethechickens.com This email will get you in contact with a Denver urban homesteader site, which has itself been told to stop using the name.
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Post by grunt on Feb 18, 2011 1:39:41 GMT -5
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Post by darwinslair on Feb 18, 2011 3:47:53 GMT -5
hit them up for theft of intellectual property. I think 1975 pre-dates their efforts.
Heck, I think mine do.
Tom
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Post by flowerpower on Feb 18, 2011 6:23:48 GMT -5
Is this family on some TV reality show? I'm not really sure what makes them so special. Because they keep some goats and hens in ''the city'' ? Like that's something new. lol
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Post by mnjrutherford on Feb 18, 2011 9:36:36 GMT -5
They must be bored...
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Post by synergy on Feb 18, 2011 14:30:40 GMT -5
You know I can appreciate they are doing a good thing, they are a good example both in their community and sharing it via media. And they want to make a living , so expand to cookbooks or peddlers wagon stuff along with retail sales , and advertising here and there and paid speaking engagements. Then I am sure they could have had a few people intentionally try to cash in to the same concept or even garner some web traffic profiteering off their established reputation. But often it can go a little too far and I really think they have and it is not reflecting well on them, likely a step towards a reality show, paid podcasts , segments on tv shows , whatever but likely a step towards something, more towards marketability that is going away from the purity of their original concept.
Whatever eh? We have our own Homesteads to deal with be they Urban, Suburban , Rural
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Post by ottawagardener on Feb 21, 2011 9:25:36 GMT -5
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Post by grunt on Feb 21, 2011 11:28:42 GMT -5
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Post by mnjrutherford on Feb 21, 2011 14:25:28 GMT -5
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