Of course, one size doesn't fit all -- no solution will work for everyone. I have been mulling over the comparative benefits of creating a communal environment (separate families/homes on a secured area of land) vs. going it "alone" as part of a small community.

Interested in finding out where you all fall in the thinking on this subject.

It seems to me that a communal group of (presumably) Y2K-savvy members has the advantage of shared strength and resources for supplies, security and even education and social life post-Y2K.

The "homestead" is easier to pull off because there's just less to coordinate and less people to accommodate. However, it seems a lonelier option.

Do tell ... what are you doing?

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@ptd.net), September 22, 1998

Answers

Beyond lonely it is harder to "do it alone". There is strength in numbers especially if those numbers are of like mind on a few issues.

At the risk of sounding like a shill, I will invite you to come visit our discussion board where we are visioning a world beyond the year 2000...including what kind of communities we are making now. Now being also the future for anyone who also lives beyond the linear model of time. Below is the clickable link to this discussion board.

Beyond 2000 Discussion Board

In the final analysis, only you can say for yourself what will suit you. I urge everyone to consider communities of self sufficient humans.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), September 22, 1998.

Hi Sara- good question. Community and sharing strengths would be nice, but...it might just be an inordinately strong independent streak in me but I have difficulty trusting others to do what they say they're going to do for our combined welfare. Not healthy, probably, but homesteading would work better for me for that reson so I KNOW I can count on me doing something. (Ducking...)

-- Melissa (financed@forbin.com), September 22, 1998.

Melissa,....don't duck...be bold. As Thoreau has said:

If one advances confidently in the direction of his(her) dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he(she) has imagined, he(she)will mmet with a success unexpected in the common hours.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), September 22, 1998.

Hi, Donna!...The clickable link to 'BEYOND 2000 DISCUSSION' does not work...do you have a better url we can use? Thanks!

\/\/illis in OKC, OK @ 1:07am 09/23/98

-- Willis Thomason (BANDIT1@ontheroad.com), September 23, 1998.

"So what is a man

What has he got

If not himself

Then not a lot.."

Someone help me out with the lyrics here. This could be our theme song. (My Way for those of you who didn't catch it).

-- Amy Leone (aleone@amp.com), September 23, 1998.

The trouble with communes that I have seen and heard about (know some people who lived that way for a while) is the lack of rules and structure. The arrangement works for some time, until someone starts getting bored or has ideas that the others don't like, then relationships start to break down. A co-operative situation with written rules (constitution?) seems to work better.

-- Buddy Y. (buddy@bellatlantic.net), September 23, 1998.

Hey I just clicked the link to Beyond 2000 and it worked for me. Hmmmmm...Curiouser and curiouser!

You can cut and paste this URL in lieu of hyperlink however:

http://InsideTheWeb.com/mbs.cgi/mb134913

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), September 23, 1998.

Hi again, Donna!...Thanks for posting the updated url, this one worked for me when I added www. after the http://. Thanks!

\/\/illis in OKC, OK @ 10:10am cdt 09/23/98

-- Willis Thomason (BANDIT1@ontheroad.com), September 23, 1998.