Leo Bakx

doesIT Community Technology Consultants (2005-2007) was a project to develop, build and deliver web applications to communities in Western Australia. A pilot project was launched in December 2005: the Denmark WA Learning Community network – DWALC for short.

In response to an idea that was raised at the Denmark Learning Community Initiative Workshop in 2005 we set up a web based system that would enable local residents, organisations and businesses to express themselves in the most direct way by using the Internet and standard web browsing applications – for free. The low threshold attracted more then 90 participants and ran successfully throughout 2006 and 2007.

The Denmark Telecentre generously provided server hardware and Internet connectivity. Both the Telecentre and Denmark Public Library hosted numerous training and support sessions for the users.

In December 2007 the project was revamped and relaunched with the latest in multi-user blogs, content management systems and community networking software – all Open Source of course.

During the project it was confirmed -yet again- that technology was not the limiting factor for success. The ‘people factor’ is absolutely crucial in any project like this. Top-down organisation, simply dropping lots of gadgets and software into a community doesn’t empower the people at grass roots level. What the people on the ground need is a good enough reason to want to learn to manage all these fabulous goodies. And that is where someone like Dr Gillian Seller came in. Like no other she is able to inspire and motivate. Once the interest in piqued the learning of new skills follows, its unavoidable. Meanwhile the people at ‘management level’ need to learn to ‘let go’ and limit their role to facilitating want the people on the ground want to do.

The Denmark community technology project builds on the experience of the Digitale Stad Eindhoven, SAMENinSPRAAK and Albany GateWAy projects – and a few others besides. Leo and Gill complement each other with the technology and people oriented aspects of community technology projects.

doesIT is discontinued as an Australian business but projects are running on their own and the expertise remains available on request.

Gill has moved on to other things like the Denmark Community’s Future Fund, Denmark Healthy Community Project and Denmark Safe Community Project.

Leo has discontinued his business in search for new challenges and possibly return to his roots as educator and innovator full time.