Accessing old threads/messages

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1

Hi all,

Does anyone know if old threads/messages get archives and put out of access?

I have been trying to access specific discussions that I remember reading here but cannot find any trace of them.

Thanks for any help!

2

No, there are some member-only categories / groups but there is no archiving of old messages.

3

Thanks Chris.

Not sure why nothing is coming up from my searches.

Iā€™ve been looking for the discussion related to the AI-produced images for Workers.Coopā€™s promotions which I think were timed around Coops Fortnight 2023.

If anyone has any links or ideas that would be appreciated.

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Are you looking for this topic?

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5

Thanks a lot Yuily.

I think the thread must have been lifted out of normal access since that time as I get the following message:

ā€™ You need to request membership to the ā€˜Boardā€™ group to see this topic. ā€™

[Iā€™m assuming you do have membership to the ā€˜Boardā€™ group, and that there isnā€™t an issue with my accountā€¦?]

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The thread is only available for members, are you a workers for a co-op which is a member of workers.coop?

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Youā€™re welcome! I found a proposal in the topic suggesting that it be removed. Instead of removing it, it was made available to the ā€œmembersā€ group.

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Ok, that explains it - thanks.

If you are aware of or come across any discussions of the inclusion/exclusion/integration of AI (particularly ChatGPT) into worker coops, please do let me know as it feels like an issue that is pushing itself in the wider culture.

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9

I recently heard from @leedscath that someone is looking into doing research on AI and worker co-ops so this reminded me of that. I donā€™t know if this is useful or relevant but maybe @leedscath they donā€™t mind their proposal/research being shared?

The research bid about about whether Generative AI is useful for radical projects which are setting themselves up, whether it expands their imagination about whatā€™s possible or limits it to mainstream ideas.

@leedscath said that A commune in the North is joining in from a community/living angle (visuals, architecture, food growing).

workers.coop Comms group has a pretty decisive stance on AI about it being generally bad for workers and not using AI or commissioning projects that use AI.

@seanfarmelo I believe Birmingham Bike Foundry wrote an essay about the topic, as well maybe they could share that.

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Hi there - yes, the bid submitted end of May, but they wonā€™t know for a couple of months whether itā€™s successful. They were quite keen to get worker co-ops involved (i guess things like business planning/strategic thinking/financial projections, etc), but the deadline was too short to find worker co-op partners.
https://cloud.acommuneinthenorth.org.uk/s/qBnkiqGkEcX2N2a

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11

That research sounds really interesting and important. Iā€™d be glad to volunteer if they need participants.
And Iā€™d love to read the bike foundryā€™s essay if it is public.

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12

Did this come directly out of the controversy over the Coops Fortnight images?

Sounds like a kind of consensus agreement rather than a policy?

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I think it was partly informed by that but not just directly from that as thereā€™s pretty extensive experience globally with groups of workers negatively impacted by AI and struggles to come out of this. By memory, which might be wrong, it was also around the time of the Hollywood strikes and artists/creatives organising against the use of AI in the arts

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