GoPoCo.com / Jan Steen
These are serious times on planet Earth. Our globe is demanding we re-interpret our ways. How better to achieve this than through communal efforts. What can an individual do to make a positive difference, while working within the confines of today's Community? There are as many ways as there are individuals.
After spending a stint running his own Theatre and Film business in Toronto's sixties, Dutch- Indonesian born fringe hippie Evert Jan Steen, ended up heading for the countryside in the early seventies to become a farmer. At that time, Jan's suggestion that someday we would be buying water was considered ludicrous.
Having lived an eclectic life, Jan and his young family came to Hornby in 1976. There were no jobs and about 350 full-time residents. Always the entrepreneur, he re-invented the wood- burning stove, by bringing in air for combustion from the outside of the house. (Harrowsmith #14). Still young at heart at 71, he tries to remain positive while continuing to be very aware of the effects our species is having on the equilibrium of our sensitive Globe.
So, he is taking his sojourn with the high-tech portal website Gopoco.com very seriously. All of us online know the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Utube, Craigslist, Kijiji and the many urban- based Classifieds. All do their jobs well. But, to date, there is nothing yet like the Postal Code based, community oriented GoPoCo.com.
As a Community Connector, Gopoco functions on a member run format. It facilitates the more utilitarian aspects of life, and as such sets out to complement already existing, well defined examples of Community websites such as RealHornby.com.
Gopoco's success will be determined by initiative and traffic. Combined with its active and integrated Community Connecting links, Hornby Island residents will prove Gopoco the worthwhile portal it is intended to be. It is yours to use - free of charge. Try it out, and 'Tell a Friend'. Its success lies in the hands of the users.
Will Jan's efforts with his Gopoco portal help contribute towards a more harmoniously integrated world? This is reality Internet. While the power lasts, time tells all.
