I never thought building the TDG would be similar to building open-source software. Interesting analogy.

Medium and other political internet forums I have participated in are not exactly consultative cultures. There is a fair bit of "I want to be listened to, not listen" in these forums, an attitude that I too am guilty.

About six years ago, I was invited to participate in an internet experiment called Asgardia. Asgardia was a simulation where people role-played a large space vessel leaving Earth in search for another planet. The object was to build the rules for their own society.

I could see that this project would take a lot of my time if I did it right. And I had a big life commitment that I couldn't give that time. But I joined as an observer.

From my perspective, the project crashed in about two months. There was lots of shouting longer and louder, not much listening. The foundations for consultation were not there. I sometimes wonder if I had squandered an opportunity to "chair" this group and teach them about consultation, then build their society.

Building the TDG will be simpler than building Asgardia. I believe this simplicity is necessary to first acquire a consultative attitude.

After considerable thinking for several years, I decided that building the TDG must be done geographically rather by any online community. We have to get a long with people who are different than us. Our neighbors may be a good proving grounds in these days of internet technology.

But I would be interested to hear your thoughts of software development along this line.