“Your words create the world around you.” Milton Bluehouse, Jr. @RiverRally 2015

I just recently passed my one year mark with Public Lab and in reflecting on the year, I truly believe it’s the community who has taught the most in this time. The reasons why the people of Public Lab do what they do, the drive to make positive changes, sharing for the sake of growing and learning- this is what makes it work. The collaboration and support found in this network is both impressive and empowering.

This is what brought me here. I could ask the infrared group to help me puzzle through an image I can’t seem to interpret and get responses from people who selflessly offer their assistance. A newcomer asks the Public Lab main list if anyone has thought about low cost mercury sensing and sparks a discussion that brings out the power of a large knowledge base. There is something on that incredible knowledge sharing platform the people of Public Lab have built that I’d like to make a bigger space for: “The why.”

I’m lucky in the time I have to ask questions, and the patience people here have shown me in personally telling me their stories. These stories are the passion, they are the truth, and the motivation. Stories are why we do what we do, how and what happened. The stories are the people and the faces behind Public Lab. I want to bring those stories out.

So here, I will ask you, if you can and if you would: share out your stories. Make this your space and let’s bring back the blog.

***The blog lives at publiclab.org/blog. More information on the blog can be found on the blog wiki. To post to the blog simply write a research note and tag it "blog"