Although it is a great pleasure at times to be merely an anonymous member of an audience, there is also an unmet need in modern city life to get together in small creative groups, to alleviate the isolation and alienation that many people feel. Although films and plays won't be included, if someone were to advertise on the board for a small group to go to see a particular film, for instance, with a discussion about the film afterwards in a local cafe, that would be fine and would qualify as a participatory event. Likewise a lecture would not qualify, but a lecture with a significant amount of open discussion afterwards could be included. The events, in other words, involve the participants in more than just listening and watching. Nor is this a board for matchmaking.
All events are for groups of three or more.
And there are restrictions excluding sexual or illegal activities or racist or unkind material. DoBe.org is a charitable project and has virtually no budget at all. It has been programmed thanks to the labours of Phil Wilson and Merlyn Albery. It is based on a server in California set up and maintained by Flemming Funch of the New Civilization Network, who also kindly provides the technical maintenance and improvements for the Global Ideas Bank. DoBe.org now seeks volunteer editors and activists to help get these boards going in each city, those who can seed the board with interesting events and who can persuade people to take part and local media to publicise it.