The Minds Solution Game

Attention All Minds:

How can we go beyond posting the problems we face and put forth a strategy to start to actually solve them?

Idea:

What if we all came together and crowdsourced solutions to the challenges we face, small and large?

Example:

Problem: above and beyond the fluoridation of our water supply, we are learning that there are other harmful components in it that may be poisoning people.

Solution: an independent group is now testing the water supply in every major city and reporting its findings. There will be many cases like this and awareness will have to be the first step.

Some may not see this as a solution but it starts with awareness, and then new ideas can develop from there. This is just one example and the challenges will widly vary.

Please see link below for more details:

http://www.naturalnews.com/052994_EPA_watch_lead_contaminated_water_citizen_science.html

 I would like to lay out a preliminary framework for people to noodle about.

The Minds Solutions Game:

Monthly  

Step 1: Identify and list multiple challenges

Step 2: Select one challenge by vote

Step 3: Post and boost the challenge

Step 4: Start the solutions process (14-21 days to pick a winner, time TBD)

Step 5: Vote on the person or team with the most viable solution to the challenge

Step 6: Winner gets a specified amount of points (1000, 5000, 10,000,? TBD)

All points to be held in escrow by Minds.com

If there is no winner for any particular challenge, points rollover to the next challenge

We can stop at step 6 if we want, or we can continue on and create real change (this may depend upon the nature of the challenge).

Step 7: A team or team’s step up with a plan to realize the solution

Step 8: If more than one team applies we vote on and select the team the crowd feels can best complete the task .

Step 9: Crowdfund the idea

Step 10: The Minds community support the winning team during the crowdfunding campaign by spreading awareness (a very important part of crowdfunding) and anything else that can be done to make the campaign successful.

 Details to discuss further:

Rules and guidelines will need to be established

Tagging system to keep everyone in the loop

Participants will need to donate points to the escrow once a month

Anyone with relevant experience and skillsets to the challenge is encouraged to donate their expertise

Someone(s) who can administrate the game.

Promotion of the game beyond the current minds community. Bringing in new minds to create solutions should be strongly encouraged. The more brainpower we can apply to create solutions, the better.

*It would be best to get everyone’s input and crowdsource the game itself. I’ve only laid out an example of how it could work. With more input, the game can be enhanced and more clearly defined.

The Key to Success

 The key to this game is to have fun with it, and approach the problems or challenges with an open mind and a playful light energy with no grand expectations. That is the vibration that will allow us to discover the best solutions and keep it fun.

The challenges that are chosen should benefit many people, not just one. I'm not against charity but this game should be based on a larger vision that benefits many people.

Why?

Many of us feel we belong to something special here at Minds. I have had the pleasure to interact with and observe many socially minded people on Minds who are knowledgeable in many areas. In my opinion, when multiple people view a challenge from their different perspectives, significant innovation can occur. That is why Minds is the perfect platform to crowdsource new concepts and ideas.

It may seem like some of the challenges we are facing are impossible to change under the current circumstances but anything is possible in these times we live in. Remember, the world is what we make of it and its up to us to decide how we would like to move forward and what legacy we want to leave for future generations. We are in the middle of  significant cultural and social changes right now.

Our reality is changing so quickly, but because we are so caught up in it, we can't see the changes immediatly.  These changes can only be seen when we look back at this time in years to come. People are questioning the old paradigms like no other time in recent history but we must go further than just identifying problems and then complaining about them – we must have new ideas ready to replace the old ones when the time is right. 

Many of us interact with and admire the Minds founders because we can relate with their philosophy of privacy, open source and a more socially conscious approach to social media among other things. In most cases the Minds community is awake and aware but in some sense I feel like we are preaching to the choir about the challenges we face as a society most days. The next step would be to not just identify  the problems but to help create solutions and lead by example.

What if we take our time and energy and focused it on bringing change about a little bit at a time while making a game out of it? It could be very fun for all involved and at the same time serve a bigger purpose. I know I feel much better doing something that I know could create real change everyday, and I bet many others can relate to that feeling as well. We all have this in us, we just need to take the next step.

Expand the Community

Many people do not come to minds because their friends are not here, which is fine. In my opinion, Minds should strive for quality not quantity. By having a game that pays you points or money if you win while promoting positive activities, it provides a reason for problem solvers to join the site. It can be promoted in a way to attract those people. In addition to all the other reasons that people join Minds, now add: "A Social Media Site That Pays You to Problemsolve" or "A Social Media Site With Purpose" or something to that effect.

This would obviously be subject to approval from the Minds.com founder’s, Bill & John

(If this game is approved) and you like the idea and want to be involved, give an up vote and tag yourself in the comments section. If you do not like the idea, give a down vote. The votes (and founders) will decide the games fate. If you feel it can be designed differently or better than what is  illustrated above, please comment. Let’s put the idea up for a vote.

Again, these are only broadstrokes – this game needs to be further developed and defined from the Minds community.

Vision Launch Committment

 @visionlaunch will donate up to 1000 points per month

Vision Launch will donate time crowdfunding consulting if the solution makes it to the next level

Promotion

In order to recruit new Minds members, Vision Launch will donate three areas of ad space on our website:

1) 300x250 sidebar (all pages)

2) 728x90  below the article (all pages)

3) 728x90 on  homepage

Vision Launch will promote the game and Minds.com for a period of time of no less than 6 months and possibly longer.

visionlaunch.com receives just under 100,000 page views per month (it's not entrepreneur.com but it's a start). We would encourage everyone to promote the game too.

Vision Launch will publish a homepage article about the Minds Solutions Game and promote through social media as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I'm looking forward to feedback.