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Hi Len - 

There were numerous small communes (mostly collective farming-crafting communities) here in the USA resulting from the drug-based, anti-establishment Hippy movement of the late 1960's and 1970's. Many were influenced by Stewart Brand's Whole Earth counterculture idealogy. While most of them simply weren't viable and did not last, the movement did help give birth to the global-community concept of sustainable, green living. 

Interesting that sustainability is now a driving force in real estate development, hybrid vehicles, renewable energy, efficient regionalism, smart urban planning and many other commercialized ventures thought to be mankind's ultimate salvation from rampant, ecologically harmful consumerism.

In America today, we still have some groups of peaceful isolationists and survivalists living off the grid who adhere to the Whole World idea. But most are extremely militant wackos or sadly delusional cultists. 

Instead, we are slowly devloping into a society of responsible consumers who embrace both capitalism and sustainability at the individual, local community, state and national level. I believe the marriage of those two previously opposing views can work and have seen growing supportive evidence through organizations like the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the EPA in their highly successful LEED and ENERGY STAR programs. 

Also, we continue to see significant growth in all other sectors of sustainable products and services ranging from energy and transportation to agriculture and medicine with major changes in the way commerce and communications are handled. The Internet has been a big part of that movement here and across international borders. 

Lastly, social media / networking is becoming the new way to "advertise" through soft-sell / word-of-mouth marketing, independent blogs / reviews / editorials / polls and a plethora of generally unbiased white papers, case studies, etc., etc.

While still in its infancy, social networking has already come a long way and is beginning to replace traditional, top-down media marketing as the dominant force of persuasion for selling everything from cars, clothing and candidates to music, movies and games.

In a very real way, we here on this forum are among the grass-roots ambassadors of that thinking. We share our individual experiences, express opinions and compare notes about games as well as books, films, music, food, fashion and many other things. 

Cheers, Terry 

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-]

***Terry***

Weird & confusing.

I read a VERY interesting post of yours just now which has now **Vanished**

There was a lot about various small comunities in USA - some good and some bad = but it seems to have got deleted ! 

Aongst other things it contained references to USA & world attempts at energy conservation. which were exremely important * interesting !!!