Barn-raising is a term originally used in North American agricultural communities to refer to the act of building a barn (a large and complex task requiring a high degree of community trust and cooperation) as well as the celebration that occurred when the project was completed. This more mundane or exoteric meaning is derived from an architectural method commonly employed (walls pre-framed on the ground would sometimes require teams of people or oxen etc. to raise and tilt-up into place).

The term may also have special, esoteric connotations for members of certain online communities (c.f.BarnRaising at MeatballWiki). Some practices on public wikis (barn stars etc.) share etymological or thematic origins with the barn-raising meme and are intended to foster goodwill and cooperation among contributors. Permaculture designers, practitioners and members of other alternative or intentional communities in MeatSpace and online may make use of these linguistic memes in patterning their communities to build-in guideposts to health and prosperity.

Have drafted initial plans for a Permawiki Barn in which the permawiki peoples can gather to celebrate our strength in diversity and toast each other for the hard-won successes of the hour/day/aeon. This barn-raising page is my first gift to the wiki and can serve as a call to action and barn door for the time being until we can truly raise the permawiki barn (at which time I will move these comments to an appropriate talk page). Peace. Aikidesigns 14:08, July 20, 2011 (UTC)