A direct line between the challenges of the #mainstreaming of the #openweb and the critical need for tools like the #4opens to address these challenges. The #mainstreaming of the openweb brings visibility and new energy but also risks flooding it with shallow “common sense” that undermines its foundational values. The 4opens is your shovel, a…
Laying the groundwork for a future worth building
Tieing together the threads of agency, ecological awareness, and social cohesion helps to envision a transformative path forward for the #openweb. Focusing on “Us” Over “Them”, focusing on “us” rather than “them” is grounded in practicality. We have influence over our own communities and movements, while exerting control over entrenched corporate powers like the #dotcons…
The “social shit” story is raw, real, and relatable
The metaphor of “shit” is both the cause of decay and a potential source of renewal is provocative and insightful. It captures the essence of the challenge we face in addressing #mainstreaming culture, where conversations to often get stuck in defensive and rigid thinking. Why social change online fails, terms as barriers, people cling to…
The question, how do we bring more people into this space of stepping away and creating something better?
There is a deep frustration with #mainstreaming culture, with its strong tendency to elevate the wrong people and prioritize misguided actions. How can we “think better” beyond the traps of the current socio-political mess. Thinking better, we need frameworks that reject the flawed foundations of #mainstreaming while building collective action. Let’s look at some broad…
Looking at some of the issues we need to fix
#NGO-driven approach to activism are a part of the challenges of #mainstreaming agendas in tech and social movements. NGOs at best aim to “make the mess work a bit better” without addressing root causes. This band-aid path aligns with the mainstreaming agenda rather than fostering systemic change. This need for maintaining “relevance” leads to shallow…
#4opens vs. #4closed
The critical paths between governance, activism, and the ideological underpinnings of #FOSS, #opensource, and the #openweb. The problem, governance without “politics” which FOSS and opensource often ignore and block the politics, leading to governance models resembling feudalism where “better kings” may emerge, but the underlying structure remains inequitable. Without addressing systemic issues, projects replicate the…
Personality Politics
The challenge of personality politics disrupting progressive projects is a recurring issue, especially in tech and social activism paths. This often derails efforts by prioritizing individual egos and interpersonal conflicts over collective goals. The path to mediating this needs resilient, open, and structured processes that minimize the impact of this messy dynamics. Strategies to Counter…
Let’s build tools that reflect human flourishing
One of the strong #blocking forces is #mainstreaming objectives being imposed on non-mainstream projects, is a recurring issue in alternative tech spaces like the #openweb and #Fediverse. This happens because people perceive mainstreaming as “common sense,” mistaking it for adding value. Over time, this mess erodes the radical, decentralizing paths, feeding people back into the…
Federated Trust Networks: A Path
The future of grassroots and decentralized media lies in federated trust networks, not merely replicating the centralized, broadcast-focused models of the #dotcons. There are problems with simply copying #dotcons as #FOSS that is replication without change, simply mimicking the #dotcons replicates their flaws, including centralized control and scalability issues that lead to degradation in quality…
Why Humans are Social First, Individuals Second
Human beings are inherently social creatures, our identities, communities, and shared values are what define us as human. The #deathcult of the last 40 years, driven by neoliberal ideologies, has systematically isolated individuals, eroding the social bonds that sustain humanity. This isolation fosters nihilism, acclimatizing people to a world-view devoid of collective meaning and purpose.…
The Problem: Postmodernism, Hate, and #StupidIndividualism
The influence of postmodern thinking among #fashernistas—people more focused on appearances and trends than substance—has eroded the core purpose of activism: fostering positive social change rooted in love, solidarity, and mutual aid. Meanwhile, the rise of a new breed of right-wing “activists” using hate and fear to advance the agenda of neo-liberalism’s #deathcult highlights the…
Grassroots Radical Media: A #4opens Path
The resurgence of grassroots radical media projects requires a return to foundational principles, particularly the embrace of #FOSS and #opensource practices. These principles align with the #4opens framework, which acts as both a lock and a key for building sustainable and accountable media networks. The Basics, Activism vs. Mainstreaming, where activism aims to resist and…