This is my reaction from the talk, have not read the book. In The Forever Crisis, the author presents complex systems thinking as a framework for addressing the world’s intractable challenges, particularly at the level of global governance. The book critiques the traditional top-down approaches that are pushed by powerful institutions like the #UN, highlighting…
The Activist History of the Web: Lessons we can learn
Over the last few decades, the web’s evolution has been shaped by competing ideals. Early on, we witnessed the shift from the “better” #closedweb corporate controlled paths to an #openweb #DIY explosion—a time when collaborative, decentralized approaches thrived. #Mainstreaming efforts to recapture this #4opens spirit failed for years, but eventually, corporate-driven dotcons platforms captured the…
The #deathcult: 40 Years of neoliberal poisoning the #openweb path
For forty years, we’ve been steeped in a dominant, and largely invisible ideology I call the #deathcult, a metaphor for the relentless spread of neoliberalism that has reshaped our social, economic, and technological systems in destructive ways. Alongside this, the rise of #dotcons (corporate, centralized tech platforms) over the past twenty years has distorted the…
Ethical Frameworks in Anarchist Approaches
In an anarchist society, like some parts of the #openweb the absence of centralized authority doesn’t mean the absence of accountability or rules. Instead, decisions on conflict resolution, like, linking across project boundaries, handling personal property disputes or ecological damage, are based on deliberation and consensus among affected parties. This path avoids rigid, one-size-fits-all solutions,…
Navigating the Postmodern Confusion and the Case for Common Sense
From a left-wing perspective, identity politics and class-based politics feel like competing ideologies. Identity politics focus on individual identities (race, gender, sexuality, etc.), while leftist movements emphasize collective struggle against class-based oppression under capitalism and neoliberalism. Both approaches aim to address inequality but through different paths. For the #geekproblem we can view them like competing…
Communities Adopt #KISS Tools, Not Technologies
Communities don’t adopt digital technologies—they adopt #KISS tools. People don’t think about TCP/IP or HTTP when browsing the web, or SMTP when sending emails. Similarly, they don’t think about #ActivityPub when using the #Fediverse. They interact with intuitive tools that simplify these layers. One of the toughest challenges in grassroots #DIY tech is creating #FOSS…
Let’s Try a Right-Wing Metaphor
On the #SWF thread, https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/t/socialwebfoundation-what-do-people-think/4564/85 Let’s try a Right-Wing Metaphor: Well, this playground is full of noise In this noise, there is much sense, but no grown-up action. In a children’s playground, it is the adults who are in control, the ones who bind everything together, the ones who make the decisions. The children play,…
The metaphor of cat herding
The metaphor of cat herding is a useful and fitting when working with decentralized, independent actors who are resistant to collective action, especially in grassroots tech and activist communities. It reflects the challenge of getting people to focus, organize, and work toward common goals without losing their autonomy or devolving into chaos. With projects like…
The path out of this mess is in part social tech, we need to build this path
The current path of distraction’s and #stupidindividualism are pushing the cycle of pointless noise that is feeding into our inability to focus on real change. People are busy, swept up in distractions, and pointless pursuits to be the change and challenge they need to be. It’s a cycle of complacency with a bad outcome. Agitation,…
The Panthers’ slogan “Power to the People” resonates on the #openweb
A forum thread on socialhub brought up a powerful parallel between the radical demands of the Black Panther Party (#BPP) and the underlying values of the #fediverse and #activitypub communities, especially in their attempts to build outside the corporate-controlled paths. The metaphor is striking because both seek liberation, self-determination, and the creation of alternatives to…
The metaphors are change and challenge
Balancing the #mainstreaming mess by focusing on what’s “native” is a crucial step in rebooting the #openweb. Rather than outright rejecting things that don’t fit, the goal is to actively engage and mediate through pushback, ensuring that the core values are preserved while allowing space for broader participation. This approach helps prevent the dilution of…
Thoughts on the mess we made on #socialhub and the wider #openweb reboot
The frustration of navigating the mess of activism, tech, and grassroots movements, especially when they get co-opted and sidetracked by personal interests, #NGO agendas, or broader #mainstreaming mess. We need ways to process, compost, and turn this mess into a more productive path, one which balances burnout and disillusionment. A part of this is the…