Month: May 2024

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What do we have here, Hamish Campbell’s blog covers a range of topics related to technology, activism, social justice, boatlife and the #openweb. As an activist, Hamish provides insightful commentary and analysis on issues like digital rights, decentralized technology, media activism, climate change, and more.

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  • Thought-provoking content: Hamish’s blog offers thought-provoking insights and perspectives on contemporary issues in technology and activism. Whether it’s discussing the impact of social media on society or exploring alternatives to #mainstreaming platforms, his posts stimulate critical thinking and inspire discussion.
  • Expertise in digital activism: With years of experience in digital activism and media production, Hamish brings a wealth of knowledge to his blog. His insights into the intersection of technology and activism provide valuable guidance for people and organizations looking to make a positive impact in the digital sphere.
  • Openweb advocacy: Hamish is a passionate advocate for the #openweb and #decentralized technology. His blog delves into topics such as the importance of preserving net neutrality, the dangers of centralization in online platforms, and the potential of decentralized alternatives to empower people and protect digital empowerment.
  • Diversity of topics: From technical discussions about peer-to-peer networks and the mess of blockchain technology to reflections on the state of contemporary grassroots politics and society, subscribers can expect to find engaging content that spans multiple disciplines and interests.

Overall, subscribing to Hamish Campbell’s blog provides readers with a unique opportunity to stay informed about important issues in #technology, #activism, and social justice, while also gaining valuable insights from an experienced and knowledgeable voice in the field.

@info is the link you need inside the #Fediverse

The tech world is in a state of chaos and dysfunction

The tech world is in a state of chaos and dysfunction, to compost this mess it’s crucial that we reckon with the consequences of our past decisions to understand how we arrived at this point.

Over the past four decades, there has been an intertwining of #postmodernist social thinking and #neoliberal economic ideology. This marriage of #ideologies has fractured societal values and pushed down ideological divides, leading to right-wing polarization and dysfunction in both politics and technology.

In the realm of technology, this has translated into the proliferation of centralized platforms and the erosion of community. We’ve witnessed the rise of platforms that push profit over people’s well-being, exacerbating societal divisions and amplifying disinformation and hate speech.

As we confront existential threats like #climatechange and ecological degradation, it’s imperative that we acknowledge our role in shaping the current reality. For forty years, we’ve marched down this dark path, shaping our “human nature” through collective choices and actions.

The next four decades will be marked by hardship and suffering as we grapple with the consequences of our actions. But we must take responsibility for charting a new course forward. It’s well past time to reject the poisoned philosophies and dogmatic economic doctrines that have brought us to this precipice.

We must reclaim agency over our collective future and commit to a path of social healing, reconciliation, and renewal. This begins with the first step of acknowledging our complicity in creating this mess and embracing the power of collective action and solidarity to fix it.

#stupidindividualism let’s try please not to just push mess back at this text. It’s essential not to view this social thinking as an individualistic moral judgment. The effectiveness of postmodernism and neoliberalism in achieving their goals is evident, the judgment lies in our collective choice of path.

The disintegration of social norms and the widening gap between the rich and the poor are natural outcomes of the path we’ve chosen over the last four decades. It’s not just about moral judgment; it’s about recognizing the consequences of our choices and taking steps to course correct towards a more just, equitable, and sustainable future. And away from the current “common sense” mess.

Yes, if you hear the shouting “don’t be a prat” it’s likely needed 😉

Cyril Foster Lecture 2024: On the Declining Success of Civil Resistance

Professor Erica Chenoweth will explore the puzzling decline in the success of civil resistance movements in the past decade, even as unarmed movements have become more popular worldwide. The findings have implications for the future of nonviolent alternatives to armed struggle, as well as to the ability of pro-democratic movements to defeat authoritarian challenges.

Erica Chenoweth is the Academic Dean for Faculty Engagement and the Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School, Faculty Dean at Pforzheimer House at Harvard College, and a Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. They study political violence and its alternatives. At Harvard, Chenoweth directs the Nonviolent Action Lab, an innovation hub that provides empirical evidence in support of movement-led political transformation.

  • Creative messy thinking
  • Structured rigid thinking

Over the last 20 years we have moved from the first creative messy at Greenham Common Peace Camp and 1990’s road protests thought to the turn of the century anti globalisation movement.

Then this started to shift with the very affective protest movement Climate Camp, with pushing in process geeks ossifying the process and direction. To a hard shift of the occupy movement, process and organising on #dotcons social media.

As this lecture illustrates, the last ten years activism of all forms has been failing, likely due to in part to this shift.

Academic thinking is a part of this, giving rigid thinking strength to push on to messy activism.

Why is academic thinking so bad and irrelevant? “Getting it done people” have no time or interest to talk to academics, they are to focus on the hard mission of “getting things done”. Who the academics and journalist end up getting their data from is way to often wannabe #fashernistas do, in this academic knolage, and the journalism that feeds it, is “manurist” and not helping, and harming a lot of time.

Ideas on how to talk about this, please.

#oxford

It’s interesting to look at all the new #openweb native social media applications

This is my expirence:

To be updated:

We must reckon with the consequences of our past decisions

The intertwining of #postmodernist social thinking and #neoliberal economic ideology over the past four decades has laid the groundwork for the turbulent state of contemporary politics and the social chaos evident in our digital ecosystems (#dotcons)

This marriage of ideologies led to a fracturing of societal values and a narrowing of ideological divides, resulting in the polarization and dysfunction we witness in both right and left-wing politics. In the realm of technology, this has manifested in the proliferation of centralized platforms and the erosion of community.

For forty years, we’ve marched down this dark path, “unwittingly” shaping our current “human nature” through our collective choices and actions. Now, as we confront the existential threats posed by #climatechaos and ecological degradation, we must reckon with the consequences of our past decisions.

The next four decades will undoubtedly be marked by hardship, suffering, and loss as we grapple with the consequences of our actions. We must acknowledge our role in shaping this grim reality and take responsibility for charting a new course forward.

It’s time to reject the poisoned philosophies and economic doctrines that have brought us to this precipice. We must reclaim agency over our collective future and commit to a path of social healing, reconciliation, and renewal.

Acknowledging our complicity in creating this mess is the first step towards redemption. It’s time to embrace the power of #openweb collective action and solidarity, working together to build a more just, equitable, and sustainable world for generations to come.

It’s important not to just see this social thinking as simply an individualistic moral judgment, this would be using the current mess to judge the current mess. This is a hopeless path to walk down, and would only lead to the pushing of more mess. Please try not to take this path, thanks.

And am not saying that these ways of thinking are not working as intended, they obviously are. Postmodernism has been used to disintegrate social norms that bind society together, it has done this. Neoliberalism has been used to divide the rich and the poor, it has done this. The moral judgment is not in the effectiveness of these paths but in our choice of path.

Together, social disintegration has lubricated the pushing of the divide between the rich and the poor to the extremes that are growing today. It’s important not to simple see this as a moral judgment, as it’s a natural outcome of the path we have chosen to walk over the last 40 years, the moral judgment is the on the path we have chosen.

Tech governance projects miss the mark

Tech governance projects miss the mark because they fail to engage with the real needs and experiences of grassroots activists and community building. This disconnect stems from the entrenched dynamics of the #geekproblem, which prioritize control and certainty over messy collaboration and understanding.

The problem is exacerbated by the detachment of the “professional” #NGO crew, who lack meaningful connections to the communities they aim to serve. Instead of prioritizing the messy, uncertain realities of grassroots activism, they focus on advancing their careers and adhering to predetermined pathways the #geeproblem provide.

If these projects were to pause and genuinely consult with those who have dedicated themselves to grassroots community building for years, they would quickly realize the futility of their efforts. The essence of effective governance lies in embracing uncertainty, fostering messy collaboration, and adapting to the diverse needs and aspirations of real lived communities.

Ultimately, until tech governance initiatives shift their focus from control to collaboration and from career advancement to genuine impact, they will continue to fail their intended goals. It’s time to break free from the confines of the #geekproblem and the trappings of professionalization, and truly engage with the messy, vibrant reality of grassroots activism #OGB

Composting the Mess: Transforming Society through Collective Action

In the tapestry of human interaction, the worst threads of people and #society manifest as destructive feedback loops. Whether fuelled by greed, fear, or power dynamics, this cycle weaves our current culture of brokenness and decay.

To break from this destructive cycle, we need to embrace a paradigm shift, normalizing the best parts of people and society. By cultivating trust, hope, and collaboration, we create a fertile ground for growth and transformation.

At the heart of this shift lies the contrast between #capitalism and alternative paths like socialism and #anarchy. Capitalism, with its emphasis on greed and fear, thrives on control and power that perpetuate societal fractures. In contrast, at their best socialism and anarchy offer pathways rooted in trust and hope, to nurture the best aspects of human nature and society.

Capitalism’s foundation in the worst of human behaviour pushes inequality and division, thus stifling collective progress. In contrast, socialism and anarchy offer frameworks that prioritize equity, solidarity, and cooperation, providing fertile soil for societal flourishing.

As communerties wielding shovels of collective action, we have the power to compost the mess that withers our societies. By coming together to cultivate a culture of transparency, flows, and mutual aid, we can transform the landscape of human interaction with projects like the #OMN #OGB and #makeinghistory

This act of composting requires patience, dedication, and a willingness to confront the roots of systemic problems. It involves breaking down the “non-native” barriers that divide to nourishing the soil of our communities with the seeds of change.

In the face of adversity, let’s stand united in our commitment to composting the mess that is breaking us and our societies. Together, we can cultivate a future rooted in the best parts of humanity, where empathy, cooperation, and collective well-being build our path.

The Mess of Web3: Why #openweb natives question the Blockchain Narrative

In the ongoing discourse surrounding #openweb and its relation to failing technologies like #web3 and #blockchain, a critical question emerges: why do we readily accept solutions without first defining the problem at hand?

“… it’s not secure, it’s not safe, it’s not reliable, it’s not trustworthy, it’s not even decentralized, it’s not anonymous, it’s helping destroy the planet. I haven’t found one positive use for blockchain. It has nothing that couldn’t be done better without it.”

—Bruce Schneier, *Bruce Schneier on the Crypto/Blockchain Disaster

The allure of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and blockchain technology for the last ten years has overshadowed the necessity of understanding the fundamental issues within our communities. Instead of exploring how we want to govern, decide, and interact within our communities, we find ourselves seduced by the promises of #DAO pitches.

The core of the matter lies in the conflation of culture with technology. Every time a DAO or blockchain solution is proposed, the culture and organization of communities become intertwined with the #geekproblem tools being offered. This bundling tactic obscures the essence of the technology and stifles meaningful discourse. By presenting technology as a fait accompli, we are robbed of the opportunity to critically assess its implications.

In the realm of the #openweb, technology is envisioned as a manifestation of communal decisions and conscious choices. It is the crystallization of community values, traditions, and needs. Where blockchain and DAOs represent an antithesis to this vision. They dictate choices rather than empower communities to determine their own paths.

One of the most concerning aspects of blockchain technology is its enforced financialization within communities. The implementation of ledger systems and tokens mirrors the #dotcons capitalist market traditions, where wealth equates to power. In stark contrast to the principles of “native” gift economies and communalism, blockchain perpetuates a system where those with the most resources wield influence.

In this, even in #mainstreaming dialogue, these ten years of blinded move to blockchain threatens to undermine centuries of liberal evolution by replacing established legal systems with #web3 engineers acting as arbiters of justice. This shift from #mainstreaming transparent and “equitable” legal frameworks to opaque and centralized technological solutions is deeply troubling.

As proponents of ideals, we should question the last ten years narrative of blockchain’s and DAOs. We must resist the allure of #geekproblem technological solutions that obscure the essence of community governance and autonomy. Instead, let’s engage in meaningful dialogue, grounded in clear understanding of the problems we address and the values we hold to forge a “native” #openweb path.

We now face another wasted ten years of #AI hype with the same issues and agender. We have to stop feeding this mess.

#OGB #OMN #makeinghistory

A fresh look at #openweb history