Hamish Campbell an #openweb organic intellectual and technologist
We need to have a clearer, more grounded conversation about “security” and what it actually means in the context of the #openweb. There is a long history of thinking in #FOSS spaces that security is something we can solve purely technically: better encryption, better protocols, better architectures. But in everyday life and practice, people need … Continue reading A Note on “Security” for the #FOSS Crew
There is a point that often gets misunderstood in conversations about the future of the #openweb and #FOSS that #mainstreaming itself is not inherently good or bad. What matters is who is influencing whom. We can think of it in two very different directions. This second bad option of co-option Is the default, in the … Continue reading A Note to #FOSS Maintainers and Funders: The Problem With #Mainstreaming
I’ve been working at the heart of this space for more than 30 years, funded and unfunded. In that time I’ve seen hundreds of alternative tech projects start with energy and good intentions. Most of them wither on the vine, a very small number flower. After watching this cycle repeat for decades, one thing has … Continue reading A note to #FOSS funders
Twenty years ago the #openweb conversation was simple: build in the open, share the code, grow commons. It wasn’t perfect, but the direction was clear. Now? We talk about “neutral infrastructure” while most energy flows into platforms, APIs, app stores and AI silos owned by the #dotcons. Even many of our own projects quietly depend … Continue reading Make some FOSS compost
In tech funding, over the last decade, the #EU poured hundreds of millions of euros into the #blockchain mess. The promise has proven to be illusion, we built no working transformation: trustless systems, frictionless governance or new economic layers for Europe. The reality? By any honest social metric, 99.9% of that public funding was poured … Continue reading Public Money, Private Hype: From Blockchain to AI – and the #FOSS Path Less Taken
If you’ve spent years in #FOSS, you’ve likely developed a strong allergy to vague political language. You care about licenses, reproducibility, governance models, and whether something actually runs. Good. That discipline is why free software exists at all. But here’s the uncomfortable question, what if the biggest blocker to the #openweb right now isn’t technical … Continue reading Why good faith is a technical requirement for #FOSS
This matters for #FOSS because as if it remains culturally trapped inside the #geekproblem, it becomes socially irrelevant at the exact historical moment it is most needed. Right now, most #FOSS energy still assumes that if you build complex tools, argue narrowly, and keep everything technically “open,” people will come. But only a tiny minority … Continue reading #FOSS needs to take a social lead
A post sparked Hacker News spouting of noise and smoke. It looks like “just fork it.” phrase in #FOSS culture provokes heat. So worth a second look, for some it’s the purest expression of freedom, to others, it’s a conversation-stopper that quietly protects power. What’s striking isn’t that one side is right and the other … Continue reading Power, the social cost we keep talking past in #FOSS
One of the most repeated mantras in #FOSS culture goes something like this: “If you don’t like it, just fork it.” On the surface, this sounds empowering. And technically, it is true. The beauty of open source is that you can take the Mastodon source code, fork it, and do whatever you want with it. … Continue reading #FOSS “Just Fork It” Delusion
Open source was always political, the very idea of #FOSS was always a radical, left-leaning stance. Let’s be honest, you’re giving away your labour.Not for profit, not for career points,but because you believe we’d all be better off togetherif we stopped rewriting the same bits of code in isolationand started building commons instead of empires. … Continue reading Activism for tech development and #FOSS paths
How can we have sustainable alt structures in tech? Build trust structures early. Keep processes open (#4opens). Anchor everything in the commons. Make it harder for outsiders to extract value by building shared meaning instead of market value. Grassroots Open Source Software (#FOSS) is a powerful example of anarchist organization in action, even if unintentionally. … Continue reading Open-source and #FOSS as everyday anarchism
Grassroots radical media has always sought to challenge and reshape dominant narratives. To do this effectively, it must adhere to principles of transparency, accessibility, and collaboration. This is why #FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) and the #4opens framework are foundational. They aren’t just technical choices, they’re philosophical commitments to building equitable and resilient systems. … Continue reading Why radical media embrace’s #FOSS and the #4opens