An #openweb organic intellectual,technologist and part of the #OMN
This post is about controlling the narrative, not letting the #nastyfew dictate the terms of engagement. Too often, we let them set the agenda, reacting to their every word instead of actively building the alternatives we need. Their power isn’t just in what they do, it’s in how much space they take up in our … Continue reading #Fashionistas in Activism: How Buzzword Chasing Undermines Real Change
Let’s face it – activism and counter-culture are packed with “insane” people. And thank the gods for that. It’s what makes movements exciting, dynamic, and, most importantly, effective. But like compost, too much of the wrong stuff makes the pile stink. Balance is everything. So, let’s look at this: what causes a movement to stagnate, … Continue reading The Beautiful Insanity of Activism: How Movements Rot or Blossom
Most people I interact with are buried deep in the rot they’ve helped create, the path out is hard, but not impossible. The composting metaphor holds — rot can become soil, but only if it’s turned, exposed to air, and given time to break down. The stench lingers, though, and the deeper the decay, the … Continue reading Composting mess making, activism and #openweb
The paths of the challenges we face in activism lies in the dynamic tension between the “fluffy” and “spiky”, two forces that shape the progress and direction of movements. The fluffy path leans into compassion, empathy, and collective care, while the spiky path channels righteous anger and confrontation. Both are essential, like two hands working … Continue reading Balance, Activism, Tension, Reframing, Extremism, To Cultivate Change
Food for thought for people trying to change the world. For the last ten years, activism has been trapped in a paradox: we speak of grassroots change, yet we reach for #dotcons and #geekproblem tools that are built for vertical control. The digital infrastructure we rely on is dominated by top-down, vertical structures, reinforcing the … Continue reading The tools we use shape the activism we grow
To look at why this is important, we need to move outside the comfort zones of current #mainstreaming thinking. Let’s start by touching on the role of #protestcamps in direct action: protest camps are temporary activist spaces set up in public areas to bring attention to social, environmental, and political issues. These camps create a … Continue reading Activism for tech development and #FOSS paths
What we call #NGO’s in the hashtag story. The Non-Profit Industrial Complex (NPIC) entanglement of non-profits, big businesses, governments, and social activism can, leads to mess we need to compost. While nonprofits can fund crucial tech and activist work, their reliance on corporate-linked foundations dilutes this, to keep receiving money, the is STRONG presser to … Continue reading The Non-Profit Industrial Complex (#NPIC): A Double-Edged Sword in #FOSS and Activism
There’s a pervasive and damaging cycle in activist and alternative communities that we need to recognize and break, the victimhood narrative. This is not about dismissing genuine struggles or the real problems we face (and let’s be clear, we all have these in abundance on alternative paths). What I’m talking about is the deliberate use … Continue reading The victim card in activism
The climate crisis demands urgent and radical action, yet #neoliberalism, with its dogmatic focus on markets and deregulation, falls well short of this. History tells us that activism is the path to take for the systemic changes necessary to save us from environmental and social degradation we face. The Inertia of the #deathcult refers to … Continue reading Neoliberalism Can’t Solve the Climate Crisis: We Need Activism
As dissent and protest are increasingly criminalized, it’s important for protesters and activists to protect themselves – to the degree possible – from surveillance. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (#EFF) offers a guide for surveillance defence. It’s useful to read this even if you aren’t a protester, because the right wing (and sadly, some of the … Continue reading Security and trust are a part of the fluffy/spiky debate in activism
I moved my boat to Oxford a year ago, it’s an interesting city with strong academic roots, I have taken part in a few hundred university seminars since arriving. This is a few notes from an activist prospective on the university path. The common issue with these Oxford seminars, is outlined in my notes, this … Continue reading The problem with academic “thinking” in activism
In the coming era of #climatechaos the problem of #mainstreaming thinking and people will become a MUCH bigger issue that we need to mediate. The “common sense” they often bring is the #deathcult a strong problem we do need to do something with, the #NGO crew and “activists” who worship this cult. There is also … Continue reading People in activism