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…
The patriarchs of the early #openweb
Back then, we were teetering on the edge of a digital cliff, with the open internet hanging in the balance. There were two insightful perspectives capturing the crossroads we are at: Phil Windley argued that the open internet was a historical fluke, while Dave Winer suggests that what we were seeing was merely the ebb…
The #openweb, the #commons, the real-world spaces we build are where the future lies
The idea of dual power isn’t new. It goes back to revolutionary moments when people realized the need to build alternatives to existing oppressive structures rather than only confronting them head-on. In the current political climate, where the failures of state and capitalist control are glaring, we need to revisit and reframe this idea of…
The #openweb and #fediverse is anti-viral?
There is #mainstreaming criticism that the #fediverse has “anti-viral” features, as there is no central algorithm promoting specific content to go viral, but this is not entirely accurate. What this actually points to is a deeper issue within the social path of the #openweb itself. The notion of “anti-viral” isn’t about a lack of features;…
What is the #openweb
A fresh look at this path. The #openweb is a decentralized, people-centric internet that contrasts sharply with the centralized #closedweb being pushed by major #dotcons platforms. The #openweb is founded on principles of openness, transparency, and community empowerment, it is not just about technology, but also about fostering a different kind of social relationship online,…
Linking on the #OpenWeb: Why It Matters
The concept of linking is fundamental to the structure and philosophy of the web. Links are not simply a technical feature; they are the social connective tissue of the internet of people, enabling decentralized and interconnected paths where information is shared and accessed. However, as centralized platforms, the #dotcons, gained dominance, the social art and…
The #openweb – Escaping the Grip of the Algorithm
For meany people, the old #dotcons like #Instagram, #Facebook and #Twitter still dominate their online lives, shaping not only what we see but also how we think and interact. These platforms, with their complex algorithms, offer a seductive experience people find hard to resist. The allure is not just in the content they provide, but…
Communities and People are the #Openweb
The #Fediverse, short for Federated Universe, is a part of the #openweb made of human connections through #4opens computer networks. Its value is not a collection of software packages, much more about the flows of human community that build relationships across diverse groups and regions. Imagine the Fediverse as a web of communities, each represented…
Talking #openweb or #Fediverse, I have to talk about #Mastodon
Let’s look at this “#branding” issue. The tech world is changing as there is a #reboot of the #openweb happening, yes a lot of people don’t see this, so worth talking about a bit. If you are interested in this subject, every day you likely hear another big player joining the #fediverse. What does that…
Slogan for #openweb: “Technology’s job is to hold the trust in place”
Definitions can be loose; making things overly rigid is a #Geekproblem that fosters conflict.This is why the #4opens is about interpretation and judgment. The #Fediverse is a vibrant and active #openweb project, currently one of the healthiest “native” parts of this path. Some “native” examples we are working on: Principles for #OGB (Open Governance Body)…
In the #openweb reboot, metaphors are a strong path
We do need to look t things differently, for example the #darkweb is in our poisoned self that has fermented for the last 40 years. It’s the algorithms of manipulation, and the #geekproblem unthinking pushiness of this fermentation. The #dotcons are the shiny surfaces of this mess. And the #openweb the seedlings to grow community…