Search Results for: spiky

Trust and fear – the spiky/fluff debate – OxfordBoaters

People fight against or/and ignore the #KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) approach to social movements because simplicity can expose power. Complexity gives cover, making control look like competence. When paths are simple and transparent, everyone can see who’s blocking, who’s hoarding, who’s acting in bad faith. Many “experts” and institutions are emotionally and professionally invested … Continue reading Trust and fear – the spiky/fluff debate – OxfordBoaters →

“Your Party” and the Fluffy/Spiky debate – a working path

A wider view of this https://nathanakehurst.medium.com/whose-party-ce23a8099624 Fluffy side: cautious, slow-moving, grounded in “keeping the peace” and managing optics. Classic problem: avoidance of conflict means bottlenecking decisions, blocking energy, and trying to centralise control, so things don’t blow up. Spiky side: impatient, direct, “get it done” energy. Spikiness pushes things forward, but often burns bridges, creating … Continue reading “Your Party” and the Fluffy/Spiky debate – a working path →

We need to compost the spiky and the fluffy nasty

From hard walls to fluffy blocks – let’s compost the negative nastiness in our progressive spaces. In the 20th century, much of the nastiness came from the hard vertical left. Back then, control, ideology, and vanguardism created rigid hierarchies, enforced through forceful exclusion and dogma. In the 21st century, that same exclusion comes from the … Continue reading We need to compost the spiky and the fluffy nasty →

Keeping Conversation’s useful, with the Fluffy-Spiky Debate

In activist spaces and grassroots communities, the tension between #fluffy and #spiky approaches is a well-worn. Fluffy represents a gentler, consensus-driven path, centred on kindness, inclusion, and collective care. Spiky, on the other hand, is sharp-edged, direct, and confrontational, willing to disrupt and break things to push for change. Both paths have their place, but … Continue reading Keeping Conversation’s useful, with the Fluffy-Spiky Debate →

Let’s try a #spiky view of #fluconf

Am sure these are all “nice people”, but they are also the parasite class https://fluconf.online/program/ events like this are as much problem as solution – likely more so in the current mess. Nice as a facade, hiding small-minded, petty, nasty, invisible rot of the commons as a community. What a mess we keep making. Yeah, … Continue reading Let’s try a #spiky view of #fluconf →

A fluffy view of the path, with a touch of spiky

The concept of the “good society” is the most socially profound questions we can ask, especially at this moment of history. When we face the overlapping crises of climate change, political instability, and extreme economic inequality, the question of what constitutes a “good society” becomes urgent and pressing. There should be an obvious view that … Continue reading A fluffy view of the path, with a touch of spiky →

The European Union: A “spiky” view – A Complicated Love Story

Most people who care about peace, cooperation, and human rights have a soft spot for the #EU. Free movement, workers’ protections, environmental standards, the general idea of European nations deciding not to bomb each other for a change – these are real and genuinely good things. This piece isn’t trying to take that away. But … Continue reading The European Union: A “spiky” view – A Complicated Love Story →

The blindness of fluffy and spiky liberals

Yes, it’s a mess. The last 40 years of social and environmental mismanagement have brought us the onrushing disaster of #climatechaos and social break down. This situation highlights a troubling reality about society. On one side, we have the powerful and fundamental evil hard right anti #mainstreaming entities responsible for the harm. On the other … Continue reading The blindness of fluffy and spiky liberals →

Security and trust are a part of the fluffy/spiky debate in 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 →

Fluff/spiky debate and the respect for diversity of tactics – talking to the coop tech crew

I’ve changed the title of this thread as it seems to have drifted away from its original topic (and my apologies for the poor choice of original name). The changing of title is telling for what we are talking about here “Fluffy” vs “Spiky” is the perfect example of the problem. Fluff/spiky debate and the … Continue reading Fluff/spiky debate and the respect for diversity of tactics – talking to the coop tech crew →

Q&A on outreaching the fluffy/spiky debate to the fluffys

You’re bringing in the idea of “fluffy” and “spiky”. And you think both have merit. Have been working with bridging this often hostile divide for more than 30 years in hundreds of campaigns on the ground and online. The best outcome you can hope for is “diversity of tactics/strategy” You’re also drawing attention to the … Continue reading Q&A on outreaching the fluffy/spiky debate to the fluffys →