An #openweb organic intellectual,technologist and part of the #OMN
Many years ago, I wrote on my website sidebar: “A river that needs crossing—political and tech blogs: On the political side, there is arrogance and ignorance; on the geek side, there is naivety and over-complexity.” Decades later, we still to often find ourselves standing on opposite shores of this river, struggling to bridge the understanding … Continue reading Bridging the gap: Building a human-first #openweb
The #OpenMediaNetwork (#OMN) offers a clear, practical path to building the #openweb, grounded in #4opens. It does this by leveraging open protocols like #ActivityPub (#AP) and #RSS, alongside #FOSS software, to create a distributed network of media platforms where people and groups can join, participate, and contribute. This, like the #Fediverse, is a direct challenge … Continue reading The #OMN path is about building the activist #openweb infrastructure
The following submission was recorded by NLnet. Thanks for your application, we look forward to learning more about your proposed project.Contact namehamish campbellphoneemailhamish@visionon.tvorganisation nameOMNcountryUKconsentYou may keep my data on record Project code2025-02-040project nameMakeinghistoryfundCommons_Fundrequested amount€ 50000website synopsis The MakingHistory project is a collaborative initiative to create a decentralized, participatory network for documenting and sharing grassroots movements, … Continue reading Application 2025-02-040 Makeinghistory received
In a world spiralling deeper into “post-truth,” we’re bombarded by complexity, much of it fuelled by #techchurn and the hollow distractions of #fashernist culture. To cut through noise, we need clarity, that starts with defining basic terms. From the #KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) path, for a tech-focused lens: This division isn’t only simple dogmatic … Continue reading A compass for the #openweb
Funders, #NGOs, and the #mainstreaming crew are trapped in fixed truths, while real change comes from dynamic thinking. That’s why they keep failing us. So, how do we break this cycle and move forward? For meaningful #openweb funding, we need projects that are native and align with critical social needs for the evolution of the … Continue reading The #blocking of #openweb funding
Over the last few decades, the web’s evolution has been shaped by competing ideals. Early on, we witnessed the shift from the “better” #closedweb corporate controlled paths to an #openweb #DIY explosion—a time when collaborative, decentralized approaches thrived. #Mainstreaming efforts to recapture this #4opens spirit failed for years, but eventually, corporate-driven dot-coms platforms captured the … Continue reading The Activist History of the Web: Lessons we can learn
A forum thread on socialhub brought up a powerful parallel between the radical demands of the Black Panther Party (#BPP) and the underlying values of the #fediverse and #activitypub communities, especially in their attempts to build outside the corporate-controlled paths. The metaphor is striking because both seek liberation, self-determination, and the creation of alternatives to … Continue reading The Panthers’ slogan “Power to the People” resonates on the #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 … Continue reading The patriarchs of the early #openweb
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 … Continue reading The Mess of Web3: Why #openweb natives question the Blockchain Narrative
[Opening Shot: A montage of radical historical photographs, documents, and footage representing social movements and political activism throughout history.] Narrator: In a world where history is written by the victors, a new #openweb project emerges, aiming to democratize the process of archiving and storytelling. This is the story of #makeinghistory, a groundbreaking initiative within the … Continue reading A script #makinghistory
Project Overview: MakingHistory is an initiative within the Open Media Network (#OMN) aimed at preserving and archiving digital content shared across the network. It operates on the same principles and workflow as the renowned Indymedia project but utilizes a different template to organize and categorize content. The primary objective of MakingHistory is to ensure that … Continue reading Funding Application: MakingHistory – Archiving the Open Media Network
Hamish Campbell, looking at the past and future of “native” grassroots media. In the last three decades, the digital landscape has undergone dramatic changes. I have witnessed its evolution firsthand, working in radical media and engaging with grassroots technology. But this journey hasn’t been without its challenges and setbacks. The Dawn of the OpenWeb The … Continue reading Rebooting Indymedia: Restoring the OpenWeb and Grassroots Technology