From unstoppable slop, to #enshittification, the #FT on the internet is adding to the mess

#Mainstreaming talk about the internet generally completely misses the point, yep, it’s the FT so no surprise I suppose. The actual internet, the one we built before the takeover of the #dotcons, this is a culture of #4opens protocols, stitched together with moth-eaten mythologies and some messy traditions. It was never clean or pure, but … Continue reading From unstoppable slop, to #enshittification, the #FT on the internet is adding to the mess →

Rebooting the Fourth Estate: Building tools for grassroots governance

We’re living in the wreckage of the old 19th century social order. The so-called Four Estates, pillars of traditional power and authority, which 200 years latter are either rotting from within or already dead. It’s now past time to stop mourning and start composting this. Right now we are doing this at the #OMN we’re … Continue reading Rebooting the Fourth Estate: Building tools for grassroots governance →

Messy language feeds back into our messy culture

The #blocking of current action, the constant stalls, confusion, and fragmentation, has a lot to do with the mess our use of language makes. And the deeper issue is how this messy language feeds back into our culture, which then loops back to make the language even murkier. It’s a feedback loop that clouds meaning, … Continue reading Messy language feeds back into our messy culture →

Finding a path is messy

Let’s get this out of the way, most new tech projects are pointless. That’s not an insult, it’s a cultural symptom. People are pushing things not because they’re useful, but because they can. And when every shovel is used to dig holes in sand, we’re not building anything, we’re flailing. From this experience, let’s build … Continue reading Finding a path is messy →

On being a prat in tech and social spaces (Yes, this might be about you 😘)

From where I’m standing, a lot of people are being absolute prats when it comes to social and technological issues. That should be obvious… but clearly, it’s not. We’ve got two basic paths here: Now, in the era of #stupidindividualism, which path do you think most people are taking? Yeah. That one. If you’re blocking … Continue reading On being a prat in tech and social spaces (Yes, this might be about you 😘) →

The #OMN is not a product — It’s a path you walk

The #OMN project is a #DIY commons, that is it only works if we build it together. This isn’t a startup pitch. It’s not a platform that magically appears out of nowhere to fix everything. It’s not a product to consume, it’s a path you walk. The direction is participatory, not passive. You don’t get … Continue reading The #OMN is not a product — It’s a path you walk →

News, the signal-to-noise mess

Almost all our posting in the #openweb and in the #dotcons in response to #mainstreaming news is noise. It’s reactive, fragmented, performative. We scroll, we rage, we boost, we dunk, but we don’t build. Sometimes, someone posts something thoughtful, something deep, meaningful. But it vanishes in the churn. The system is designed this way. Even … Continue reading News, the signal-to-noise mess →

Mainstreaming: Building Grassroots Balance

Our history of involvement in #EU digital outreach and policy meetings has made one thing starkly clear, our #openweb is deeply entangled in the process of #mainstreaming, a messy, often co-optive dynamic where grassroots voices are softened, diluted, and redirected into bureaucracy, then in the end they are simply #blocked. Yes, while there is value … Continue reading Mainstreaming: Building Grassroots Balance →

Rebooting the #openweb in a good way

The #Fediverse exists, and more than that, it’s alive and kicking. Sure, it might be a messy, chaotic, a bit fragmented, and yes, still niche. But let’s not underplay it, this is the healthiest corners of the internet we’ve got. Tens of million accounts, hundreds of thousands active people, and some are sometimes talking about … Continue reading Rebooting the #openweb in a good way →

From #GeekProblem to #OMN Solutions

Not for the first time, and certainly not the last, we hit the same wall: misunderstanding and misdirection. The #geekproblem isn’t just about bad code or poor decisions, it’s about an unhealthy, almost inhuman obsession with control. Where we are now? The federated model, which is a useful half step, a half-measure? Federation is an … Continue reading From #GeekProblem to #OMN Solutions →

Building #OGB is about power without #powerpolitics

If we want the #openweb to survive and thrive, we need new forms of power, ones that can defend the community and challenge traditional power dynamics without falling into the traps of control, hierarchy, and co-option. The problem is clear: If we follow traditional power politics, which are built on control, manipulation, and exclusion, we … Continue reading Building #OGB is about power without #powerpolitics →

What software do activists need?

The core problem for the last 20 years has been that most activists were locked into #dotcons (corporate social media silos) because open alternatives were either too difficult to use, lack network effects, or fail to meet their practical needs. With the current reboot of the #openweb with the #fedivers based on #ActivityPub has already … Continue reading What software do activists need? →