20 years of indymedia

If you are intrested in rebooting the #indymedia project. The #OMN process is based on experience of why the IMC project failed from internal stresses.
The Open Media Network is a trust based, human moderated, #4opens project that builds a database shared across many peers. The project is more important for what it DOES NOT DO, than what it does do. It uses technology to build human networks.
There are ONLY 5 main functions:
* Publish (object to a stream of objects) – to publish a story.
* Subscribe (to stream of objects) – to a person or organization, a page, a group, a subject etc.
* Moderate (stream or object) – you can say I like/not like (push/pull or yes/no) this etc.
* Rollback (stream) – you can remove from your flow untrusted historical content by publishing flow/source.
* Edit (meta data of object/stream) – you can edit the metadata in any site/instance/app you have a login on.

– The folksonamy tag meta date creates the streams/feeds of objects

This is the back-end of the project to build a DIY trust based grassroots semantic web. The front-end can be anything you like, for example it can be regional/city/subject based indymedia sites.
The data cauldron and the golden ladle – Working docs https://github.com/Openmedianetwork/OMN/wiki

Lets look at one of the new semi open #dotcons – brave.com

https://brave.com

The #4opens:

Are a simple way to judge the value of a “alt/grassroots” tech project.

Open data – is the basic part of a project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_data with out this open they cannot work.

* hard to say, I think all the limited user data it collects will be sold for profit, it’s the business model. The code of the product is up on github. Say ½ a open.

Open source – as in “free software” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software this keeps development healthy by increasing interconnectedness and bringing in serendipity. The Open licences are the “lock” that keep the first two in place, what we have isn’t perfect but they do expand the area of “trust” that a project needs to work, creative commons is a start here.

* Yes its based on Chromium and all its modified code is on github i think. Think a 1 open

Open “industrial” standards – this is a little understood but core open, it’s what the open internet and WWW are built from. Here is an outline https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_standard

* its built on top of a major open source project, supports most openstanderds? 1 open

Open process – this is the most “nebulous” part, examples of the work flow would be wikis and activity streams. Projects are built on linking trust networks so open process is the “glue” that binds the links together. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process

* The development seems to be done in the open on github but the business model is hidden behind the company structure so say ½ a open.

So that’s 3 opens for a silver #4opens project

But my wider thoughts:

Looking at the intro page, it looks like they are shifting round the exploitation. “Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it” Modern interpretation Of this: #dotcons only shift exploitation to the commons, the point is to challenge exploitation.

The hot air block on social change

In more than 20 years of activism I have seen our use of language fail us. There mainstreaming language, all we have, has no power it is just hot air.

If we are to have hope. We have to reclaim our language, we have to recreate our language. We need to call everyday things by what they are.

#deathcult the neo-liberalism that has ripped our society and ecology apart for the last 40 years. This is inside everything we touch and shapes our thoughts.

* liberalism is seen as a good, it is, the small “neo” is meaningless in our language. #XR has made mainstream that it is about death and despair at an unimaginable scale. A cult? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult its invisible death that we all share and believe in, the glue that binds us.

#dotcons are the new internet based media companies such as #failbook who are the #deathcult in code and algorithms, all the new economy which shapes us every hour of our lives.

* it took 10 years of fighting against the #openweb for us to accept our digital addictions. We knew that they were cons to make lots of money, what we did not know was that they were about social control.

These new #hashtag words need a growing community to reache a critical mass. Then the door to the mainstreams will open. Until then it is locked and bolted and hot air of our current languages stinks.

Looking at 4opens projects – totalisam

http://Totalisam.org

The #4opens

Are a simple way to judge the value of a “alt/grassroots” tech project.

Open data – is the basic part of a project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_data with out this open they cannot work.

Yes.

Open source – as in “free software” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software this keeps development healthy by increasing interconnectedness and bringing in serendipity. The Open licences are the “lock” that keep the first two in place, what we have ain’t perfect but they do expand the area of “trust” that a project needs to work, creative commons is a start here.

No

Open “industrial” standards – this is a little understand but core open, its what the open internet and WWW are built from. Here is an outline https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_standard

1/2 a open is working towards

Open process – this is the most “nebulous” part, examples of the work flow would be wikis and activity streams. Projects are built on linking trust networks so open process is the “glue” that binds the links together. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process

Yes

So Its a bronze #4opens project.

Election in Danger

When we do get the General Election we face a crisis that will dwarf #Brexit – the use of target advertising to buy the election. Both Facebook and Google will receive £100’s of millions in political advertising. Neither the mainstream side, or you and me, will see or be aware of this messaging. This money will directly stir up narrow hatred and division. With traditional media pushing right-wing agendas we could well break democratic norms for good. This will happen without you seeing it, but you will likely wake up to the effect on election morning. It’s basic stuff.

Solution: invade and occupy the core corporations’ offices and do not leave until we get them to step away from accepting this money.

To try and stop the disaster for social democracy the next election is likely to be. The action needs to be taken at the roots. Ie. In the soft fluff cores of the #dotcons facebook and google are a start by targeting these you are pulling on a lever that both has an affect and can be changed. Its important to focues and not dissipate focues on A-B marches, media stunts, petitions and appealingly to the mainstream.

A #4opens review of boatbuddys.co.uk

https://www.boatbuddys.co.uk

The #4opens:

Are a simple way to judge the value of a “alt/grassroots” tech project.

Open data – is the basic part of a project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_data without this open they cannot work.

* there is no way to get your data out or to access the metadata. Its copyright. No open

Open source – as in “free software” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software this keeps development healthy by increasing interconnectedness and bringing in serendipity. The Open licences are the “lock” that keep the first two in place, what we have ain’t perfect, but they do expand the area of “trust” that a project needs to work, creative commons is a start here.

* its closed source on the surface, not obvious what is happening under the surface. No open

Open “industrial” standards – this is a little understood but core open, it’s what the open internet and WWW are built from. Here is an outline https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_standard

* no RSS I can see, it’s a basic website I think with a forum? No open

Open process – this is the most “nebulous” part, examples of the work flow would be wikis and activity streams. Projects are built on linking trust networks, so open process is the “glue” that binds the links together. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process

* it’s a forum so kinda open process but no look at the running of the project. 1/2 open

To sum up, it’s a project that could be made more #4opens if the was a community involved. This depends on the guys running it and their tech support being willing and having time to push the project out into the “commons”.

At the moment is a dormant seed #dotcons

1/2 open out of 4 so not a #4opens project.

Please remember that just about everything around you is pushing the #deathcult

Please remember before posting liberal stuff that just about everything around you and meany things you think you value are in reality a part of the #deathcult

Neoliberalism that we live and breath is the coureas of our current mess, not Trump or Brexit, they are outcomes. So when you look at any solution is it a “common sense” neoliberal idea or something else? Please think about the #deathcult before you share propaganda on #dotcons

 

The great hack

This is a bad documentary telling a needed story.

Its #tredtionalmedia liberal media pushing dysfunctional people at us. The was a generation of actavists telling this obvious story. Its intresting that they are not the story. Liberal documentary makeing always has a limited view, this is a particularly bad example.

Its got a sad ending the liberals at TED pleading with the tech gods to not be evil with a knowing wink that they will be ignored. But the liberals will still build there lives in this mess. The is no alternative inside liberalism in the data era its sadly a #deathcult

A needed story, told by the chattering classes.

The question of who has access to data and more importantly metadata.

Lets look for a moment at a fundamental question few people are asking that already shapes society and will drive social change in the next 50 years.

The question of who has access to data and more importantly metadata.

* Open – everyone can use most of the data and all the meta data

* Closed- only you can use the data only corporations and governments can use most of the metadata.

* Hybrid- the data is open to the hosting corporation, governments and companies that pay for it. Your friends can see only what you share with them. The metadata is owned by the corporations used by governments.

The future will be dominated by this issue if computer networks keep running during the #climatechaos disaster.