There are many paths and perspectives on how to tackle the profound mess we’re in, and one of them comes from Roger Hallam and Extinction Rebellion (#XR), which, has brought to light a deep issue: the creeping “common sense” of #deathcult worship infiltrating activism. From a radical viewpoint, XR stood as a “first mover”—an innocent, fresh reaction to the ecological emergency, fueled by public consciousness and radical hope. But like many movements, the radical spark dims quickly, and in XR’s case, that moment of innocence has passed. Now, the movement faces entrenched systems of decay and resistance.
Diversity in approaches is crucial if we want to escape this stagnation, but it only works if we confront the larger issue: many movements feed into a default worship of failure and defeatism, locking us into repetitive cycles of symbolic action rather than achieving real-world change. As Hallam reflects, after the 2008 financial crash, revolution became a structural possibility. In 2024, he believes revolution is inevitable, but warns that inevitability does not guarantee success without conscious, focused action.
From my perspective, tools like #activertypub and the resurgence of the #openweb can reignite social movements. The #4opens, decentralized approaches like the #OMN, offer us a path to build movements that avoid the traps of the past. These open networks represent an alternative to the closed systems that stifle innovation and action.
Yet, despite these opportunities, we’re still making the same mistakes. We too easily fall back into becoming gatekeepers, fostering inaction, and reproducing the structures we’re trying to overcome. If we are to break free from this mess, we need to challenge the deathcult mentality, embrace a diversity of tactics, and maintain our focus on systemic change. The current system is brittle and failing—ripe for disruption—but it requires clear, deliberate action.
So, what can you do about this? Support the #OMN path by contributing here: Open Media Network, or take an active role here: openworlds
People find it hard to understand the “unique” selling point of the #OMN beyond the tech, which is “common sense”. And this is, drum roll, reveal, that people and content are data objects in the “commons” by default and only private/owed by exception. This is the basic #KISS “unique” selling point of the #OMN there we are, I said it was simple.
It’s interesting with all the talk about the project over the last ten years this was never talked about. This is a direct result of the agenda blocking of the #geekproblem, #fashernista agenda and #NGO control mess. We never actually get to the bits that matter as we are so fussed talking about the bits that don’t matter, the ones the groups above push. This is a mess that we urgently need to compost.
The Open Media Network (OMN) is a set of tools to empower YOU to change and challenge the world we live (and die) in. The OMN is about opening up the flow of information and breaking down the silos that keep data locked in walled gardens. It’s an “anything in and anything out” network, operating through mediated trust database/flows that puts power back into the hands of grassroots paths. This framework is built from the #fediverse to flow freely, with control in the hands of the users.
The OMN is a “data soup”—a blend of tagged data objects flowing through channels. These flows are mediated by trust, which means that users can depend on the reliability of sources and content within the network. This isn’t just about blind trust; it’s about a dynamic, evolving network of trust relationships where both content creation and consumption are guided by the principles of openness and integrity.
Within the OMN, people are free to choose their own level of engagement—whether they want to be active participants contributing content and trust, or more passive consumers curating what they see and share. The choice is yours, the network’s design supports autonomy. Embracing the messiness of data, the OMN has several unconventional features that might be seen as “problems” by those entrenched in traditional geekproblem tech paths.
Lossy Data: Accepting that not all data needs to be perfect or complete. The world is messy, and our data can reflect that reality.
Redundancy: Multiple instances of the same data help to ensure that information isn’t lost and allows the network to be more resilient.
Trust: It is integral to the network’s design. Users navigate this “data soup” based on trust relationships rather than on algorithms or centralized authority.
By mediating the #geekproblem, which will view these attributes as flaws, we open up perspectives on how data and communities can interact and thrive. This network is built on the #4opens principles to ensure that the OMN is not another closed-off tech experiment but a genuinely open and collaborative path. It’s not about reinventing the wheel or creating something entirely new from scratch. Instead, it’s about leveraging existing tools and technologies to build a decentralized media/news network that is “permissionless” for anyone to use and contribute to, it’s up to them if they trust other people.
What makes the OMN exciting is the potential it offers for “flows of trust” to develop. Communities and people are encouraged to build their own projects on top of the simple OMN framework, allowing a wide range of alternative media, news, and social projects to emerge. The focus is on using these flows to cultivate healthy, vibrant communities where trust is a core currency, and where diverse perspectives can coexist and grow.
The goal is empowerment through decentralizing control and empowering communities that allow people to take control of their media, their data, and their interactions. The #OMN provides a good user interface (UX) to facilitate easy navigation and interaction within the network, making it accessible for tech-savvy developers to everyday users to create meaning and shared spaces.
In conclusion, the OMN is not just a project; it’s a framework for interacting with information and with each other to invite us to rethink our relationship with media, data, and trust. So, let’s get involved. Let’s build, experiment, and trust. The #OMN is an opportunity to shape a truly #openweb where you have the power to change the world by challenging the current statues quo.
“But the principal objection will doubtless refer to the plain language used. My excuse, if indeed excuse be needed for saying just what I mean, is, that it is impossible to clothe in delicate terms the intolerable nastiness which I expose, and at the same time to press the truth home to those who are most in need of it; I might as well talk to the winds as veil my ideas in sweet phrases when addressing people who it seems cannot descry the presence of corruption until it is held in all its putridity under their very nostrils.”
On the of alt-tech path, I’ve been navigating this messy terrain of decentralized, grassroots technology for a long time. From this experience, I can say with some authority that we have taken a step away from the current mess with the growing #activertypub open web reboot. But we still need to mediate some of the ongoing #fashionistas#blocking, which is not helping us compost this mess into fertile soil for the fresh shoots of alternative technology that we so desperately need. This ongoing mess needs more composting, if we leave this in place to continue down this path, we risk strangling the growth we’re trying to cultivate.
The #4opens is a useful tool to recognizing the parasite #NGO and #Fashernista tech projects, that we keep stumbling over. The way genuinely grassroots tech projects—those born from communities, those driven by necessity and vision—are repeatedly being pushed aside by parasite tech projects. These feed from our grassroots efforts, taking the buzzwords and aesthetics without understanding or respecting the underlying principles and socially embedded paths.
This isn’t a fringe occurrence; it’s a pattern that has repeated itself over the last 30 years in meany cases I’ve come across. From social media alternatives to community-focused platforms, time and again, well-intentioned grassroots efforts are overshadowed by the glossy, polished facades of #VC funded or #NGO-backed, fashion-driven tech initiatives that lack, depth and commitment to the actual communities they purport to serve. These projects can be seen as they are more concerned with optics, funding, and their own visibility than with fostering genuine, sustainable alternatives.
There is a role for the #4opens in composting this #techshit, this is a framework that helps to expose and compost this kind of mess at its source. For those unfamiliar, the #4opens are:
Open Data: Data must be accessible, reusable, and modifiable.
Open Source: Code should be freely available for anyone to use, modify, and share.
Open Standards: Interoperability is key; data and code should work together, not against each other.
Open Process: The decision-making process should be transparent and inclusive, not hidden behind closed doors.
By applying the #4opens in grassroots tech projects, we can help to make visible the manipulations and shortfalls of parasitic NGO and fashernista power grabs. This works best when the process is open, so people see who is contributing to the ecosystem and who is simply feeding off it. This visibility is crucial because, without it, these actors are allowed to thrive unchecked, feeding off our work and energy while providing little in return. The open process serves as a powerful tool to expose those who claim to be fostering change but are merely replicating the same hierarchical and closed structures that led us into the current tech mess. It’s about shining a light on the hidden agendas and pushing for accountability and transparency in what this reveals.
How can our #NGO crew actually help? This is harder than it seems as the is strong #blocking to overcome, so the first step is overcoming this blocking, need ideas please?
My idea: Celebrate the mess, understanding that change is messy, and in this mess that new ideas form, where unexpected connections are made, and where real, lasting change takes root. We need to change and challenge the world dominated by the #dotcons and take our alternatives out of the hands of stale paths of dead-end NGO and fashernista tech. We do need composting as a regenerative path.
Motivation for moving away from this mess. The fact that people are rebooting the #openweb by building the #fediverse in a #DIY, grassroots way, without millions in VC funding, is one of the most remarkable feats of contemporary digital resistance. It’s not about “winning” in the capitalist sense—dominating the market, scaling endlessly, or achieving monopoly status in the image of the #dotcons and big tech path. The fediverse powerful from being built on #4opens principles of decentralization, community effort, it’s a native path, outside the norms that capitalism dictates to us as essential.
#NGO platforms like #Bluesky can be fertilised by $12 million in backing and a fully-paid team, the fediverse is growing grassroots from the ground up. It’s powered by people and communities working in their spare time, without corporate salaries and benefits. The coding and creating is driven by belief and belonging, not because a corporation paying to hit growth targets. That’s a different motivation, and it has strength.
The thing we need to see here is that the fediverse exists and thrives, standing as a living counter culture to the idea of competition, capital and centralized control. It’s running against the grain of what’s considered “necessary” in tech, it’s rewriting the rules back to the “native” #openweb path. This openweb reboot shows that people can build non #mainstreaming alternatives, with no paywalls, no ad-tracking, no surveillance, just open collaboration and shared values.
That it’s running at all, while not on the capitalism’s, path and ignoring its “rules”, is the victory. It doesn’t have to become the dominant social media platform. It’s already proved that another way is possible. And that, in itself, is a powerful statement that we need to build from #OMN
Resilience is community and trust, this resilience grows by connecting the actions of today to the possibilities of tomorrow, even when that future is unknowable. It’s rooted in community, and community thrives on mutual trust. Trust isn’t about keeping a ledger; it’s about giving freely without expectation. Money is not the foundation of resilience. Across the world, billions live resilient lives by supporting each other, because if they don’t, they all go under. From our privileged view, we often forget that resilience is nurtured in these commons.
We need to think about this: 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 “dual power”. This isn’t a utopian dream or a naïve belief that we can merely build around the edges while the world burns. It’s about creating practical, grounded alternatives that directly challenge the existing system by living outside of it and dismantling it from the inside.
The current mess, look around. We are surrounded by a mess of our own making. The relentless march of #neoliberalism has commodified every aspect of our lives, and the #dotcons have taken over our social spaces, transforming genuine human interaction into data points for corporate profit and control. The state, meant to serve the people, is a tool of the greedy and nasty, maintaining control through fear, surveillance, and repression. It doesn’t take much to see that the paths we are currently on are leading to #climatechaos, widespread inequality, social and ecological breakdown.
But here’s the problem: most people still think we have choices within this mess. They talk about reforming the system, fixing capitalism, or making dotcons tech more ethical while continuing to operate on the same lost paths. This is delusion, a comfortable delusion for some, but a delusion nonetheless.
On the #DIY path, dual power is about creating parallel paths that coexist with the current ones but serve entirely different functions. Instead of asking for scraps from the masters’ table, we build our own tables, with food that nourishes everyone. It’s about constructing alternative social, economic, and political structures that are directly in opposition to the current hierarchies and power dynamics.
It’s not just about building alternative structures, though. It’s more important for actively delegitimizing and dismantling the existing power structures of capitalism and the state. This involves #directaction, solidarity, and collective organizing to challenge and change state and capitalist control in all its forms. It’s about a two-fold strategy: building the new while composting the old.
Why dual power matters, for too long, the left and radical movements have been stuck in reactionary paths, fighting battles on terrain chosen by the state and capital. We need to change this by recreating a new path, a space where we shape the traditions and myths that shape us. This is not just some theoretical exercise; it’s already happening in many parts of the world.
We see it in the #fediverse, on #mastodon, #bluesky and #noster networks, in grassroots mutual aid networks springing up during the current crises when the state and corporate structures fail. We see it in community run food cooperatives, decentralized digital spaces, and local assemblies where decisions are made collectively, rather than by a few in power. This is not an abstract idea, it’s lived practice, a shift from fighting against the system to creating something new and more humane.
Building dual power in a digital age, the #openweb and federated networks offer a glimpse of what dual power can look like. Unlike the #dotcons that feed on greed and manipulation, the openweb is rooted in principles that serve the community, #4opens, transparency, open collaboration, and autonomy. But even here, we often fall into the trap of merely copying the structures we’re trying to replace, creating the same mess under a different banner. The next step needs to be truly native to the 4opens path, transparent, open, and accountable, rejecting the commodification that the dotcons have normalized.
But digital spaces alone won’t save us. They are tools, important ones, no doubt, but we need a broader focus. We need to create real-world spaces of resistance and creation. Think community gardens that also serve as meeting points for local decision-making. Think of decentralized energy cooperatives that break free from corporate control. Think of neighbourhood assemblies that replace the hollow, bureaucratic local governments that most people have lost faith in. This is dual power in practice.
The roadblocks, the #Geekproblem and #Fasherista paths, let’s not romanticize this process. We need to acknowledge the challenges within our movements, the #geekproblem and the #fashernista paths that unconsciously block the change we need. The geekproblem is the obsession with technical solutions over social and political ones, while the fashernista path focuses on trendy but superficial activism that serves as more of a social club, careerism, than a serious challenge to power. Both paths have their place, but they should not dominate our paths. We need to keep our focus on the bigger picture.
Moving beyond the noise, to those who say, “Now is not the time,” I ask, “When will it be?” The crisis is here. We are all worshiping the #deathcult, masking 40 years of #neoliberal ideology, pretending we have choices that simply don’t exist. Now is precisely the time to dig in, get our hands dirty, and start composting this mess we’ve been dragged into. The work ahead isn’t easy, and there will be mistakes, missteps, and mess-ups along the way. But that’s okay. Composting is messy work, and so is building a more open and sustainable world.
If you’re waiting for someone to tell you what to do, you’ve already missed the point. Dual power isn’t a blueprint; it’s a living practice. It’s a call to start building the new and composting the old, right now, where you are. Lift your head, look at the mess, and start digging. Together, we can build something better than the scraps we’ve been given. Join us on this humanistic adventure in social technology and direct action. The #openweb, the #commons, and the real-world spaces we build are where the future lies. Let’s make it happen #OMN
The #openweb is inherently social, as it’s a people to people network, so pushing the term Open Social Web and resulting hashtag #opensocialweb or #socialweb by NGOs and #fashernista groups is adding mess at best and real damage at worst. While the intention might be well-meaning, it introduces confusion and fragmentation, by unthinking mirroring #dotcons thinking. We need to be more creative with how we label and focus our efforts, especially in grassroots and community-driven movements like the openweb which is already people to people, so the is no need for the #dotcons term “social” in this naming.
The problem with fragmentation of focus, where the openweb is a clear and powerful term that encapsulates the vision of a decentralized, user-controlled internet built on #4opens software. The adding of more confusing hashtags like #opensocialweb dilute these values and attention, creating complexity in #KISS movement messaging. When there are multiple competing narratives and names for the same or similar movements, pushed by misalignment of goals, different agendas, these feed the draining, infighting and confusion. Reducing efforts better spent building, maintaining, and promoting “native” paths and projects. It’s very easy to get sidetracked into debates over terminology, brand-building, and differentiation, we are doing exactly this here.
The need for mediation and focus, It helps to have a unified message that resonates across all levels of engagement, from developers and activists to end-users. The openweb as a concept is comprehensive enough to encompass social, technical, and ethical aspects without needing to create splinter terms. Together with the existing “native” 4opens, we really should not be pushing and focusing on vague or nebulous terms, we should double down on the 4opens, an actionable framework that guides our development, organization, and communication. This clear foundation allows for KISS coherent and effective advocacy, outreach, and development work.
Let’s try and moving on this by encourage honest reflection, critically examine our use of terms and reflect on whether they align with the broader goals. The path we need is the support of community driven efforts, prioritize grassroots projects and initiatives that adhere to the 4opens rather than being swayed by NGO-driven and funding narratives that dilute this simple path.
The focus should remain clear and strong on building a robust, decentralized, and user-controlled #openweb. With diversity in unity and clarity in disagreements, not a proliferation of “fluffy” terms that distract from the #KISS path. Mediating these tendencies towards jargon and fragmentation is important to the momentum needed for real change. Ideas please?
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, one that is rooted in collaboration, diversity, and mutual aid.
Core Principles:
Decentralization: Unlike the centralized structure of the pre Internet silos and current app based dotcons paths, where a few companies control vast swathes of our space, the openweb promotes a distributed architecture where no single entity has overarching control, it’s a “commons” for all of us.
The openweb is built that people and communities have more control their data, metadate and online experiences. It rejects the practice of data extraction and surveillance that is prevalent on the current corporate platforms.
Transparency and Openness, the openweb embraces openness in all its forms—open source software, open standards, open data, and open processes. This transparency ensures that technology is accountable and accessible, fostering trust based on the #4opens which is a simple core path we need to take.
Community and collaboration, the current openweb reboot is about people coming together to create, share, and collaborate. It moves away from the competitive, profit-driven nature of the dotcons and towards a more cooperative, community-oriented approach where diverse voices can contribute and be heard.
Interoperability is core to this space, this means “native” tools and protocols that allow different systems to communicate and work together, reducing dependence on any one company or technology stack.
Resistance to mainstreaming and #deathcult mentality, it needs strong resistants to the push towards #mainstreaming and the #deathcult mentality to mediate the relentless profit-seeking and homogenization. To hold to the path of celebrating diversity, alternative thinking, and radical approaches to building online communities.
Not a copy of the #dotcons, while some openweb projects have attempted to replicate the features of the major platforms (like Facebook or Twitter) in open-source form, the openweb vision goes further. To create something fundamentally different, not just a #FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) version of existing corporate models.
Not a walled garden, the #openweb opposes the concept of walled gardens, closed environments that limit people expression and force them to live within controlled ecosystems. It promotes open standards and protocols that allow people to move freely, based on trust, to connect across different spaces.
How can you become a part of this and contribute to building the #openweb
Support and use Open-Source Tools, contribute, what you can, to open-source alternatives that respect people.
Promote interoperable solutions by advocate for tools and technologies that work together seamlessly. Encourage developers to use open standards to ensure their software can communicate across different networks.
Educate and advocate by raise awareness about the problems with the current #dotcons path and the benefits of a decentralized, people controlled web. Share knowledge and resources to help more people transition too good #UX openweb alternatives.
Build community led networks, this need to focus on developing code that prioritize community needs and values over profit. Encourage collaborative governance models where people and communities have a say in how platforms are run and developed.
Experiment with new networks, to look beyond simply copying existing platforms and think creatively about what a genuinely #4opens people centred internet could look like. Explore new forms of social interaction, data sharing, and content creation that are native to this path.
The #openweb path is about “composting the mess” created by the #dotcons, taking what is broken or harmful in our current digital environment and transforming it into something healthy and sustainable. This means acknowledging the flaws in the current system and actively working to build something better. This path is a tool for empowerment, creativity, and connection, rather than exploitation and control, are you ready to pick up the shovel and start composting the mess? The path is here, and it’s open to to people willing to take part in this humanistic adventure in social technology.
If you are interested in outreaching this #openweb reboot on the #dotcons to bring more people in, there is a group on Reddit for this outreach https://www.reddit.com/r/openweb/ had to set up a new group as the post doing this are being removed from other subject groups, yes it’s a mess, but outreach to hand hold people stepping away from the #dotcons matters, thanks for your help in this path.
When alternatives bridge to #mainstreaming in our #openweb movement and the broader #dotcons landscape, we find ourselves confronting a troubling dynamic—a rise in prat’ish behaviour, characterized by ego-driven conflict, divisiveness, and resistance to meaningful change, this threatens to undermine the real progress we urgently need.
At the heart of this issue is the 40 years of #deathcult mentality—a mindset defined by #neoliberal values, the relentless pursuit of profit, and a shallow adherence to the mess of the current status quo. This mentality permeates not just the big tech giants, but also, unfortunately, seeps into our own #4opens movements, like the #fediverse, when we become entangled in reproducing their “common sense” paths.
The #deathcult is a useful metaphor to use, representing a blind adherence to systems that are actively destroying our planet, eroding our communities, and undermining our humanistic values. When we speak of current #mainstreaming as a killer problem, we are talking about this neoliberalism, and that while this is not a part of our culture, it feeds into it. It’s not only a problem with “them”—the dotcons—but is also reflected within our movements. Even in the openweb and #fediverse, spaces built to resist such values, we see tendencies toward this #mainstreaming creeping in, the huge influxes of liberals, bring the replications of patterns of hierarchy, exclusion, and competition, even as they claim to oppose them.
We need practical steps to mediate this and move to a constructive path:
Embrace radical honesty and reflection, we need to start with radical honesty about our own roles in perpetuating the problems we face. Are we unconsciously replicating the patterns of the #dotcons? Are we engaging in excluding grassroots native paths by that prioritize ego over community? Reflecting on these questions is crucial.
Promote transparent and open dialogue by creating spaces both online and offline for open and honest communication, like the #OMN. We need to move away from secretive, behind-the-scenes decisions and instead encourage a culture of transparency where disagreements are aired constructively. Use the #4opens (Open Data, Open Source, Open Standards, and Open Process) as guiding principles helps us pick better tools for this.
Encourage diversity of thought and approach, let’s challenge the #mainstreaming impulse by embracing a diversity of thought and approaches. Different strategies and solutions flourish, even if they seem unconventional or counter to prevailing norms. On the progressive path, encourage people to experiment, fail, and try again without fear of ridicule or exclusion.
Use shovels and compost as metaphors for action, instead of shovelling dirt on each other’s efforts, we need to shovel it into the compost heap—taking what doesn’t work or what has failed and turning it into fertile ground for new growth. This means consciously choosing to see conflict and disagreement as opportunities for transformation rather than threats.
Reject the #deathcult mentality, that is deeply ingrained but not unchangeable. Reject the idea that we must always be in competition, that progress is a zero-sum game, or that only the fittest deserve to survive. Instead, let’s balance cooperation, mutual aid, and community over profit, power, and exclusion.
Build real alternatives, not only #FOSS copies, many of our attempts to build alternatives have, so far, merely replicated the models of the #dotcons. It’s time to balance this copying of systems we oppose and instead start to create native alternatives, there are meany good histories we can build from, an example #indymediaback is more truly embodied in the principles we value.
Composting this mess, we need a way to mediate the prat’ish behavior and the pervasive #deathcult mentality. We cannot afford to be the ones saying, “Now is not the time.” To those who say this, I say: Get off your knees, lift your head, and look at the mess we have made. It’s time to confront this problem head-on and work hard to compost it.
If we are to get anywhere with the messy #openweb reboot we need to be nice when calling prats, prats, do it a lot, but try and keep this #fluffy
UPDATE: this is a difficult path, will use this space to LINK to the problem resources:
https://infrastructureinsights.fund the outreach text on this is nice, but look at who makes up the Review Board and you see the funding at best is poured down the drain, and, at worst, will misshape the #openweb native path.
And meany more, to help post links in comment for me to add and comment on, thanks.
We live in a world surrounded by the mess we’ve created, both online and offline. Whether it’s the toxic influence of social media giants, the #dotcons, or the broader social issues we face, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the problems. But what if, instead of despairing, we saw this mess as an opportunity? What if we could compost this mess, turning it into fertile ground for something new and beautiful?
Yes, the mess is everywhere, in our fractured communities, in the endless scrolling through algorithm-driven feeds, in the loss of meaningful connections, and in the environmental degradation that threatens our basic survival. This mess is the result of systems built on 40 years of greed, selfishness, and exploitation, paths that prioritize profit over people and the planet. It’s the #deathcult we have all been worshipping.
Our use of the #dotcons for the last 20 years, designed for maximum addiction for profit, have amplified this mess. They feed off our attention, our data, and our emotions, creating a cycle of dependency that pulls us further away from the open, decentralized web path we once envisioned. This mess is not just digital; it’s a reflection of the deeper social and environmental crises we face.
But there is a different path, messes can be cleaned up, and better yet, they can be composted. Just as composting turns organic waste into rich soil, we can transform the mess we’ve made into the nutrients to grow a better future. This isn’t about ignoring the mess or pretending it doesn’t exist—it’s about acknowledging it, learning from it, and using it to push positive change.
History matters, recognize the value in the mess: Every mistake, every problem, and every bit of chaos holds valuable lessons. The mess we’ve made online and in our communities reveals what doesn’t work and points us towards what could. By understanding the root causes of the mess, we can begin to address them in meaningful ways.
Reimagine to rebuild: The first step in composting the mess is to lift our heads from our current path. In the digital realm, this means supporting and taking a part in the current moving away from centralized, profit-driven platforms and towards decentralized, community-focused alternatives native to the #openweb path. It means mediating the #stupidindividualism that feeds the mess and embracing a more balanced, collective, cooperative approach to problem-solving.
Act locally, think globally: Composting the mess isn’t just a grand, abstract idea, it’s something we can all do in our everyday lives. By supporting local communities, participating in #4opens projects, and engaging in meaningful, real-world connections, we start to build the foundations for a healthier, more sustainable world.
Celebrate the journey: Composting is a slow, deliberate process, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. As we begin to see the fruits of our labour, stronger grassroots communities, healthier ecosystems, and a more open, democratic web, we can take pride in the fact that we’ve turned a mess into something beautiful. This is a journey worth celebrating, with all its challenges and resulting mess.
The happy path to a fertile future, the mess we’ve made, doesn’t have to define us. By choosing to compost it, we can create a future that’s richer with possibilities. Imagine a world where communities are connected and empowered, where the web is a place of openness and collaboration. This isn’t just a dream, it’s a reality that we can build together, one small step at a time. The mess is real, but so is our capacity to turn it into something better. Let’s roll up our sleeves, grab our shovels, and get to work composting the mess #OMN
And that, my friends, is a happy ending worth striving for. 🌱
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 on the internet, as centralized platforms, the #dotcons, gained dominance, the social art and purpose of linking has unthinkingly been forgotten by current #fashionistas and is often actively blocked by the #geekproblem crew.
Let’s look back so we can look forward, linking is core to the path of creating a decentralized web of knowledge and wisdom. When you link to another site or resource, you’re effectively creating a pathway that connects knowledge and experience across different domains and cultures. This is how the web was originally envisioned, as a space where documents interlinked, allowing people to navigate from one piece of information to another seamlessly. This decentralized path contrasts sharply with the #closed ecosystems of current social media platforms, in which linking is discouraged, and knowledge and wisdom are siloed, controlled, for profit and power by closed algorithms.
Linking encourages collaboration and the sharing of knowledge. When you link to another’s work, you’re both acknowledging their contribution, and amplify their voice. This grows a cultural “commons”, a space where ideas and information are freely exchanged, built upon, and improved. The link is a gesture of trust and respect, integral to the “native” cooperative path of the openweb.
From a technical point of view, this path creates serendipitous discoverability, links are crucial for making information discoverable. The dotcons search engines like Google rely heavily on links to index content and determine its relevance. When your content is linked to by others, it signals that your content is valuable, this is used to raise its rank in search results. This is the essence of organic growth on the web, content becomes more visible as more people find it useful and link to it #KISS
Linking directly to sources and references maintains the basic integrity of the openweb. It allows people to verify facts, trace the origins of ideas, and explore related content. This is particularly important in an era where algorithmic pushing of misinformation spreads rapidly. On the KISS openweb, links provide the context and credibility needed to evaluate the trustworthiness of information.
The basics of how linking works on the native openweb:
Hypertext and hyperlinks, the web is built on the concept of hypertext—text that contains links (hyperlinks) to other text or resources. These hyperlinks are embedded within a webpage and, when clicked, take the user to a different location, whether it’s another page on the same site or an entirely different website. This simple mechanism allows the horizontal building of complex networks of information.
HTML and URLs, At a technical level, links are created using HTML (HyperText Markup Language), the standard language for creating web pages. A basic link is formed with the <a> tag, where href specifies the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the destination. For example: html <a href=”https://www.example.com”>Visit Example</a> This would create a clickable link that says “Visit Example” and takes you to the specified URL.
Inbound links, or backlinks, links from other websites pointing to your content. Outbound links are the links you create that point to external content. Both types of links are important.
We need to revive linking in the #openweb reboot. As for the last 20 years in the era of the dotcons, content was trapped inside walled gardens and the native path of linking was diminished. These “social media platforms” discourage, and then punished external linking, if you put a URL in a post the algorithm will hardly show that post at all, this keepa people and communities trapped to maximize addiction for profit and control. This has led to a fragmented web where content is invisible, less connected, and much less reliable. We lived for 20 years in shrinking echo chambers, feeding our rage and building ignorance.
Linking is much more than a technical function; it’s basic to the #4opens. By rejuvenating and embracing linking, we resist the centralizing forces of the #dotcons and walk the path towards a humanistic web that is open, accessible, and democratic. It’s time to remember what linking is for and to use this native path to build a better internet.
The #dotcons are designed for greed and selfishness, everything about them feeds this and in turn feeds off this. This is coded into them and thus cannot be simply fixed, the problem we need to look at now is that we cannot reboot alternatives by simply copying them in #FOSS as we have done so far in the #Fediverse. This worked well for the first step, for the next step we need to move past simply copying the current #mainstreaming mess. The next step needs to be “native” to the #4opens path that we have started down. Let’s thank the people who copied, give them the gifts of statues and security, they did us all a service, they deserve thanks for this not hatred.
Let’s have a deeper look at this mess, the dotcons—centralized platforms like Facebook, Google, and Twitter—are built on principles of greed, selfishness, and the relentless pursuit of profit. These platforms thrive by exploiting people’s data, feeding addictive behaviours, and amplifying divisions. Their design is rooted in extracting value from people and communities while feeding the addiction, giving back only enough to keep people in their flow, this extraction is hard coded in their architecture. With this knolage we can understand that they cannot be “fixed” by merely tweaking their features or policies. The problem is systemic, and attempts to create alternatives by simply copying their models in Free and Open Source Software (#FOSS) falls short of addressing this.
We collectively need to breaking free from the dotcons, this is already well underway, through initiatives like the Fediverse, which attempt to decentralize control and return power to the users. While this is a commendable effort and important, it’s still largely a replication of existing social media structures with a different governance model. To create a sustainable and humanistic alternative, we must go beyond imitation. We need to build “native” to the values embodied in the #4opens: open data, open source, open standards, and open processes.
Designing for community, unlike the dotcons, which encourage individualism and competition, new networks to balance this need to prioritize community and collective action. Features that encourage collaboration, mutual aid, and the sharing of resources, rather than self-promotion and accumulation of followers or likes. Embracing the #4opens guides every aspect of this technological path and coding development, to ensures that the platforms remain transparent, accountable, and adaptable, rather than fallback in to being driven by profit motives and the resulting feeding of “common sense” #stupidindividualism
There are meany ways out of this mess, one is that rather than simply copying the features of the dotcons, we can learn from different paths, histories, for example what works in the unsung world of grassroots activism. This has been a central path to the of liberalism over the 20th century, these traditions won all our social rights we now take for granted, though yes, we do need better “songs” on this path to motivate people.
This means avoiding venture capital funding, the same profit-driven dynamics that plague the dotcons. Instead, we should explore, affinity group and more formal cooperative ownership models, crowdfunding, and other forms of collective investment. When moving out from the current path, it’s important to recognize the pioneers in the reboot of our networks, to acknowledge and thank those who have worked hard to replicate the dotcons in FOSS, in the #Fediverse. These efforts have laid the groundwork for the #openweb and demonstrated that alternatives are possible. They deserve recognition and security for their contributions, as they have provided a needed first step in this journey.
After thanking these people and groups, we need crews to move forward the humanistic adventure in social technology who remember our history to act collaboratively. It’s not just about building new #FOSS tools, but about remembering the “native” ethos of online interaction—that prioritizes human well-being over corporate profit, and collective empowerment over simple individual gain.
The #OMN (Open Media Network) is a path that embody these principles and history to create a decentralized network of open media to empower people and communities. This journey will not be easy, but it is necessary. Who will join in this adventure? This is not fully mapped out, the is creative space to grow from the history of what has worked for the last few hundred years.
The mess we made with our addiction to #dotcons social media over the last 20 years means we need to look at the broader implications of how we interact with these platforms if we are to step away from this mess. Yes, criticism is a first step, a second step is seeding #openweb alternatives, then to stride away from this mess, we need to foster a culture of positive, constructive engagement to build grassroots communities of action. This means not only criticizing the current mess, but actively working towards creating and promoting alternatives. By using our “spades” to dig into the issues and “composting” the negativity, we can cultivate a healthier humanistic social tech ecosystem where communities can thrive independently of corporate and state control.
The shovel and compost metaphor is a useful “organic” path on this, the “shovel” represents the tools we need to dig into and dismantle the current #dotcons structures. Where “composting” symbolize the process of breaking down these negative aspects (#stupidindividualism) and using them to cultivate something healthier and more sustainable. These simple metaphors encourage people to actively become a part of positive change by putting their energy into building and promoting openweb alternatives, rather than continuing to engage in the negative cycles perpetuated by #mainstreaming platforms and paths.
Positive engagement on the #openweb, instead of only criticizing inside the dotcons, is an effective path to promote and use alternatives. For this to work we not only need #FOSS copies like we have now in the #fediverse but real working alternatives as outlined by the #OMN (this so obviously needs devs and funding). We need tangible and the ground steps and resources, so people feel empowered to make the switch from closed, corporate-controlled platforms to open, grassroots ones.
On the spiky path, we URGENTLY need to change the instinct in the #geekproblem to close most communication tools with encryption, with the strong focus on privacy. For media, on balance, this is a very unhelpful path to take, but yes, there is a small role for closed, the path is in better balance. The “native” openweb idea is that some communication needs to be private and encrypted (20% closed), the majority of it should be open and accessible (80% open) to foster the communal #4opens path. By closing down communication to one to one or small groups using encryption, we are feeding the problem of #stupidIndividualism. This problem behaviour focuses on individualistic, self-serving actions that reinforce the problems’ by reflection of the current mess, we only see this path. When we take this closed path, we have no room for encouraging social constructive dialogue. Simply put, striking the right balance between open and closed communication is essential for the “native” path to building a resilient openweb.
On the fluffy #fashionista side, we need to balance the paths from performative activism, of using sarcasm that mostly fuels the system people aim to critique. Sarcasm and comedy on the dotcons has been a staple of fluffy online activism for the last 20 years. The Issue with this is that sarcasm and comedy are focused to criticize and ridicule inside the very dotcons platforms that control our personal communication and communities. While this might feel like a way to resist or subvert these platforms, it disastrously drives engagement and feeds the data algorithms that sustain them, and are focued on controlling us and our movements. Engaging in this kind of humour provides temporary relief and a transient sense of camaraderie, but it actually is only reinforcing the power of these platforms by driving more traffic and interaction. The better strategy is to disengage and move toward alternative #openweb platforms. Instead of feeding into this #dotcons cycle, the goal should be to step away from these platforms and take collective action to build and support openweb alternatives #KISS
Final thought, instead of only getting bogged down in negative criticism, the focus needs to be on building something better. A simple step is to support a path with real history https://opencollective.com/open-media-network
All code is ideology solidified into action – most contemporary code is capitalism, this is hardly a surprise if you think about this for a moment. Yes you can try and act on any ideology on top of this code, but the outcome and assumptions are preprogramed, with this in mind let’s look at a path outside this mess. In the original “native” digital wilderness of the #openweb, our use of technology paths were seen as something esoteric—a domain of hackers, activists, and tech-savvy individuals who speak in code and operate in the margins. But beneath this perception lies a fundamental truth: social technology is not just for the few; it’s for everyone. It’s about how we connect, share, and build communities. And this matters more now than ever.
In the early days there was the path of open connections, this story begins in the early 2000s an example is with the rise of #Indymedia, a global network of independent media centres that emerged as a response to corporate control over #traditionalmedia. Indymedia pioneered social technology, using the internet to democratize information and give voice to those silenced by traditional media. Indymedia wasn’t only about the content; it was more the community of people. This new social reality was revolutionary because it allowed communities to create their own paths to share media in wider public spaces without relying on corporate platforms. It was a glimpse into what the internet could be— decentralized, user and community controlled space for collaboration and free expression.
For many activists, Indymedia was more than a tool; it was a lifeline. It provided a way to organize, mobilize, and communicate outside the #blocking and watchful eyes of governments and corporations. But the significance of Indymedia and similar projects extended far beyond this activism. They represented a different vision of what the internet could be—a vision that prioritized openness, community control, and freedom over profit and surveillance.
The rise of the dotcons and betrayal of the openweb. As the internet grew, so did the corporate interest in controlling it. Enter the #dotcons the tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon, which have come to dominate the online landscape. These corporations offered free services that were easy to use and quickly became ubiquitous. But there was a catch: these services were free because the users themselves were the product. The #dotcons built their empires by harvesting data, selling ads, and creating siloes that encouraged mindless scrolling rather than meaningful interaction. The openweb—the vision of a decentralized, user-controlled internet—was quickly replaced by a walled garden of corporate platforms that prioritized profit and control over people and #DIY.
This shift had implications, it wasn’t only about losing control over shared digital commons, it was about losing control over our communities, our communications, and our society. The internet, once a space for creativity and intervention, become a tool of surveillance and manipulation. The promise of social technology as a force for social good was eroded by the platforms that had once seemed so empowering.
The #deathcult is a system that consumes everything. The ideology that underpins the dotcons and the broader #neoliberal system they are part of. This path of endless growth, profit at any cost, and the concentration of power in the hands of a few. An ideology that consumes everything in its path—communities, environments, and even our own sense of self.
This is not only a problem for activists; it’s a problem for everyone. The #deathcult turns us into consumers rather than citizens, prioritizing #stupidindividualism over community and short-term profit over long-term sustainability. An ideology that leads us to the environmental crisis, the erosion of social trust, and the ending of democracies. For anarchists and activists, the deathcult is the enemy to be fought. But for the average person, it’s the water we swim in—the invisible system that shapes our lives in ways we don’t even notice. Understanding this is crucial if we are to reclaim the internet, our communities, and any liveable future.
Reclaiming the Commons is a role for the #4opens, if the deathcult is the problem, then the 4opens is part of the solution. The #4opens—opendata, opencode, openprocess, and openstandards—are #KISS paths to build a better internet. These principles are not only for activists; they are for anyone who sees the need to empower community and the importance of basic democracy.
Open data means that information should be accessible to all, not hoarded by corporations. Open code means that software should be transparent and modifiable, not a black box controlled by a few. Open governance means that decisions about how platforms are run should be made by the community, not imposed from above. And open standards mean that different systems should be able to work together, rather than being locked into proprietary formats. These principles are the foundation of the #openweb that empowers people, fosters creativity, and builds communities, the foundation of a good society.
The Open Media Network (#OMN) is a path to create a native digital network based on the #4opens. The OMN is not only a technical project; it’s a social one. It’s about spaces where people can connect, share, and build without being subject to the whims of corporate controle. It’s a reboot of the original web, learning from projects like #indymedia. The #OMN is a response to the failures of our use of the #dotcons and the worshipping of the deathcult. A way to reclaim the internet as a tool of good, rather than a weapon of control. It’s a way to rebuild the commons, the shared resources and spaces that are core to the path of the healthy society.
For progressives and anarchists, the OMN is a path we need to take to create the world we might want to see, where power is decentralized, and communities have control over their destinies. But for everyone else, the OMN is a way to take back what has been lost in the corporate takeover of the internet. It’s a way to reconnect the original promise of the internet as free expression, collaboration, and community.
Why this social technology matters, at its core, social technology is how we connect with each other. It’s the tools we use to build relationships, share information, and create communities. These things matter for everyone, not only activists or anarchists. In the current mess dominated by corporate platforms, we blindly worship the deathcult where in the openweb native path of social technology offers a way to reclaim our agency away from this mess. It offers a way to build systems that work for us, rather than against us. The story of social technology, as told by Hamish Campbell on this site, is a story of hope and possibility. It’s a story of what the internet could have been—and what it still can be.
The journey won’t be easy, but it is a journey worth taking. In the end, the #openweb is about more than technology; it’s about the kind of society we want to build, and the kind of people we want to be #KISS
