The path out of this mess is in part social tech, we need to build this path

The current path of distraction’s and #stupidindividualism are pushing the cycle of pointless noise that is feeding into our inability to focus on real change. People are busy, swept up in distractions, and pointless pursuits to be the change and challenge they need to be. It’s a cycle of complacency with a bad outcome. Agitation,…

Hashtags for Social Change

The Potential of #Hashtags as Shared Social Paths #Hashtags have potential to be used for social change. They create connections between people, amplify voices, and mobilize communities. When used effectively, they transform individual expressions into collective movements. However, the current culture presents significant challenges to this. The Problem of #StupidIndividualism Today we are shaped by…

Rebooting Indymedia: Restoring the OpenWeb and Grassroots Technology

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…

Thinking outreach of the hashtag story

Classification of different versions of the web (such as #Web1, #Web2, #Web3, #Web4, or #Web5) can be a source of confusion and FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt). The hashtags #openweb and #closedweb provide a clear way to describe and understand the different types of web platforms. The #openweb refers to platforms that are open-source, community-controlled,…

A conversation on trust/control in social technology

Q. In a nutshell, my manifesto could be “form your own little communities and federate them” A. What would be the “common” understanding/agreements/standards that would bridge these communities, or would it Only be code, if only code what standards? Q. Federation just depends upon the willingness to do so. The code is just the plumbing…

Looking and learning – life on the water on a scruffy boat

What did I learn from my 3-months back in London, cruising the waterways? #CRT have learned from their failures in the past and the long history of British Waterways. They are going slow, 3 steps forwarded 2 steps back in their removal of “nuisance” boaters. That’s us, the CC boaters without a home mooring. A…

Fear and loathing on the river lea is killing rare flowers and plants.

The issue on LondonBoaters #failbook sparked this post off. The root of the problem comes from the institutions that have duty of care in each case. #CRT and #leavalley are not providing bins for the increasing numbers and diversity of boaters to dispose of their waste. A new generation of people are moving onto “smart”…