Why Tech Belongs in the Open

In activist tech, it’s not the code that makes the project – it’s the people. And if we want the Open Media Network (#OMN) to work, we need to remember that how we build is just as important as what we build.

The problem with encrypted chats, let’s get this clear: encrypted chat is great for security. But it’s a terrible place to build a shared, open, activist codebase. If you’re talking tech in a closed chat, it might feel like you’re doing the work – but it’s invisible to everyone else. There’s no transparency, no documentation, and no way for others to join in or pick up where you left off.

This kind of siloed development culture is how the #geekproblem takes root: insular, opaque, and ultimately unsustainable. If we want to compost that mess, we have to actively grow something different. A horizontal way of working, the #4opens are our compass:

Open code

Open data

Open standards

Open process

This isn’t simple idealism, it’s a practical path to building something that lasts, something that others can join, learn from, remix, and maintain. The kind of network that doesn’t rely on a few experts in a locked chatroom, but instead thrives through collective stewardship.

So we need to keep dev off encrypted chat, move our contributions, bugs, ideas, and discussions to the shared dev spaces – the issue tracker, the wiki, the public logs. THEN, if you must, link to it from chat. That way, chat stays a bridge, not a black hole.

“The Less We Do Here, The More We Do There” We say this a lot because it matters, the more energy we pour into open, accessible spaces – the more likely this project grows roots. The more we retreat to fast, disposable chat threads, the more fragile it all becomes. We need shared visibility, clear documentation, and trust in messy, collective process. That’s how the #OMN becomes real, not just as software, but as a living, growing network of trust.

Let’s keep our tech open, let’s keep our process visible, let’s build the #OMN the way we want the world to work.

http://unite.openworlds.info
http://opencollective.com/open-media-network
http://hamishcampbell.com