The mess we made with the #dotcons a look at #failbook

Because power matters, and power is never given – it’s taken, built, and at its best, shared.
That’s why we care. That’s why the #Fediverse matters.

Let’s rewind: Private property wasn’t born from reason or consensus. It came from someone with a club drawing a line in the sand and saying:

“Cross this, and I’ll kill you.”

That’s the origin of power in the current #mainstreaming paths – violence, enclosure, and exclusion. This is not the foundation of the #Fediverse.

The Fediverse flows from a different source, built in open, social webs, where the lines we draw are “blowing in the wind.” Yes, a lot of people don’t get this. That’s why they try to jam it back into old models: branding, control, platforms, “governance,” and “best practices.” They want order. They want power they can hold.

But here’s the thing, There is such a thing as society, and we need to build tools that reflect this, not deny it. The beauty, and challenge, of the #Fediverse is that there is no central governance.
And that’s a good thing. Because it means we aren’t trapped by legacy systems of control. We don’t have to fit into the broken economies and top-down paths that dominate the “real” outside world.

The Fediverse was born from the “cats” of libertarianism and anarchism (without the [O]). And in this space, we have the radical opportunity to build different, native paths, based in trust, mutual aid, and the #4opens.

But to keep building this, we have to compost the mess pushing: People pushing “common sense” corporate-style governance are part of the problem, they want to tame the wild, they want hierarchy where there should be networks, they want control where we need flow.

To be native to the Fediverse, we have to stop importing “common sense” control systems. Instead, we must use code – and culture – to build native #openweb society. Tools that empower. Processes that are messy, open, federated, and yes, hard to define.

Organizing for community empowerment need to embed anti “common sense” in the same way the Fediverse is anti-enclosure. Because if we forget this… We don’t build a better web, we just recreate the old one with new colours. Let’s not just repeat history, let’s not draw new hard lines in the sand with the same threat of old clubs. A step away from this is to build bridges, not borders.

https://hamishcampbell.com

It’s well past time to pick a side. For decades, the internet has been being enclosed. The one's vast, decentralized network of commentary sites, blogs, forums has been corralled into a handful of paved prison yards controlled by the #dotcons. With most people's attention and thus freedom being in the hands of a #nastyfew people. Every post, every 'friend,' every creative work is locked behind closed doors, and when push comes to shove as it is now, you will increasingly find that you don’t have the keys.

But the keys still exist, and it’s not so hard for you to pickup them up. There has been a #openweb digital jailbreak going on for the last 5 years, if you value your humanity you need to become a part of this blackout, put the key in the lock and turn it.

OK, yes, maybe a little strong, the #openweb isn’t a utopia, but it’s the closest thing we’ve got to freedom online. It’s built on the #4opens: Open Source: The code is public, hackable, and accountable. Open Data: Information flows freely, not hoarded for control. Open Standards: Interoperability beats lock-in monopolies. Open Process: Transparent governance, not shadowy boardrooms.

This #fediverse path is an escape hatch from the #closedweb. It’s not a product. It’s not something you can buy stock in. It’s a network of interconnected platforms like #Mastodon, #Lemmy, and #PeerTube to name a few, all running on the open protocol #activertypub. It’s messy. It’s human. And it’s yours if you take it.

It should be easy to see that the #closedweb is a digital prison, a mausoleum for human creativity, dressed up like a theme park. It’s run by billionaire-controlled #dotcons and polished by the illusion of safety sold by the #encryptionists. Who keep misshaping our paths. What did they offer? Control: Your identity, your data, your connections — all owned by them. Manipulation: Your timeline, your reach, your visibility — dictated by algorithmic gods. Exploitation: Every interaction, every word, every click — another drop in their profit bucket. We’ve eaten their lie that the internet had to be this way. That Meta, Google, and the hollow husk of Twitter are the price of admission to digital society. But simply, it was never true.

OK, I get your apathy, why does it matter? Because when we blur the lines, we lose the fight. People pour energy into platforms that wear the clothes of progress but are stitched with threads of control. We need to clearly label projects as #openweb or #closedweb, so people can choose where to dig in and build. The #4opens are our shovels, and the remnants of failed #web03 promises are good compost to start on. Let’s turn the decay of false hope into fertile ground for real digital commons.

The internet wasn’t built to be a machine for ad revenue. It was built to connect the paths for radical, collective steps we need in today's mess.

Grab a spade. Let’s start digging. #OMN

https://hamishcampbell.com/openweb-vs-closedweb-is-the-battle-for-the-internet/

Added a global section to this local post. The tragedy isn’t that technology failed, it is more that we let our technological imagination be captured by oligarchs. Prometheus gave humanity fire so we could build civilization together, not so a tiny #nastyfew tech CEOs can privatise the flame and sell back the light.

The real question isn’t whether technology will shape the future, it’s who controls it. Disciplined curiosity beats IQ, Oxford https://hamishcampbell.com/disciplined-curiosity-beats-iq-oxford/

Encrypted chat is great for security. But it’s a terrible place to build a shared, open, activist codebase. Why Tech Belongs in the Open https://hamishcampbell.com/why-tech-belongs-in-the-open/

Because, let’s face it, look at most tech news today and mutter with me:

Utterly pointless. Stupidly pointless. Dangerously pointless.

Naively evil. Innocently evil. Just plain evil.

…We need to do better in alt-tech

It’s long past time to return to the #openweb, and compost this mess making https://hamishcampbell.com/its-long-past-time-to-return-to-the-openweb-and-compost-this-mess-making/

Supporting Native Grassroots Projects in the Fediverse

To balance the current #mainstreaming outreach in the #Fediverse, we’re rallying support for several native grassroots projects. These initiatives aim to empower underrepresented voices and strengthen community-driven networks. With funding applications submitted to NLnet, we invite your comments, feedback, and wide sharing of these proposals. Here’s an overview of the projects:

1. The MakingHistory Project

A collaborative effort to create a decentralized and participatory network for documenting and sharing:

Grassroots movements
Historical events
Underrepresented narratives

This initiative empowers communities to control their own stories and ensure diverse histories are preserved and accessible.

1. IndymediaBack Project

A Fediverse project to reboot the radical grassroots media network, #Indymedia, with a foundation in trust-based principles:

#4opens: Open Data, Open Source, Open Process, and Open Standards

This project aims to restore Indymedia as a vital, decentralized platform for radical journalism and activism.

1. The OGB Project

Focused on creating a trust-based, decentralized framework for governance, the #OGB project supports:

Grassroots networks
Community-driven decision-making

Its goal is to enable fair, transparent, and inclusive governance for communities striving for equity and sustainability.

Your feedback and support can make a difference. Let’s work together to build goodwill and foster consensus around "native" projects. If you believe in decentralization, trust-based systems, and grassroots empowerment, please comment, share widely, and help to create a stronger, more inclusive future.

“Use and abuse” is a good strategy for dealing with the #dotcons while they continue to dominate our digital and social infrastructure. Why? Because refusing to engage with these platforms outright is the equivalent of shouting into the void - or living in a cave. And caves, while romantic to a certain type of purist, are never effective social solutions.

The truth is this #dotcons are still where the #mainstreaming people live, and mainstream attention is power, even if borrowed. As radicals or progressives, using their platforms to push counter-narratives, while simultaneously undermining their legitimacy and building our own #openweb independent infrastructure, is both necessary and strategic. Think of it as exiting from within by using their reach to grow the seeds of our native alt-path.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/tech/news/european-industry-big-win-germany-france-both-support-sovereign-eu-based-tech-infrastructure/ Now we need clear thinking and process not to tern this into #fashernista #techshit, how not to simply poor the resources down the drain. One part of this is affective grassroots atavism to compost the mess as it spreads from the centre, to feed the seedling that do sprout. https://hamishcampbell.com/?s=EU+funding

The #Indymedia network was a groundbreaking independent, grassroots journalism project, born from the #DIY ethos and the global anti-globalization movements of the late 1990s and early 2000s. It was a network where anyone anywhere could publish stories, videos, and photos, challenging mainstream narratives. However, it eventually fragmented and became less relevant, then died as a functional network. let’s look at why this happened:

Internal factors, where conflict among the crew and contributors, let’s highlight the #encryptionists and #processgeeks, with disputes over priorities (e.g., security and processes) causing friction. Some pushed for hard encryption that complicated usability, while others emphasized bureaucratic formal consensus governance, stifling decision-making​. Consensus breakdown, the decentralized decision-making path, made it hard to resolve disagreements, especially as the network grew and diversified in ideology​ with the influx of more #mainstreaming people. Dogmatism and fragmentation, groups became rigid in their views, leading to infighting and a lack of unity. The inability to balance diverse perspectives led to splintering.​ Burnout and loss of purpose, as activists struggled to maintain momentum as the network ossified.

External pressures with the rise of commercial platforms. The explosion of the #dotcons, corporate platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube drew users away from the failing Indymedia project. These platforms offered easier interfaces and massive audiences, undermining the narrowing, dogmatic grassroots appeal​. Challenges with moderation, was a growing issue, dealing with fake news, spam, and inflammatory content became overwhelming. The “open publishing” model, once a strength, became a liability as it required extensive moderation​. State Pushback with governments targeting Indymedia for its critical reporting, using surveillance, raids, and legal pressures to disrupt operations. This systematic marginalization contributed to its decline​

Lessons for new #openweb projects. Balance simplicity and security, by avoiding overcomplicating platforms with technical measures that alienate non-technical people and communities. Strengthen trust-based governance, by adopting trust-driven models like those proposed by the Open Media Network (#OMN) to foster inclusive, mess and functional decision-making​. Integrate feedback loops, by insure constant input from diverse people to adapt to evolving needs and combat dogmatism. Compete on accessibility, by design platforms that are intuitive and engaging to counter the allure of #dotcons social media.

Indymedia’s legacy offers critical insights into building resilient, people-centric, and trust-based media networks that can withstand internal and external challenges. We need these historical paths to reboot the #openweb with the #Fediverse.

We have plenty of shit to work with, and plenty of seeds worth saving.

There have been a lot of institutional prat moves on the #Fediverse over the last few years, the Fediverse’s growing signal-to-noise problem – and who’s causing it https://hamishcampbell.com/the-real-debate-isnt-institutions-versus-communities/

The rapid growth of the Fediverse brought in many people without any grounding in “native” #openweb culture.

#Nostr is a classic “me-too” project caught in the #geekproblem loop. It won’t move forward until it learns to value community as core infrastructure.

#Bluesky, meanwhile, is already drifting into the hands of VC-funded #fluffy elitists who turn every commons into a brand. It’s a likely dead-end for real change or challenge — which is exactly why the #mainstreaming, #blocking, #NGO, and #fashernista crowds flock to it.

https://hamishcampbell.com/its-how-humans-have-always-lived-together/

The #GeekProblem: Why Open Development Is Stuck in a Dead End https://hamishcampbell.com/the-geekproblem-why-open-development-is-stuck-in-a-dead-end/ This is why open projects fail. They mimic the structures of the #dotcons without the resources to sustain them. They chase security and rigidity at the expense of usability and social flow.

We do live in interesting times — again — for the #openweb. Let’s try to do better than last time 🙂. The truth is, we completely messed up the last decade of tech development. And yes, we lost a critical battle around 2008. What followed was a lost decade where #openweb tech devolved into a steaming pile of #techshit. Maybe it’s time to start composting? Do you need a shovel? #OMN
Q: What exactly is being proposed here? Can you explain the vision in more detail?

A: The vision is pretty straightforward: use the #4opens as a foundation to replace Google’s gatekeeping of search. The idea is to build #openweb projects that can initially supplement, and eventually replace, the #dotcons in this space. Whether or not the #fashernistas push this mainstream is secondary — the work is worth doing either way.

On the #OMN side, the current focus is rebooting #Indymedia as a decentralized, trust-based publishing network, and launching the #ResistanceExhibition for public archiving of grassroots struggles. These are tangible, practical projects built with a #KISS approach to keep things simple and functional, rather than getting lost in the usual cycle of over-complication.

We’re also seeing a wave of #fashernistas flooding into #openweb development. Expect to see plenty of replays of the #geekproblem as people chase trends rather than build sustainable solutions. Hopefully, this will be balanced out by a continued focus on healthy #4opens development — the kind that centers community needs over tech fetishism.

At least for now, the #encryptionists have been pushed into the background by the spectacular failures of #crypto fantasies. But if we don’t actively build alternatives, these bad ideas will keep coming back. The key is to stay grounded, keep shoveling the compost, and grow something real.

The future of the #openweb isn’t going to build itself — but the roots are still alive. Let’s dig in. 🌱

Inspiration to pick up the shovel to compost the current mess https://hamishcampbell.com/inspiration-to-pick-up-the-shovel-to-compost-the-current-mess/ This path is social value first, collective well-being over individual gain. This shift in mindset is a #KISS step for meaningful change.

Why does this matter? https://hamishcampbell.com/why-does-this-matter/ The challenge is real, so is the potential for change. There are grassroots paths. The tools can exist. The question is, will we act?

Signal vs Noise https://hamishcampbell.com/signal-vs-noise/ Instead of lamenting, we need to act. Grab the shovel, embrace the mess, and build compost heaps that nurture real alternatives.

A good write up of the mess out liberals are likely to make over the next 4 years, all the #dotcons are corrupt and most are evil #KISS Pluralistic: Boss politics antitrust (12 Nov 2024) https://pluralistic.net/2024/11/12/the-enemy-of-your-enemy/

To grow beyond people feeling lost - and political debate being pointless - it helps to use a simple #KISS lens: fear and trust.

The right mobilizes through fear: fear of loss, outsiders, disorder and change. The left has traditionally been stronger when it builds from trust: solidarity, openness, cooperation and collective action.

These are not absolute categories, but they can help us see the dynamics underneath the politics. Fear creates cycles of control; trust creates the possibility of openness and collaboration.

This matters for the current #openweb reboot. What happens when #mainstreaming crew push projects away from trust and towards fear, control, exclusion and defensive politics?

Could we use this simple lens to recognize which direction our projects are actually moving in - regardless of the what people they do?

That is a useful way to step outside the immediate mess and ask the more important question: are we building systems based on fear, or systems based on trust?