This was a post from 7 years ago: 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. 🌱
