Hamish Campbell<p><strong>Struggling for a Real Alternative</strong></p>
For the last 5 years conversations have been about, the #Fediverse, #Web3 and more recently the pushing of #mainstreaming into the #openweb native path. But despite this, the #fediverse is still a notable outlier in the digital landscape. This is in part because unlike the dominant tech trends, which emerge from Silicon Valley and the cross-Atlantic #dotcons agenda, the #fediverse is rooted in European ideals of decentralization, federation, and digital autonomy, it's a "native" #openweb […]
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#techshit
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Hamish Campbell<p><strong>#Techshit Hype – #NothingNew</strong></p>
The is nothing new to pointing out that our #fashionistas #mainstreaming crew push mess. Remember when drone deliveries were going to revolutionize shopping? When every major news outlet unthinkably reported that we’d have autonomous quadcopters dropping off toothpaste and Amazon boxes on our doorsteps?
Or when 3D TVs were the future of entertainment, pushed so aggressively that manufacturers stopped making non-3D models for a while? Where are they now? Rotting covered in dust in […]
<p><a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/techshit-hype-nothingnew/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hamishcampbell.com/techshit-hy</span><span class="invisible">pe-nothingnew/</span></a></p>
Hamish Campbell<p>YOU can’t do social change without annoying people. We need to stop chasing distractions and focus on real accountability. Composting the <a class="hashtag" href="https://bsky.app/search?q=%23TechShit" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TechShit</a> <a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/composting-the-techshit/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hamishcampbell.com/composting-t...</a><br><br><a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/composting-the-techshit/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Composting the #TechShit – Ham...</a></p>
witchescauldron<p>YOU can’t do social change without annoying people. We need to stop chasing distractions and focus on real accountability. Composting the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TechShit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TechShit</span></a> <a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/composting-the-techshit/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hamishcampbell.com/composting-</span><span class="invisible">the-techshit/</span></a></p>
Hamish Campbell<p><strong>Composting the #TechShit</strong></p>
The value of the #Fediverse isn’t in the tech specs. It’s not in the #ActivityPub protocol or the code itself, those are tools. The value lies in the culture that birthed it. The #Fediverse is the living embodiment of the #openweb, not some #VC Silicon Valley plaything. But as money floods in, as #mainstreaming forces try to turn it into another hollow platform, we risk losing the very thing that makes it powerful, its strong decentralized, trust-based roots.The looming battle is […]
<p><a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/composting-the-techshit/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hamishcampbell.com/composting-</span><span class="invisible">the-techshit/</span></a></p>
hamish campbell<p>Horizontalists understand that theory comes from practice, not the other way around. The foundation of this is <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/DIY" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DIY</span></a>, working practice first, then building theory from real-world experience. Starting with abstract theory leads to a dizzy mess and more <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/techshit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>techshit</span></a> to compost and academic wankery.</p>
witchescauldron<p>Good horizontalists understand that theory comes from practice, not the other way around. The foundation of this is <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DIY" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DIY</span></a>, working practice first, then building theory from real-world experience. Starting with abstract theory leads to a dizzy mess that results in more <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/techshit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>techshit</span></a> to compost or, at worst, academic wankery.</p>
witchescauldron<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://kolektiva.social/@rooftopjaxx" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>rooftopjaxx</span></a></span> composting is currently not a#hahstage, just a concept in the metaphors of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/hashtage" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>hashtage</span></a> story, neither is shovel</p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/techshit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>techshit</span></a> <br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/dotcons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>dotcons</span></a> <br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/geekproblem" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>geekproblem</span></a> </p><p>Are some example hashtags :)</p><p>Will look at the the book</p>
Hamish Campbell<p><strong>A shift back to radical values and paths</strong></p>
The #fashionistas, whether intentionally or not, keep blocking the left's paths by turning everything into aesthetics and performance rather than actual power-building. They chase whatever is trending, constantly rebrand, and ultimately reinforce the #mainstreaming forces they claim to resist.
Meanwhile, the right organizes, funds, and builds real infrastructure, they don’t waste time on purity politics and endless internal fights. That’s why they keep winning.
So what do we do?
Stop […]
<p><a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/a-shift-back-to-radical-values-and-paths/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hamishcampbell.com/a-shift-bac</span><span class="invisible">k-to-radical-values-and-paths/</span></a></p>
hamishcampbellThis was a post from 7 years ago: We do live in interesting times — again — for the <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/openweb" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>openweb</a>. 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 <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/openweb" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>openweb</a> tech devolved into a steaming pile of <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/techshit" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>techshit</a>. Maybe it’s time to start composting? Do you need a shovel? <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/OMN" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>OMN</a><br>Q: What exactly is being proposed here? Can you explain the vision in more detail?<br><br>A: The vision is pretty straightforward: use the <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/4opens" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>4opens</a> as a foundation to replace Google’s gatekeeping of search. The idea is to build <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/openweb" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>openweb</a> projects that can initially supplement, and eventually replace, the <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/dotcons" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>dotcons</a> in this space. Whether or not the <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/fashernistas" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>fashernistas</a> push this mainstream is secondary — the work is worth doing either way.<br><br>On the <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/OMN" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>OMN</a> side, the current focus is rebooting <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/Indymedia" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>Indymedia</a> as a decentralized, trust-based publishing network, and launching the <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/ResistanceExhibition" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>ResistanceExhibition</a> for public archiving of grassroots struggles. These are tangible, practical projects built with a <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/KISS" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>KISS</a> approach to keep things simple and functional, rather than getting lost in the usual cycle of over-complication.<br><br>We’re also seeing a wave of <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/fashernistas" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>fashernistas</a> flooding into <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/openweb" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>openweb</a> development. Expect to see plenty of replays of the <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/geekproblem" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>geekproblem</a> as people chase trends rather than build sustainable solutions. Hopefully, this will be balanced out by a continued focus on healthy <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/4opens" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>4opens</a> development — the kind that centers community needs over tech fetishism.<br><br>At least for now, the <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/encryptionists" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>encryptionists</a> have been pushed into the background by the spectacular failures of <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/crypto" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>crypto</a> 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.<br><br>The future of the <a class="mention hashtag" href="https://mostr.pub/tags/openweb" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>#</span>openweb</a> isn’t going to build itself — but the roots are still alive. Let’s dig in. 🌱
witchescauldron<p>This was a post from 7 years ago: We do live in interesting times — again — for the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/openweb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openweb</span></a>. 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 <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/openweb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openweb</span></a> tech devolved into a steaming pile of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/techshit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>techshit</span></a>. Maybe it’s time to start composting? Do you need a shovel? <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/OMN" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>OMN</span></a><br>Q: What exactly is being proposed here? Can you explain the vision in more detail?</p><p>A: The vision is pretty straightforward: use the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/4opens" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>4opens</span></a> as a foundation to replace Google’s gatekeeping of search. The idea is to build <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/openweb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openweb</span></a> projects that can initially supplement, and eventually replace, the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/dotcons" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>dotcons</span></a> in this space. Whether or not the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fashernistas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fashernistas</span></a> push this mainstream is secondary — the work is worth doing either way.</p><p>On the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/OMN" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>OMN</span></a> side, the current focus is rebooting <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Indymedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Indymedia</span></a> as a decentralized, trust-based publishing network, and launching the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ResistanceExhibition" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ResistanceExhibition</span></a> for public archiving of grassroots struggles. These are tangible, practical projects built with a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KISS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>KISS</span></a> approach to keep things simple and functional, rather than getting lost in the usual cycle of over-complication.</p><p>We’re also seeing a wave of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fashernistas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fashernistas</span></a> flooding into <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/openweb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openweb</span></a> development. Expect to see plenty of replays of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/geekproblem" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>geekproblem</span></a> as people chase trends rather than build sustainable solutions. Hopefully, this will be balanced out by a continued focus on healthy <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/4opens" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>4opens</span></a> development — the kind that centers community needs over tech fetishism.</p><p>At least for now, the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/encryptionists" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>encryptionists</span></a> have been pushed into the background by the spectacular failures of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/crypto" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>crypto</span></a> 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.</p><p>The future of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/openweb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>openweb</span></a> isn’t going to build itself — but the roots are still alive. Let’s dig in. 🌱</p>
Hamish Campbell<p><strong>#openweb vs #closedweb is the Battle for the Internet</strong></p>
The internet’s origins are tangled with the military-industrial complex, designed for resilience in the face of catastrophe. But the protocols themselves, once set loose, created a playground for anarchistic experimentation. The lack of centralized control allowed people to build without permission, and that openness birthed the wild, decentralized internet we briefly glimpsed.
It was an accident, but an accident we can repeat. The #dotcons crushed that brief era of freedom, but the same […]
<p><a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/openweb-vs-closedweb-is-the-battle-for-the-internet/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hamishcampbell.com/openweb-vs-</span><span class="invisible">closedweb-is-the-battle-for-the-internet/</span></a></p>
Hamish Campbell<p><strong>Clearly marking the difference between the #openweb and #closedweb</strong></p>
The last decade has seen a rapid shift toward #mainstreaming, where the boundaries between #open and #closed have been intentionally blurred, is also mirrored in our alt paths. This #geekproblem confusion serves the interests of the #dotcons and the #deathcult, not the people. The language of the #hashtagstory sharpens this divide and give people the tools to see the reality of the paths they’re walking and engaging with.
The #openweb, is built on the principles of the #4opens: open […]
<p><a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/clearly-marking-the-difference-between-the-openweb-and-the-closedweb/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hamishcampbell.com/clearly-mar</span><span class="invisible">king-the-difference-between-the-openweb-and-the-closedweb/</span></a></p>
witchescauldron<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://fosstodon.org/@bignose" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bignose</span></a></span> <span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@mozillaofficial" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>mozillaofficial</span></a></span> That is a good path for activism. Let's compost the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/techshit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>techshit</span></a> changing the leadership of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/mozillaCorp" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mozillaCorp</span></a> would be useful and needed action on this path.</p>
witchescauldron<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://kolektiva.social/@rooftopjaxx" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>rooftopjaxx</span></a></span> think the isent much, more <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/techshit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>techshit</span></a> than compost, we need shovels, like the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/OMN" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>OMN</span></a> to make the compost which we don't have.</p><p>Where do we find the crew to make the shovels, it's well stinky making compost with your hands.</p>
Hamish Campbell<p><strong>We Made This Mess—Time to Clean It Up</strong></p>
For the last 20 years, most of our crew have played a part in shaping the digital world we see today. What began as a space of radical possibility has been enclosed, exploited, and transformed into a corporate-controlled dystopia of #dotcons. We lived inside this algorithmic trap, and in many ways, we still do—fighting, trolling, and feeding the very system that keeps us addicted.Trapped inside the algorithm, these platforms don’t exist to foster community or critical thought; they […]
<p><a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/we-made-this-mess-time-to-clean-it-up/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hamishcampbell.com/we-made-thi</span><span class="invisible">s-mess-time-to-clean-it-up/</span></a></p>
witchescauldron<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://social.wildeboer.net/@jwildeboer" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>jwildeboer</span></a></span> there is a movement called the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/4opens" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>4opens</span></a> that is this path, it can be used as a shovel to compost <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/techshit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>techshit</span></a></p>
witchescauldron<p>This is now <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/mainstreaming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mainstreaming</span></a> alt thinking <a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/?s=dotcons" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="">hamishcampbell.com/?s=dotcons</span><span class="invisible"></span></a> our <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/fashernestas" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>fashernestas</span></a> are now <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/mainstreming" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>mainstreming</span></a> this <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/techshit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>techshit</span></a> better late than never. BUT they all built their careers inside these paths, so please don't blindly trust these people, no matter how much sense they make. It's mess and mess making, what does a different path look like <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/OMN" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>OMN</span></a></p>
Hamish Campbell<p><strong>Are there spaces where trust can be built at scale, or do we need to create them from scratch?</strong></p>
The tension between control vs. trust in tech and society is a core issue that defines the success or failure of grassroots, open projects like #OMN and the #fediverse. The problem isn't just technical, but deeply social: a struggle between hierarchical control (power over) and distributed, democratic trust (power within).The #geekproblem keeps repeating, open projects fail because devs build control-based systems rather than trust-based ones. This results in endless cycles of #techchurn, […]
<p><a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/are-there-spaces-where-trust-can-be-built-at-scale-or-do-we-need-to-create-them-from-scratch/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hamishcampbell.com/are-there-s</span><span class="invisible">paces-where-trust-can-be-built-at-scale-or-do-we-need-to-create-them-from-scratch/</span></a></p>
Hamish Campbell<p><strong>We need to break out of this cycle</strong></p>
Funding structures are built for #NGO nonsense, not grassroots projects where actual value is created. The #OMN, #indymediaback, and #OGB challenge this, but funders can’t grasp it because they don’t understand value outside institutional framing.Fixing the funding #blocking, funders need to THINK, not just UNDERSTAND. Right now, they "understand" in the framework of existing institutions, which means they miss the metaphor-driven, emergent nature of the #OMN. Our #Hashtag story is for […]
<p><a href="https://hamishcampbell.com/we-need-to-break-out-of-this-cycle/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">hamishcampbell.com/we-need-to-</span><span class="invisible">break-out-of-this-cycle/</span></a></p>
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