vortex

An engaging critique and on-going work concerning the inability of open source communities to deal with the consequences of its use beyond the blinkered mantra that 'what we call #FOSS today was originally for hackers by hackers'. Free software usage has been systemically captured well beyond that scope and appropriated by existing and aspiring large corporations, with resultant human and social consequences largely ignored. And this is just the beginning ...

"Google couldn't verify your identity" is probably the nicest thing that a corporation has ever said to me.

How monopolies are destroying blogs, podcasts, and webcomics.

Illustrating the history of RSS.

Finally there is a number to call to query the Internet and ask for resolution (absolution is an add on extra).

This BBS (Bulletin Board System) was created as part of the efforts of the retronetworking community which happens to run a retronetworking assembly at CCC events, the same group also behind the c3isdn on-site ISDN/POTS networks at Chaos events. C3BBS should enable older hackers to re-visit some of the BBS days of the 1980s and 1990s, as well as provide an idea about what BBSs were all about to the younger generation who has never used them back in the day. We're using Synchronet BBS, one of the few BBS packages that are still under active maintenance and development in 2024. Synchronet doesn't just offer the authentic experience of BBSs decades ago, but offers integration and interfacing with a variety of more modern communications systems and protocols.

The key to an alternative is building a movement.