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Decentralized Things Organizers

Call 2020-03-19

Organizers from dweb (camp), redecentralize, our networks

Agenda

  • Intros
  • Events and current status
  • dweb in this moment of COVID-19
  • Communication and next steps
  • Discussions / points of intersection

Notes

Intros

  • Ira, Redecentralize, consultant, working on coordinating decentralizing efforts, will work on covid stuff, how to support folks going virtual
  • Wendy, SF, IA partnerships, ~2015 dweb things
  • Ben, meshnets and p2p tools, ournets (= Our Networks) organizing 2018, 2019
  • Garry, based in TO, attended dweb, co-org ournets
  • Mauve, p2p file transfer protocols, been to all the events! our nets co- ottawa, anarchy
  • dc, Toronto, phd research our nets, toronto mesh, edgi, values, design of systems, how to change things
  • Kevin, SF, edgi, web design & dev, organizing work with edgi
  • Gerben, Brussels, software&web&ML background, joined Redecentralize a year ago, not wanting to re-invent the wheel, in EU politics promoting interoperability (e.g. fb can work like email)…
  • Amelia, branding of ournets now co-org, exploring more critical futures, Toronto

Ira's thoughts from the top:

  • coordinating decentralizing efforts
  • syncing events
  • support for folks moving virtual

Wendy top thoughts:

  • launching website on groups, talking newsletter, not wanting to duplicate efforts

Events and current status

DWeb Camp:

  • wendy: after dweb camp, 8 nodes popped up: Berlin, Shanghai, … we have these groups now, how do ppl find them if they want to get involved?
    • working on shared principles (Mai, John Ryan)
    • DWeb Camp 2020, rethinking
  • ben: dweb summit (2018) into camp last year (2019), one goal: build new materials incl. mesh network and learning materials, as basis to build upon
  • ben: also thinking about transitioning the tools used to more decentralized / value-aligned (self-hosted, open source)

Decentralization meetup in Ottawa:

  • mauve: early attempts, meetup moved into early convos
  • inspired by unconf style of redecentralize
  • "virtual remote" unconfs interesting!
  • also: some sort of virtual conf for Dat protocol community, thinking about how that will pan out. Decentralized multi-location thing?
    • thinking about cross-over with decentralization groups (more on the badwagon)

Redecentralize:

  • gerben: Monthly digest, trying to make the kind of resource I'd like to read myself (project-neutral, not hyped): https://redecentralize.org/redigest/
    • can we make it a library?
  • redecentralize list of 200-300 projects related to decentralization: https://github.com/redecentralize/alternative-internet
    • unclear which are active, status etc…
    • how to prevent things from getting out-dated
  • meta work knowledge about which is where
  • making resources available/discoverable, share knowledge and info, in particular from politics
  • wants way to search, wiki-style, intros, guides, event calendars
  • want to know: what are we actually talking about, value in comparison (e.g., blockchains, fediverse, mesh networks, etc…)

Our Networks:

  • dc: starting plan the 2020 version, published response to COVID-19 on site, possible event but expect things will change, thinking about exciting way to do online event, no just sit at computer for 3 days
  • garry: series of micro events and way that is collected maybe into a larger event? Or how to document that
  • mauve: augemented reality, idea of ppl occupy same space, been to a bunch of conferences and feel ppl occupying diff virtual space is important and give helpful (in-person like) dynamics
    • your avatar! what are you into?!
    • issue: accessibility, who has the hardware?
  • wendy: been to a couple virtual events, shared interesting observed dynamics
    • plan to start SF meetups as virtual events
    • Karissa + Jay Graber writing textbook on decentralization
    • would love to collab and bring ppl together
    • how to do online convenings: https://www.conveners.org
  • mauve: group that organizes VR conferences

Other news:

dweb in this moment of COVID-19

  • ben: possible topic to discuss: What does it mean to talk about decentralisation in this Covid-19 time?
  • ben: as many orgs transition to remote work arrangements, long term outcome may be ecosystem capture by existing monopolies
  • also, resiliency risks… what happens when AWS goes down?
    • many local community mutual aid efforts are on WhatsApp, FB, Google Docs…
  • dweb is known for resiliency, but also rough onboardings, what is our role here?
  • wendy: what do we do to be relevant now?
    • how do we align and combine our effort?
  • gerben: would like to talk about the dweb website and contributing on that

Communication and next steps

  • continue with calls, emails, chats? (bi)weekly catch-up?
  • who to invite? Or who to join? (could revive a slumbering forum/channel)
    • do we want yet another channel/group? → yes
  • start with current people, then the group can grow; will need subgroups for focus on concrete topics, while enabling others to stay in the loop
  • ben/gerben open a matrix channel
    • particular theme to distinguish it? Decentralised event organisation? Umbrellas cross-collaboration?

dc’s thoughts: (after disconnected)

  • some of the discussions surfaced should be public calls!
    • e.g., principles, values, how do you know who is part of this community
    • could have an "open call" (hosted by dweb?) for these topics, online meetups?
    • also: bigbluebutton might be cool to experiment with on breakouts, etc…
  • the rest that seem more organizer collab convos…
    • e.g., how to work together, how to align our initiatives and event planning
    • could schedule another meeting for 2 weeks/1month to followup with:
      • specific asks for collab from each group
      • meaningful events
    • could set a standing time and plan 2-3 of these meetings to discuss all convos surfaces, revisit need then

Discussions / points of intersection

  • How do we create a library of resources?
  • Transition to remote around COVID-19
  • How do you know who is part of this community/values?
  • Collaborating on website and other projects
  • Values and principles
    • Decentralization, what are we talking about, values and focus
  • Meaningful event

Next steps:

  • ben: make matrix channel and invite everyone here to bootstrap ongoing conversation

Call 2020-04-03

Summary of some chat discussions before the call

  • dcwalk: Public calls, questions on values, principles, the future direction of the community (fit in with how Wendy wants to host dweb meetups? could rotate host org)
  • dcwalk: Scheduling more organizer collab calls about logistics, addressing specific asks from each group (biweekly/monthly and set a standing time for say 4ish of them)
  • ben: Agree on values and principles, how do you know who is part of this community/values?
  • ben: Answer a couple questions async, like what values are important to you personally, your org, what you want to see out of this group, etc. and then have a call to discuss them
  • gerben: Getting a better understanding of what each party is interested in could help collaboration indeed, at the same time, I would like to not assume that priorities/interests/values are fixed (open my eyes! :)), nor that we can only collaborate if we agree on a single shared vision — I am confident that we have plenty in common to beget some value from each other’s work.

Agenda

  • Intros
  • Conference updates
  • Collab on newsletter/digest

Notes

Intros

  • mai: 5 years at eff, trade agreements, copyright… after that got into solidarity post-capitalist work, (historically pre-capitalist too)… digital commons project, west oakland library, associate producer of dweb camp, after summits were a bit too centralised; "if I am critical it's probably better I fix it"
  • gerben: brussels, software stuff, trying to lobby a bit here! trying to learn more about politial side of things… the big problems are political! advocating interoperable social media etc, working with ira creating monthly digest for redecentralize, help groups in this space not re-invent the wheel again, need for political awareness besides technical development

Conference updates

  • mai: DWebCamp, not a camp this year, more likely something virtual, ~September… need to internally discuss what is needed, feel things are urgent with current crisis, need to do something… dweb philosophy and tools are applicable and useful during this time (if not then when and why!)

  • ben: dweb probably a week away from figuring out what to do

  • mauve: potentially virtual reality, integrate into format, have ppl organize offshoot events, using moz hubs, little VR breakout rooms where ppl can socialize

    • not just tech talk, more serendipity, opportunities to meet
    • sending swag package to ppl, integrate materials into conference format
    • toronto-friendly timezones, but thinking about more international approach
    • growth under time of crisis
    • "Growing Our Networks in Uncertain Times/Places"
    • workshops, not someone standing talking at folks
    • some convo of offline-first stuff, but further out
    • Virtual meetup in VR on Mozilla Hubs this Saturday at 18:00 EST https://discord.gg/z9eVNB

  • mai: sending hardware components to ppl, e.g. librerouter connect to property together

  • gerben: Redecentralize didn't make plans on organizing a conference yet; might happen later in the year

    • mai: possible to collab on event?
    • gerben: exactly a reason to get us umbrella groups together to get in sync
    • redecentralize is probably "understaffed", volunteers… but a large community 2,500 ppl on mailing list, lots of history

  • ben: 2 things to discuss:

    • value, alignment to decentralization
    • immediately actionable things

  • let’s focus on the first today.

Values, principles, the future direction of the (which?) community

  • gerben: is there one community? Some people identify with their particular things/groups, others don’t.

  • mai: great point, continues to confuse me. So many people attracted to decentralization, from…

    • libertarian still capitalist perspective
    • lefty see it as a challenge to the economics and power to how (dominant culture) tech is organized
    • ppl in between

  • mai: not trying to make libertarians feel comfortable :) try something more radical

  • gerben: shifted quite a bit myself… Nowadays when I see a project "making an uncensorable decentralized network!" wonder hmm… do we really want that

  • ben: being able to formulate this is the task of this convening. We felt things in decent should be amplified. This space reps Dweb, Redecent, Our Networks. We aren't trying to encapsulate the whole community. We're finding alignment amongst ourselves. We cshould be able to communicate what we are and what we're not

  • mai: Yes, having definition of what we stand for. Decentralisation is just a negation, but doesn't stand for antyhing. What do we actually stand for?

  • Gerben: Who's included in we?

  • mai: Guess the implied "we" is core Dweb camp organizers. Around 6-8 others from other orgs

  • gerben: note it is not necessary to have exactly the same ideas to still benefit from connecting with each other. Possibility to open people's eyes to social political side. We may have a more technical audience. With 2000+ people on our mailing list, probably part of it is techy, libertarian, or bitcoin (etc) people. Not a problem: gives the possibility to not only speak with people we already agree with, but make people think about political/social side, etc.

  • kevin: folks in my life aren't technical. this space opened my eyes to dangers of centralized infra. local mutual aid all rely on centralized platforms like zoom and gdocs, worries me! surveilled and at the whim of these corporations…

    • resources available to marginalized immigrant and unhoused patients are just these giant spreadsheets, how can we help these folks organize better in a way that's empowering for them?

  • mauve: went to a bunch of conferences in p2p, the most exciting things was less tech and how these apply to societal things, how to empower communities

    • ournets this year, p2p conf with fewest blockchain ppl… lots of artists and ppl into social things
    • don't need to explicitly shit on blockchain, lots of cool ppl trying to do best they can, boost more community driven things

  • ben: Dweb's composition. 2018 - centralized ways of decent. Corporate decent just thinking of data storage, completely technical. Building something that drives a business goal. Blockchain has intention of decentralized control. HOw it felt in 2018, but allowed community-minded to share message.

    • 2019 - took bigger step towards boosting social benefits. Blockchain groups started stepping in that direction and supporting us also at Our Networks.
    • 2018 - SSB was small. In 2019- whole group of people came to camp. They had mutual within SSB - helping people travel and pay. Had 30+ people came and meet together.
    • progression to make dweb allow more voices. Wonder what this year will be? Different, because virtual
    • take this as opportunity to radically include global space, that haven't participated in English-speaking, tech space

  • mai: what's useful energy in convincing people what matters. How you're building tools for which consitutencies? Corporate contexts doesn't work in low-bandwidth in high-risk. Universalization of tech is also problematic. Think there's an erasure in ways of how communities use tech. Many assumptions need to be challenged

    • "There are major oversights". Let's talk about what's missing. World is on fire, if Dweb tools can't deal with it. Tools that are VC funded, to make money but then only help the world on the side. Push how we think about tech and how it's designed

  • ben: co-option of the decentralistation narrative is one of the key issues to address

  • gerben: I think we all agree there is variation in blockchain groups, but we use the word as a shorthand for the more money-minded&libertarian ones.

  • ben: agree - that's not right. There are blockchain groups that are socially intended

  • mai: there is some sub-context to that. Even if social good, how do we justify e.g. energy use?

  • kevin: dweb site, is that created already?

    • we are not sure
    • ben: I imagine it like meetup.com, but only dweb projects
    • gerben: redecentralize.org is also like an umbrella site
      • one site (merging) vs. many different? (fragmenting?)
      • different sites/communities for different groups/audiences/narratives/geographies?
      • be complementary: some projects focus more on events, others on user tutorials, etc.
      • may be suboptimal if everyone does everything but half-way (I feel a bit like we do this)
    • mai: defintely agree we shouldn't redo each other's work
    • gerben: comparison: in environmentalism, many orgs, there's a movement, with ppl working towards a shared goal, but within that parties are working in different domains
      • can we do similar things
      • kevin made a good point about ppl who are locked into corporate services (and struggling), they may be first ppl to want more ownership of technology
      • could think more about addressing users, not mainly technologists/activists

  • Summary

    • much agreement on values, goals
    • let's not duplicate efforts
    • maybe pool resources
    • intention on users, decentering makers

  • ben: one thing we need to know - what each project is doing and the interfaces each group can bridge

    • redecent - mailing - offering mailing and what is mechanism to do that? What's the invitation?

  • gerben: we write monthly digest. like to include events, but sometimes miss out. Interested in getting overview of grant app deadlines. Lots of folks working on projects. Helpful to get some workflow going.

Collab on newsletter/digest

e.g. https://redecentralize.org/redigest/2020/03 in etherpad

TODOs

  • plan next call (in 2 weeks) — make a time poll
  • each group send to the list "what we do and what our priorities are", writings that represent what we stand for + possibly needs/plans/intentions, one email each:
    • ournetworks
    • redecentralize
    • dweb
  • read over the value discussion above and reflect on it
  • (feel free to) write agenda in this pad about collab opportunities and interfaces to invite participation

Call 2020-04-23

  • Location: (we may try BigBlueButton)
  • Attendees: Wendy, Gerben, Ranger Mauve, Dawn

Agenda

-Recap from groups on plans for 2020 Events:

Notes

Current conference plans:

  • OUR NETWORKS (Dawn)
    • https://github.com/ournetworks/2020
    • Go ahead with all virtual event
    • Aug 7-9, weekend
    • Month leading up from July 7-August 9
    • Theme: Growing Our Networks in Uncertain Times, learning together
    • Recording/Documentation component
    • Satellite events in spaces near TOronto, but now anywhere
    • Tools/formats: Mozilla Hubs, Videoconf, but want other spaces for like a lobby etc…
  • DAT EVENT (Mauve)
  • REDECENTRALIZE (Gerben)
    • No firm plans for an event yet
    • More focused on facilitating/connecting withother people
    • Monthly newsletter as main activity
    • Want to start creating some resource library
    • Related personal work: interopeCrability prject in Brussels
  • DWEB CAMP (Wendy)
    • Was planning for camp on July 24, picked fallback of September 24
      • feeling now like it should be a virtual event
      • wondering about small <50 people hub events
    • Sounds like alignment with Dat event
    • Lightning talks + chats afterwards
    • Twitch (like Dat) with some live hacking together
    • Classes on virtual convening, incl. Catapult people
    • Want regular meetups to test the tools
    • Not sure about date yet – whether July or September
    • Global Event timeframe 5-10 days
    • Tools and people:
    • Downside with something like Zoom: lack of serindipity (not able to move from place to place)
    • Would still hae an unconf
    • First thing: Meetup to unconference to body/virtual storm a format
    • Monthly meetups: each using different formats and different tools
    • Mai working with John Ryan, principles for dweb groups
    • Launching new website: bring together dweb hubs
      • know that Protocol Labs is aiming to relaunch site soon too

WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO WORK TOGETHER?

  • what does a satellite event mean? Shared marketing? Financial collaboration? Same CoC?
  • PRICING:
    • Our Networks: Sliding scale reduced cost from previous years ; sending out registration packets; $$ goes to people who are hosting sessions (honoraria); applied for local grants + registration fees
    • DAT: completely free; looking for sponsors; piggy backed off of Data Terra Nevo (?)
    • DC: in academia they are going ahead with registration models (there are fixed prices), but reduced. I'm definitely in position of paying in those other domains
  • TIMING:
    • 3+2 hours a day max
      • dc: interesting I'd heard 4 hours in other convos.
    • caps on activities: no long talks
  • ENGAGEMENT
    • not wanting to recreate in-person event format online, need new ones
    • What is the arc of a week, grounding activity, building experience
    • Building in Play

CAN WE FIGURE OUT THE LEAD UP WAYS WE CAN COORDINATE?

  • List events in a sequence
    • April: OurNets CFP open hours
    • May: Dweb meetup (Unconference on what's needed); DWeb meetcup on Decentralized Storage
    • Jun: Dweb meetup; New website of umbrella groups launches
    • Jul: Dat (maybe Dweb?)
    • Aug: Our Nets
    • Sep: (maybe Dweb?)
  • Code of conducts in common other baselines for collaboration?
  • Put Events in REDECENTRALIZE.org (send to Gerben)
  • Share redecentralized sign-up link
  • Collab on events:
    • Low end: event tools sharing
    • Higher end: revenue and sponsor sharing?

NEXT STEPS

  • Compose a list of events for ReDigest (+maybe an invitation for feedback?)
  • Sponsorhip/Revenue talk
  • Next meeting: 2 weeks, same time Thurs, May 7 16.00

Call 7 May 2020

Wendy, Mauve, Ben, Gerben, Andi

AGENDA:

  1. Checkin & Project update
  2. DWeb Meet Up – Next week, Wed May 13
  3. online conference experience (Ready Layer One, others?)
  4. Dweb Survey Report by Fluence Labs DRAFT: https://medium.com/p/5b41a8d86789/edit
  5. . Meshnet Report

Updates

  • Mauve: Our Networks CFP check-in AUGUST 7

    • Used Mozilla Hub to check in with people regarding how the CFP process is for them
    • Might require computers with more computing power (won't run well on older computers?)
    • VR might be distracting for traditional calls
    • Might be good for break out rooms for people to meet and chat
    • There could be stage on one side, and tables
    • Audio is spatial
    • No CFPs yet, probably will come in the last few weeks
    • Mauve has done Hubs meet ups before
    • Professional guides to Hubs***
    • May also use BBB in conjunction with the event

  • Mai: working with IA 2 days/week

    • helping with website
    • helping with virtual meet ups
    • working with John Ryan on DWeb Principles
      • did first draft
      • putting it out to 10 commenters next (selected by John, Mai, Wendy)
      • adding a larger group
        • suggestions: SSB community, APC or other rural/non-Western/etc.

  • Gerben:

    • wrote April Digest
    • Met with Iryna N., Wendy, Mai, John re: DWeb website. Thinking about how we collaborate.
    • Thinking of making Redecentralize newsletter an open ether pad to make creation more transparent
    • Maybe a "suggestion" process, rather than "co-editing", to curate (and not disappoint expectations)

  • Andi:

  • Ben:

    • Toronto Mesh has an opportunity to deploy network infra, at a time where the City, Cisco, Internet Society are supportive, and we are proposing to the public library as key partner. The project we have in mind may have some cross with Our Networks and dweb community
    • Hypha is looking at creating a BBB instance in a production environment (more reliable than this) may be able to support some conferences

DWeb Meet up: Wed. 10 a.m. PT

  • Format: Thinking about using Zoom and break out rooms; Have people watch short talks beforehand
    - Downside for Zoom is having to have different rooms for each topic
    • Experience from using Hopin platform (Ready Layer One conference): quite impersonal, no faces, just dots.
    • Distributed storage topics - Governance, economic models, Filecoin
    • Gerben: Zoom isn't web friendly, the good thing about jit.si is that it's easy to join the room
    • Mauve: for OurNetworks also thinking to use a master page with links (and Zoom is despicable)
    • Gerben: There's more freedom to have different events not all focused within a tight timeframe
    • Wendy: People don't tend to show up for talks, bc they can watch it later. People want to connect with each other.
      • Unconference about how can the DWeb be useful in this moment. If you'd like to propose a conversation about this.
    • IWW just finished a big unconference virtually. We'll reach out to them about how that went.

Resources

Hopin platform / Ready Layer One conference

  • Something about it wasn't compelling, couldn't remember what it's called
  • Surprised by how much positive interaction there was in the chats
  • They have a hackathon right now
  • Wendy: We'd have to come up with way more soul to make a big event happen
  • Gerben: Events in person are about getting to know people in person who you might know about in the space. How do we do this in an online conference?
    • Can we do a tea house like they have CCC?
    • Introducing people who sort of know each other but to deepe connection

Dweb Survey Report by Fluence Labs

Meshnet

  • Wendy: Ben did so much to document the mesh network at DWeb Camp
  • Ben: I'm going to get the Medium done in next hour

Thoughts on Virtual event future:
- Mai: Hackathon doesn't have to be 3 day sprint; it can be over time
- Wendy: not feeling the value of a Ready Layer One

How else should we be publicizing?
– Email; SM
-SSB
–Twitter
–Matrix Channel
–Ask Nodes to let their members knows

Call 2020-05-21

Mauve, Gerben, Mai, Dawn, Diego (dat organizing team)

AGENDA

  • Update
  • DWeb Event: 3 June 2020

Updates

  • DAT event: 30+31 July 2020

  • Our Networks

    • Have a couple submissions, deadline closing in a week and half
    • First iteration fo look and feel design
    • Experiential component with offline event
    • Pursuing sponsorships and grants
    • Website redesign is done – Launch soon!

  • Dawn's opinion of Hopin

    • Fit for one to many format
    • Seems stable, has some features
    • Not suitable for an intimate vibe

  • TheOnline.town

    • You can choose the backgroud map
    • You need to be next to someone to hear them, if you move away from people you can't hear them
    • Might be able to do a meeting
    • Groups of 20 might be limit
    • Conducive to small conversations, not large groups
    • You can't present or have any way of having a main speaker
    • Small workshops or discussions
    • Might be great for an unconference
    • Not open source, small company based in LA, free so far, wants to talk to people who host events on it
    • Not clear how the audio channels work, would affect how people can meet and in what size
    • "Gather" mode for bigger events

  • Diego intro

    • Part of DAT event organizing team
    • From Argentina
    • A part of Geut

  • Mozilla Hubs

    • Our Networks open hour is in Hubs
      • Dawn attending a lot of virtual events
      • Using it as one space for people
      • Issues with looping audio
      • Seems like a hardware problem, maybe not internet connection
      • But it's very promising!

  • Mai (Oakland)

    • As.Producer of Dweb Camp
    • Starting to do virtual events
      • thinking about how to move convening from in-person to online
      • rethinking whether to have a concentrated week or spread out

  • Gerben (Brussels)

    • Redecentralize, monthly digest
    • also does software dev on web archiving, anotation

  • Dweb meetup on May 13

    • Was big! Last week!
    • First virtual event was about decentralized storage, two featured speakers/projects: Storj/Filecoin
    • Interlinked zoom rooms
      • 4 people as co-hosts and waiting room
      • waiting room prevents call in
    • Format:
      • Event company did interactive activity
      • Slide deck presentations
      • Actual different rooms vs. breakout
        • (vs. breakout rooms)
    • Dawn feedback
      • Google doc where everything launches from
      • People left and missed where they live updated the link
      • Strange to show up in a room where the conversation was ending
      • Risk losing people when jumping in and out of zoom calls
      • Abrupt shift of energy from interactive part to slideshow presentation
      • Energy was good compared to others, esp long lightening talks
      • Idea for Zoom breakout
        • Asking people to rename themselves to the name of the room
      • BBB allows you to roam between breakout rooms
        • You can keep audio on between the rooms
      • Toronto Civic Event
        • Main zoom room and Google breakout rooms
          • Short links to Google hang out rooms
          • No time limit with Hang out

  • Self-hosting tools

    • High cost and time intensive to self-host Jitsi
    • BBB is good for larger cost
    • Ben is planning on creating a co-op to share video conferencing tools like BBB

  • Using iFrames to have different windows for people to join difference conversations

    • DAT event thinking about using BBB, with the white board, presentation etc.

  • Crowdcast.io

    • https://www.crowdcast.io/
    • Really useful for line up for speakers doing presenting
    • Good tools for moderators
    • JS Conf Ottawa
      • Will have chat disabled bc too many people
    • There's a way for people to ask questions
    • People can vote on questions to show popularity
    • WebRTC based
    • "Stage" - Where only 4 things can be on a stage at a time, either speakers or presentation
    • Moderators have everyone on the call, and mods place people up to speak on the "stage"
    • Not yet figured out how to have non-talk conversations
    • How to enforce Code of Conduct in these smaller orgs
    • May just not have a component for people to chat with each other
    • Feature for polls: Speakers can ask audience questions

  • DWeb Event: 3 June, 17:00 UTC

    • Covid-related; no speakers, just unconference discussions
    • decentralisation for life under covid, EFF on Covid vs privacy, …
    • Mutual aid and COVID?
      • Many groups creating support pods in Canada and US
      • Groups thinking about the tools
      • Worker co-ops: Common Knowledge in London, activist-centered tool development, have done lightweight mapping of tech skills to activists
      • Red Nation Podcast - Nick Estes, mutual aid in the Navajo Nation

Next call: same time: 4 June 20:00UTC

CALL: 4 JUNE 2020

Attendees

  • Dawn
  • Mauve
  • Gerben
  • Diego
  • Ira + Joachim

Checkins

    • What brings you hope right now? *
  • Mauve: Hotel sheltering homeless and being run by community
  • Dawn: Oscillates between hopeful/hopelessness; Defunding of police; In Toronto police budget is a billion dollars; the attention to removing funding, 10% cut to funding could really improve Covid response; Mutual aid networks; A lot of reflection happening for white people in how they're involved in/benefit from racism
  • Joachim: People in Berlin care a lot and don't follow rules; During Covid Berliners have shown an incredible amount of solidarity and caring, esp compared to Munich;
    • Founder of Jolocom; Problem if all of our ideas of DWeb ecosystem are consolidated by one company/platform
  • Ira: With Jolocom; DWeb work with Archive
  • Mai: Hopeful because so many are showing up; People are already expressing their care and love for each other, we're living the story of defeating concentrated evil
  • Diego: Change is difficult but hopeful it will happen

Updates

  • Gerben:

    • Published new digest for May
    • Started with updating and cleaning up servers for Redecentralize and move from Mailchimp, Github pages and practice what we preach; interested to share effort of setting up new instances of mailing lists

  • Dawn:

    • Our Networks: Extended call to proposals to June 8; Unclear idea of budget, so close to the event; If you know of support for events please let them know; Figuring out our platforms when they get all the proposals in
    • New website is up https://ournetworks.ca/
    • Lots of grant writing

  • Mauve:

    • ForwardJS: uses CrowdCast (see last call’s notes); virtual presentations suck on that platforms
    • If experience can be had with prerecorded presentations then why not do that?
    • VR Meetups in Hubs; VR hackathon in VR to build new tools

  • Diego:

    • DAT event https://events.dat.foundation/2020/; Extended deadline for submissions, all of June to submit something; Sending newsletter to share info about the event and mail to sponsors; Still figuring out what the sessions will look like re: platforms;

  • Mai:

    • Planned event on June 10 about their DOTS (Decentralisation off the shelf) report. (delayed a bit, should be pulbished next week; event likely on 24th)
    • Also we planned an event on CovID and technology (3 June), working with APC; but needed more discussion/time; may happen early July.
    • Tagging along with website. (Ira will tell)
    • Working on a document with “Decentralized web principles”: What is DWeb? (uphold human rights, distribute benefits, etc)
      • getting feedback from various artists, scholars, etc.
      • would love all of your feedback soon.
      • defining dweb is hard!

  • Ira:

    • We are building a minimal viable web page to tell what is dweb, principles, etc; then pages about individual nodes/chapters of various cities. And a page about global dweb (summit); ‘voices’ page with articles, opinions etc. And a page with resources helping people to get started.
    • Will need to find more developers (frontend+backend)
    • Launch before the main global event (which is yet to be planned)

  • Joachim:

    • Website is for the community, to not have one website for each website; to link the history of what has happened
    • Has not been impressed with events he's gone to; When to German web standards events - Presentation format online has been one-to-many - positive aspect is where people are willing to sync and connect in new ways; Open to discussions afterwards;

  • Gerben:

    • Working on discussions around forcing companies to open their APIs; Helping draft open letter to EU Commission for interoperability to be part of DSA regulation - Jolocom interested in signing on?

  • Gerben: Might we be able to switch to an earlier time slot? This is a bit late for us in Europe; also it might be excluding people that would otherwise be interested to join (esp if we’d like to grow more international connections)

    • → Alternating between times may be an option.
    • → Let’s try keep the same day for now. No decision made about time now — can reevaluate at any moment.

Next call 18 June

Updates on DWeb Projects:

DAT CONFERENCE 2020-JULY 30-31 (Free + tiers)

  • Diego (working on Dat Ecosystem Event)

FORWARD JS – just speaker after speaker; no interaction except Slack

– Wendy (Dweb Meetups)
-June 24 10 AM – "State of DWeb"
–Karissa McKelvey is main presenter
–UX Design Workshop
- https://gather.town/yDLHcduAtUVGITWf/dweb
–gather.town
–

OUR NETWORKS (Mauve) – August 7-9 (free + tiers)

  • CFP has closed, lots of interesting one
    • variety of prposed platforms, how to juggle?
    • how does moderation work? How is Code of Conduct enforced in Twitch?
    • paying for honorarium + infrastructure

Mauve can show us around Mozilla hubs; also professional hosting in Mozilla Hubs
–they do the tests, they set up camera person
–Metaverse Makers Mixers (discord channel)
–about 30 people in one room is the max; but multiple rooms
–also can self-host using AWS

Mauve's project: DWeb Browser (mix of protocols; make P-2-P apps; )
-like Beaker Browser, but Beaker uses only Hypercore
-DWeb Browser is more simple, but relies on extensions (rather than baked into the browser)
-Grant for the Web?

Diego: works for https://geutstudio.com/
-using hypercore protocol
-different way of doing research: "research as you go"
-share some parts of research with others; easy to collaborate
-way to share findings, data, as they go***

SHARED LINKS:
Diego's project
https://www.libscie.org/

(Mozilla Hubs expert consultants)
Metaverse Makers Discord: https://discord.gg/wKpzFy
Send message to Public Chat

Meeting 2 July 2020

Attendees

  • Dawn
  • Mauve
  • Mai
  • Diego
  • Gerben

Agenda

  • Feedback on DWeb Meet-up on Gather.town
  • DAT Conference (July 30-31)
  • Our Networks

Redecentralize

  • Running new mail server, ditching Mail Chimp
  • Installing Qubes OS
  • Planning to set up a library of decentralization resources
    • Would like to collaborate with others on this
    • Redecentralize digest came out of this — a way to have content sent out with a date stamp, no expectation of being up-to-date >> Library would be more ongoing
    • Pattern we could model it off of
    • What style resonates with people?
    • Resources - Academic papers, blogs, legal analysis, interoperability, etc.

DAT Conference

DWeb Meet.up on Gather.town

  • Mauve: Really loved it, worked very well for this large scale convening
    • Felt like a meet-up in meatspace, being able walk up to people and join conversation
    • Spontaneous meetings made very possible in a way that BBB and Zoom doesn't allow
    • Was shilling Mozilla Hubs a lot before, but gather.town did this very well and less set-up than Hubs
    • Zoom call went pretty well. Cool to see so many side conversations in the chat, hopefully not distracting
      • Transitions between speakers went well
  • Dawn: Was a very nice experience, transition to zoom and from zoom went well
    • Wants contact at gather.town, to chat with them about pricing

Our Networks

  • Completed review of submissions
  • Next:
    • Reaching out to folks
    • Got more new funding, but not other funding
  • Platform
    • Thinking about using BBB, maybe zoom, definitely gather.town
    • Twitch for installations and workshops
  • Code of Conduct and moderation
    • Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/isthisanart_/status/1278423122400751620
      • Three levels of moderation
    • What are challenges in moderation with online platforms?
    • Can anyone read the things being posted there?
    • Ex. Taking screenshots of speakers during event
    • What makes things challenging is having various platforms
      • Zoom room with a password vs. open spaces where people can drop in and out
    • Gather.town - You could name people who enforce CoC with special name, let people know you can locate them
    • Once Our Networks' CoC policy is figured out it will be published, will be sent before event
      • Volunteers will be briefed beforehand
    • Will lean on how they've developed policies at previous events

Meeting 16 July 2020

Attendees

  • Mai
  • Wendy
  • Diego
  • Mauve
  • Gerben

Agenda

  • DAT Conference
    • Dat Event website is up to date - schedule with speakers are up now; Registration is still open
    • Using Youtube for livestreaming; also mostly using BBB
    • New blog post about DAT event, including motivations and ideas behind it: https://blog.datproject.org/2020/07/15/dat-community-ecosystem-conf-2020/
    • Trying to be more active on Twitter to get more participation
    • Using Pretalx - tool to organize the schedules, with time zone adjustment built-in
    • Would like to connect with Gather.town people - to have an after-event hang out for a few hours
  • Our Networks
    • Event postponed to September 8-13 - organizing was behind
    • Planning an AR game - mailing IDs, putting easter eggs in talks, etc.
    • Maybe having keynotes - probably livestreamed
    • Platforms
      • Big Blue Button for talks
        • Still trying to figure out the BBB host
        • Goal is to have upper limits for each of the workshops and talks
      • Twitch/Youtube streaming
        • Figuring out moderation needs for that
        • Using these for art exhibition
      • Gather.town
    • Putting together a package for volunteers doing moderation
      • Giving an attendees expectations, showing them the tools
      • Working with participants on using new tools to have some moderation
  • IA DWeb Meetup
    • One year since DWeb Camp
    • Having stretches on the beach, icebreaker
    • Main event is having four of the Global Fellows share their stories and experiences of their community networks - from Brazil, India, South Africa
    • Introduction of Principles of the DWeb
    • Then hang out afterwards on Gather.town
  • Mozilla Hubs
    • Works better for workshops, spatial audio works well
    • Limit of 30 people, so better for small groups of people
  • DWeb Principles
    • Is it too vague and general?
    • Maybe it should be more specific to decentralization?
  • Mauve's DWeb Browser Project

Action Items

  • Mai - Introduce Diego <> Philip

Meeting 30 July 2020

Agenda

Meeting 13 August 2020

Agenda

  • DAT Conference
  • Our Networks
  • DWeb Meetup

DAT Conference Debrief

  • Went well, some AV issues where some talks weren't recorded
  • Looking for feedback
  • Speakers liked recordings
  • BBB worked for them with chat, streaming to Youtube, recording etc
  • Going to publish two blogposts
      1. Thanks and recap
      1. Detailed description of what went on behind the scenes
  • Recordings public on Youtube
  • Talking in DAT community calls to organize smaller events for periodic checkins
    • Will be asking for feedback for that
    • Smaller groups conducive for deeper dives, getting more participation
  • Very hard to get people to speak during interactive session (Holistic Digital Authorship)
  • Speakers organized audio immediately, but still muted participants

Our Networks

  • Registration set up asap - this week?
  • Mailing out reg to people
  • Will be connected to augmented reality game
    • Interspered and connected with rest of the vent
  • Tentative schedule - Four days, four hours a day
    • Talks track and workshops
  • Platforms
    • Going to go with BBB and Youtube for talks and workshops
    • Trying to figure out a chat - probably a Matrix channel
    • Okay to use other platforms if not recorded - only question is space moderation
    • Playtesting week before to get speakers/facilitators to walk through platforms
    • IPFS streaming likely won't happen, not prioritizing it
  • Workshops
    • Expect smaller group, have everyone unmuted
    • Coordination so people don't talk over each other?
  • Archive/Streaming
    • Youtube
    • Hyperdrive?

Meet.coop

  • Transitioning the tech side
  • Under https://collocall.de/ – member of meet.coop
    • Their main server under their management
    • Still a bit rough, people on vacation
  • How to have local servers for infra?
  • Meet.coop only has a single server in Canada
    • May have to spin something up for other uses, under collocall for Our Networks
    • Need info from Our Networks to spin it up for Our Networks
      • Budget, capacity, rooms, etc.

DWeb Meetup

Other platforms

Meeting 27 August

  • Mai, Diego, Gerben

DAT Conference

Redecentralize

  • New self-hosted mail server, Mailtrain, worked really well! Now off Mailchimp
  • Want to get more involved in the policy side on interoperability proposal in European Commission

How to get more involved in the European interoperability proposal?

  • Who to invite to speak at next DWeb meetup?
    • Jan from Edri?
    • Who else who can draw connection between interoprability law and DWeb?

DWeb Meetup (Internet Archive)

  • Late September, probably Sep 23 or Sep 30
  • Maybe lightning talks?
    • Having intro to DWeb topics covered by people 5~10 each - explaining how DWeb works/could work at different layers of the network
    • Ex. Ben Lau discuss meshing protocols, GF talk about community networks, etc.
  • Debate re: communities and Code of Conduct - How to design for best dialogue/community without censoring or totally deplatforming people?
    • How do different DWeb protocols handle this problem?
    • How to optimize for different kinds of dialogue?

Next: 24 September (skip 10 Sept: during Our Networks)

(forgotten)

7 October

Planned, Mai sent invitations, nobody showed up? (Gerben forgot the time :( )

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