Chand and Ethan dig into the problem that while local networks offer ways to connect with local community members, they also host much more severe mis- and disinformation.
Blog
Welcome to Smalltown, a Civic Space Online
At iDPI we’re agitating for a smaller future of the Internet. To illustrate this, it’s helpful to think about rooms. Offline, there are all sorts of rooms that we gather in: there are churches, bars, gyms—what we do in each of those is pretty different. Facebook is like a big conference center, with high ceilings,… Continue reading Welcome to Smalltown, a Civic Space Online
Keyword: Interoperability
Interoperability — it’s a gruesome little chunk of jargon that refers to a fairly fundamental tenet of the Internet. Simply, it means that different applications and devices can share the same data with one another. As users, we enjoy interoperability daily.
Librarian Jessamyn West on the Classroom Where We Learn to be Human
In part 2 of our interview with Jessamyn West, the new MetaFilter owner tells us about her day job as a librarian in rural Vermont and her years spent working to close the digital divide. Inevitably, we talk about the library as a new battleground for right-wing reactionaries and its role as one of the few remaining public institutions.
Prospect (UK): How a private message gets you sent to prison
Ethan grapples with the question of end-to-endhttps://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/science-and-technology/how-a-private-message-gets-you-sent-to-prison
Why Does a Librarian Own a Social Media Site That’s Been Around for Longer Than Facebook?
Jessamyn West is not just one of the web’s favorite librarians, but the new owner of Metafilter, an incredibly long-running social network that dates back to a very different Internet. In the first part of our interview with Jessamyn, she tells us just how Metafilter has kept going and stayed healthy since 1999.
Googling like an Evangelical with Francesca Tripodi
What does Francesca Tripodi have in common with the Evangelical Christians she studied? They both do their own research, and they find lots of propaganda. This week on Reimagining, Francesca gives us a crash course on the sprawling conservative disinformation ecosystem.
Ben Tarnoff Wants an Internet for the People
Ben Tarnoff has a radical idea: unprivatize the Internet. The writer, Logic Magazine founder, and tech worker activist joins us to talk about his new book outlining what a truly public Internet would look like, from the fiber optic cables to the social media platforms platforms.
Prospect (UK): How we can take social media back from the billionaires
Ethan addresses the news that Elon Musk is buying Twitter with a positive vision of social media’s future.
Will Google and Meta Control Africa’s Broadband? with Andrew Blum and Carey Baraka
Google and Meta have been spending a small fortune to lay undersea cables bringing more broadband to Africa. Journalists Andrew Blum and Carey Baraka join us this week to talk about their years-in-the-making article for Rest of World asking if those companies will control what Africans can and can’t access onli