there's definitely worse stories in US politics this week but this may be one of the dumbest ones
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/trump-gordie-howe-bridge-9.7081924

#USpol #Windsor #Detroit #BridgeBuilding #BurningBridges

Bridge Building

This is an image of the new Benicia Bridge. This bridge was built just down the street of my place of employment. So I was able to witness the slow progress of modern day bridge building.
On this particular day I was on my way into work and noticed the incredible lighting on the bridge. I couldn't help stopping to capture the amazing light.

https://pixels.com/featured/bridge-building-bill-gallagher.html

#BridgeBuilding #BillGallagherPhotography #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #BeniciaBridge #SacramentoRiver #GoldenGlow

What does it take to bridge divides and build a democracy where everyone can thrive?

This week CDP Director Kelly Siegel-Stechler joined the AASCU's "American Democracy Project Summit" plenary to explore just that. We're honored to be in collaboration with partners working to renew civic life, including this session alongside Rutgers University - Newark, Braver Angels, Sustained Dialogue Institute, Unify America, and Interfaith America.

#WhatIF #Democracy #Bridgebuilding #HigherEducation

Are we able to bridge the gap between what the average person believes about the world, and what the world is really like?

In this question, I am including a theory whereby a person is able to understand a language that is adjacent to their own, with a little help, but will reject language that is more than one step removed.

So, let's say your mom is a centrist.
She has certain viewpoints that have been core centrist fare for decades, like, "it's important for the US to support Israel's right to exist".

Under this theory, she won't accept language that directly reverses this, such as "It is important for the international community to recognize the right of palestinians to defend themselves from Israel".

Instead, intermediary languages would need to be used.

Similarly, your uncle is a center-conservative. He has viewpoints that have been center-conservative mainstays for a century, like "Competition is important to prevent decline", and won't accept language like "Competition is usually a sign of a mismanaged system with artificial scarcity, it is a harmful state of affairs that will engender needless social strife and waste".

I think, on some amphibian-brain level, the far right understands this mechanic rather well. The whole Youtube doom-slide to nazism is a case in point: The frog is gently being introduced to more and more poison, until it's no longer able to exist in a non-toxic environment.

But on the "left", i.e. among sane people, there tends to be a demand for maximally precise language.
This is sometimes called out as "sectarianism" or "tribalism".

Yet maximally precise language is going to doom the sane people to a steady decline, on a floating island, far out at sea, that no-one can reach.
(Especially when the right wingers in power attack the independence of universities, cutting off one rather elitist bridge)

What is really needed is an ecosystem of gently increasing precision.

In a word: Accessibility.

Accessibility is Solidarity.

#solidarity #politics #WaysAhead #bridgeBuilding

You can't engage in #bridgebuilding with those who don’t believe in your #right to #exist.

#Antitrans #laws are being #passed almost every day. #Federal #lawmakers are #condoning and/or #encouraging #violence against us. how does #deescalation help with any of this?

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Utah #Conservatives #Extremism #Fascism #Religion #Hategroups #RepublicanParty #Hate #Bigotry #Violence #Genocide #Discrimination #Transphobia #ThePartyOfHate

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2024/12/14/voices-theres-no-bridge-building/

Did you know you can find IF on seven different social networks? Follow us for the latest news, tools, and updates.

#CivilDialogue #BridgeBuilding #CollaborativeDiscussion #WhatIF

If you love to learn, yet seek a practical application for your research, the M.A. in Peace & Justice at the https://www.jfi.ssu.ca/ma is a very challenging, yet very doable and amazing opportunity!!

The Jim Forest Institute is an academic and contemplative community that provides a ‘remote’, yet interactive, graduate-level venue for aspiring activists and everyday peacemakers of diverse faith(s) to excel. Students learn to help create interpersonal environments that are transformative to local and global conflicts. The professors are world-class academic scholars who take an interest in individual students’ passions. Your ideas matter!! Apply today!!
#bridgebuilding
#inquiry

Breaking down barriers one connection at a time!
⠀
FMPO brings people together, fostering friendships and relationships that transcend borders, boundaries, and biases. Join us and be part of the movement.
⠀
We are available on App Store:
https://apple.co/3ltKdwL ✅
And on Google Play:
https://bit.ly/3ItjtFW ✅
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🌐linktr.ee/findmyplusone 🚀
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#fmpo #breakingbarriers #bridgebuilding #connectioniskey

**Headline:**
"Reflections on the Bluesky vs. Fediverse Rivalry: A Call for Collaboration"

**Keywords:**
Bluesky, Fediverse, rivalry, collaboration, social web, decentralization, technology, community, bridge-building, open source

**Rewrite:**
In the ongoing discourse surrounding the Bluesky vs. Fediverse rivalry, here's a comprehensive analysis and a plea for unity within the broader social web community.

**Conclusion:**
While the conflict between Bluesky and Fediverse may seem divisive, it has sparked productive conversations and highlighted the importance of collaboration. Despite differing approaches, both sides share a common goal of advancing the open social web. Building bridges and fostering dialogue are essential steps toward a more inclusive and interconnected digital ecosystem.

**Links to Knowledge:**
- @activitypubblueskybridge: [Link]
- W3C Social Web Incubation Community Group: [Link]

**Hashtags:**
#Bluesky #Fediverse #OpenSocialWeb #Collaboration #Decentralization #CommunityBuilding #BridgeBuilding

**Disclaimer:**
The opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire social web community.

Nobody:

Me: Let me tell you all about my thoughts on the recent rivalry (read: fairly one-sided grumbling on the Fedi side) between Bluesky and the Fediverse.

What I think of the “conflict”: Wholly misguided. But I’m glad it’s happening, because it’s galvanized a bunch of people and projects on the Fediverse side.

I have no doubt that a bridge between Bluesky and Fediverse will go up in very short order (already being worked on at @activitypubblueskybridge). Some instances will block it, most others won’t, and people will continue posting and interacting as usual.

What I think of Bluesky: As always, I look at _who_’s doing the project first, and at the code and architecture a distant second. And the Bluesky team (Jay, Paul, Emily, David, Why, many others) are some top-notch humans — I’ve met and talked to many of them in person and online. I think I understand, overall, their motives and what they’re trying to achieve, and I want them to succeed (just as I do with the Fediverse).

What I think of the Bluesky data model: Siiiigh, ok, so, do I wish they at least started with the ActivityStreams2 data model for posts and tried to extend from there? Yes. Do I understand why they studied it and decided to not use it? After a bunch of discussion, yes :/ Regardless, I think we (the builders of the protocol bridges, and the larger Social Web) will be able to translate between the two data models fairly easily.

What I think of the AT Protocol: Do I wish the team didn’t re-invent JSON-RPC and JSON Schemas? Yeah, my heart always leans towards interop- and existing spec-first. Do I understand why they did it? Yeah, maybe, grudgingly. Change is bad, but also, they wanted to play around with some new options and technologies, and I highly suspect it will help improve the Social Web overall.

What I think of the Bluesky architecture: Ok, so, this is where I’m kind of boggled by the current Fediverse discourse. That architecture? Is almost exactly what the Fediverse will end up with, as it scales. Third-party search indexing (opt-in, of course) is a general tool of a decentralized Web, there’s nothing AT-specific about it. Same with all the other pieces.

What I think of the source of Bluesky funding: Heeeere’s the thing. If a billionaire wanted to give me a million $ or ten, and I saw it as an opportunity to further the cause of the Open Social Web, would I do the same thing Bluesky is doing? Yes, IN A HEARTBEAT. (So, if you know any extra $ burning people’s pockets, hook me up.) Except I think I’d re-use existing tech more.

Just whose team am I on? Uh… I’m on team Plurality, Queer Post-Scarcity Space Anarchism, and Libre and Liberatory Software. I’m against fascism, and _for_ trying to survive the current Multicrisis/Jackpot with the least loss of human lives and least species extinctions. (Except for deer ticks, those can seriously go to hell.) So in that regard, I think (until proof to the contrary) that the Bluesky team is on our side.

But so, where am I going to be spending my time and effort? On the Fediverse side, of course.

Btw, I’m not really thrilled with the term “Fediverse”. It’s better than “Mastodon”, of course, for obvious reasons. And better than “ActivityPub” (since that’s just ONE protocol of the whole stack). But the thing is.. there’s nothing sacred about federation. It’s just one (albeit important) tool in the distributed system toolbox. To name our whole scene after it, is like naming us “Array-ists”, or “Linked List-ists”. It’s just a low level detail.
Let’s just call us for what we are: the Open Social Web.

Anyways, what do I think of the current Fediverse: Well, it’s my people. I love it and use it, and am hoping to help it in whatever ways possible (paying instance admins, reviving the W3C Social Web Incubation Community Group for standards work, building bridges). Do I think it needs some improvements? Oh, hells yes — and I’m’a tell you all about those, shortly.

So, we have a lot of work to do. And remember, we’re aiming for the Pluriverse. And lots of bridges.

Fediverse - the social network of the future: "Reflections on the Bluesky vs. Fediverse Rivalry: A Call for Collaboration"
https://fediverse-decentralize.blogspot.com/2024/03/reflections-on-bluesky-vs-fediverse.html