In the context of the @DigitalCoup and #AuthoritarianTech, can we find an answer in #DemocraticTech? Something that goes beyond mere free/libre open source software, and combines #cooperativism and #commoning. Communities who govern their shared resources, and commit to shared responsibility.

I wrote an article about it, tracing the intellectual origins of the term "democratic technology", connecting to various intersectional critiques of the currently dominant model of surveillance capitalism from feminist, ecosocial perspectives.

Here's the article: https://freeknowledge.eu/democratic-technology-building-alternatives-to-techno-auhtoritarianism

Themed Co-op Cloud kite-flying, coming up in ~7.5 hours at 12 UTC today, Thursday 11th February 🪁

Today, we'll be talking about automating Co-op Cloud using Ansible (and maybe other tools).

Voice/video call: https://vc.autistici.org/CoopCloudKiteFlying#config.disableAudioLevels=true

Collaborative agenda / notes: https://pad.autonomic.zone/VtyrLUl9RWaJGgEDrncQUw?edit

– 3wordchant

#CoopCloud #LibreSoftware #DemocraticTech

What time is it? Time to fly kites!

Join members of the Co-op Cloud community for our informal, weekly(ish) drop-in, call "Kite flying". Coming up TODAY in 2 hours, at 19 UTC.

Bring questions, proposals, thoughts, problems… or just swing by and say hi to some other Co-op Cloud co-operators.

Voice/video call: https://vc.autistici.org/CoopCloudKiteFlying#config.disableAudioLevels=true

Collaborative agenda / notes: https://pad.autonomic.zone/VtyrLUl9RWaJGgEDrncQUw?edit

PS – if you'd ever be interested in coming along to kite-flying, consider letting us know your availability in this lil date poll , as we're currently spinning the wheel to find some new slots for these calls https://crab.fit/coop-cloud-kiteflying-660087

– 3wordchant

#CoopCloud #LibreSoftware #DemocraticTech

Anyone in or near the occupied Mohican / Lenape land of "New" "York" "City" 🗽, consider saving the date, Sunday 18th January 2026 (afternoon/early evening), for the possibly-first-ever local Co-op Cloud gathering & workshop 🤩 More details coming soon!

#CoopCloud #NYC #Events #LibreSoftware #DemocraticTech

I saw this guy, Johnny Ryan, recently in a European Parliament session on #democratictech together with @robin and others.

Today @johnnyryan publishes a great article in the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/09/the-eu-has-a-secret-weapon-to-counter-trumps-economic-bullying-its-time-to-use-it

About tech startups wishing to cut bureaucracy andcred tape and aligning with autocratic leaders: that is really NOT helping innovation at all.

About the "Dictator's Innovation Trap":

https://www.techdirt.com/2025/07/17/fascism-for-first-time-founders/

By Mike Masnick

#democraticTech

Since 2016 we have been working on the *Five Pillar framework* for *commons-based business models*. And while it has greatly evolved through practice in commons-collaborative economy programmes and platform coops and #SSE courses, we hadn't published too much about it.

Now here's an introduction with the necessary references: https://freeknowledge.eu/five-pillar-model-commons-business-models

thanks to @femprocomuns, Labcoop & many cooperative commons businesses

#businessmodels #opensource #commons #democratictech #sustainability