Brian Lamb

I wish I could have seen @sleslie's presentation on "Libraries and 'Web3'". He does not shy away from the many negative elements but does solid work in identifying the potential value.

I am perhaps irrationally hostile to this movement but there is lots to think about here.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zOUgSYlJ84bdnftOOURTR4B7znqKaO8-Bq0w9gHF3Wg/edit#slide=id.p

Libraries and “Web3” – Vapourware or should you care?

Libraries and “Web3” – Vapourware or should you care? VILSC May 2022 Scott Leslie, Systems Manager, BC Libraries Cooperative

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May 12, 2022 at 12:16amWeb
Show threadScott LeslieMay 12, 2022
@blamb it's not so much the specific technologies of Web3 that I was ultimately trying to highlight, but instead the areal set of issues they often purport to address. And that these can and should be addressed not by the libertarian techbro hordes but by those few trusted institutional actors that remain. Probably wrong and naive.
Show threadScott LeslieMay 12, 2022
@blamb there's likely nothing new for you in particular here, the fediverse etc is just the next iteration of loosely coupled/fast loose and out of control. Web3 was mostly the trope to get libraries thinking about civic computing infrastructure instead of just 'content.'
Show threadAnne-Marie ScottMay 12, 2022
@sleslie your framing of libraries as trusted institutions reminded me of this piece by my pal Melissa Terras and I’m now intrigued by ideas of federated / loosely coupled trustworthy digital archives https://royalsociety.org/blog/2022/03/how-libraries-can-fight-disinformation/
How libraries can fight disinformation | Royal Society

Professor Melissa Terras argues libraries and archives have an important role to play in helping society navigate complex information environments, but outdated regulation needs to catch up to make this happen.

Show threadTanyaMay 12, 2022

@blamb @sleslie

Call me old-fashioned, but I don't wanna live in a "trust-free" world...

Show threadDownes 🍁May 12, 2022
@Telias @blamb @sleslie I think I already live in trust-free world. I mean, it's not like I actually trust any company, institution or government to do the right thing. Just look at the evidence...
Show threadScott LeslieMay 12, 2022
@Downes while I understand the sentiment it is patently untrue. Every day, when you turn on your lights, drink from your water taps, share streets with others - you place implicit trust in them.
Show threadDownes 🍁May 13, 2022
@sleslie Lights, water and streets are heavily regulated - streets so much so that we spend a major part of our police budget enforcing those regulations. I would never simply trust the people running these services to do the right thing - we've all seen what happens when they're unregulated (c.f. Texas, Flint).