A bunch of native #openweb people spent time, energy and focus pushing the #EU toward the #Fediverse:

https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/t/webinar-with-the-european-commission-and-ap-community/1507

That webinar mattered. It showed that EU institutions were open to #ActivityPub as a way to reduce dependency on centralized corporate platforms.

This is exactly the kind of work we need more of, not less. So what went wrong?

Instead of building on this momentum, the grassroots fell to mess and attention drifted back to the familiar #dotcons. Which, in the end, is just more #techshit to compost later.

SocialHub itself documents this blocking story, but there’s little aggregation or narrative continuity

The missing piece: our own history. This story still hasn’t been properly told:

https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/t/eu-outreach-if-we-dont-tell-our-story-am-not-sure-who-will/2950

We are very bad at telling our own history. And that failure has consequences.

When people don’t know: that #EU– #Fediverse outreach already happened, that viable alternatives already exist, that these paths were actively neglected,

So that they fall — again and again — for the #dotcons mess, believing it’s the only “realistic” option.

This is exactly why #OMN, #indymediaback, #makinghistory, and #OGB matter.

Before we argue about funding, platforms, or scale, we need: Media to tell the story properly. History to remember what already worked. Governance to keep power visible and contestable

Only then can Europe regain any path to grassroots digital agency without reproducing the same capture dynamics under a different flag.

If we don’t tell our story, someone else will, and it won’t be told in our interests.

A bunch of native #openweb people spent time, energy and focus pushing the #EU toward the #Fediverse:

https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/t/webinar-with-the-european-commission-and-ap-community/1507

That webinar mattered. It showed that EU institutions were open to #ActivityPub as a way to reduce dependency on centralized corporate platforms.

This is exactly the kind of work we need more of, not less. So what went wrong?

Instead of building on this momentum, the grassroots fell to mess and attention drifted back to the familiar #dotcons. Which, in the end, is just more #techshit to compost later.

SocialHub itself documents this blocking story, but there’s little aggregation or narrative continuity

The missing piece: our own history. This story still hasn’t been properly told:

https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/t/eu-outreach-if-we-dont-tell-our-story-am-not-sure-who-will/2950

We are very bad at telling our own history. And that failure has consequences.

When people don’t know: that #EU– #Fediverse outreach already happened, that viable alternatives already exist, that these paths were actively neglected,

So that they fall — again and again — for the #dotcons mess, believing it’s the only “realistic” option.

This is exactly why #OMN, #indymediaback, #makinghistory, and #OGB matter.

Before we argue about funding, platforms, or scale, we need: Media to tell the story properly. History to remember what already worked. Governance to keep power visible and contestable

Only then can Europe regain any path to grassroots digital agency without reproducing the same capture dynamics under a different flag.

If we don’t tell our story, someone else will, and it won’t be told in our interests.

In reclaiming history, people find inspiration and strength. #makinghistory an example workflow https://hamishcampbell.com/makinghistory-an-example-workflow/

In reclaiming history, people find inspiration and strength. #makinghistory an example workflow https://hamishcampbell.com/makinghistory-an-example-workflow/

Should we apply again?

Yes, not because they’ll suddenly “get it,” but because persistence itself is part of the composting, a record, a point of pressure.

Apply and simultaneously build a parallel path of community support, donations, partnerships, volunteer time. That way, the inevitable #NLnet rejection doesn’t kill all the momentum.

Shifting the blocking? Maybe translate native ideas into their language. Bureaucracies like “deliverables,” “impact metrics,” “alignment with EU digital policy.” Wrap your radical #4opens core in a frame they can recognise: resilience, digital sovereignty, anti-disinformation, democratic participation. That’s harder for them to ignore and strengthens the “native” path.

Expose the bias. Not in a bitter way, but in a constructive one: point out the repeated rejection of grassroots-native projects while funding flows to #geekproblem/NGOs. This pressure helps them re-balance (and others will maybe notice).

If you want to help, share the 3 projects ( #MakingHistory, #IndymediaBack, #OGB) in #Fediverse channels. Frame this positively: “If we want a living #openweb, we need to fund and support native projects, not just corporate/NGO clones.” make it harder for them to keep sidelining.

#KISS

Should we apply again?

Yes, not because they’ll suddenly “get it,” but because persistence itself is part of the composting, a record, a point of pressure.

Apply and simultaneously build a parallel path of community support, donations, partnerships, volunteer time. That way, the inevitable #NLnet rejection doesn’t kill all the momentum.

Shifting the blocking? Maybe translate native ideas into their language. Bureaucracies like “deliverables,” “impact metrics,” “alignment with EU digital policy.” Wrap your radical #4opens core in a frame they can recognise: resilience, digital sovereignty, anti-disinformation, democratic participation. That’s harder for them to ignore and strengthens the “native” path.

Expose the bias. Not in a bitter way, but in a constructive one: point out the repeated rejection of grassroots-native projects while funding flows to #geekproblem/NGOs. This pressure helps them re-balance (and others will maybe notice).

If you want to help, share the 3 projects ( #MakingHistory, #IndymediaBack, #OGB) in #Fediverse channels. Frame this positively: “If we want a living #openweb, we need to fund and support native projects, not just corporate/NGO clones.” make it harder for them to keep sidelining.

#KISS

Basic trust and moderation layers (think: old-school #Indymedia with modern plumbing)

A project of this is #MakingHistory: Collaborative, living archives of what’s happening in communities. Not just news — a record of resistance and survival. We need with versioned storyboards

Basic trust and moderation layers (think: old-school #Indymedia with modern plumbing)

A project of this is #MakingHistory: Collaborative, living archives of what’s happening in communities. Not just news — a record of resistance and survival. We need with versioned storyboards

With your support, we can ensure that valuable digital content is safeguarded for future generations, growing the needed transparency, accountability, and the democratization of information. Funding Application: #MakingHistory – Archiving the Open Media Network https://hamishcampbell.com/funding-application-makinghistory-archiving-the-open-media-network/

With your support, we can ensure that valuable digital content is safeguarded for future generations, growing the needed transparency, accountability, and the democratization of information. Funding Application: #MakingHistory – Archiving the Open Media Network https://hamishcampbell.com/funding-application-makinghistory-archiving-the-open-media-network/