Libre Solutions Network

Apr 08 2024 Gabriel

Data breaches are a serious problem. We do not live in an environment where it is safe for people’s PII (Personally Identifiable Information) to be widely available. When somebody’s data is leaked or stolen, there can be and have been serious repercussions for that person. It is desperately important that we not only carefully choose the platforms we use, but also that they’ve taken steps to protect their users from risks related to the platform itself.

Mar 06 2024 Gabriel

In a special converation you would have a hard time finding elsewhere, Gabriel joins William Maggos to discuss the fediverse, attention economy, and the Culture War. Taking a sober look at the very foundation of our media and online discussions, William Maggos introduces the concept of attention democracy, where we can have a real impact on culture by choosing platforms that put people in charge of helping spread ideas and culture.

Dec 10 2023 Gabriel

Surveillance of peoples communications is a severe overreach. Especially the act of monitoring people’s sensitive discussions with their most trusted contacts. Large institutions like corporations and governments are wrestling over control of and insight from people’s private chats. This is largely because there are limitations to only data-mining public communications. All the money and effort spent on propaganda and censorship can be for naught if people are still allowed to make their own minds in private.

Nov 02 2023 Gabriel

Correction: Grayjay isn’t Free and Open Source (FOSS) The PeerTube plugin is licensed under the GPL a Free Software License, but the Grayjay app isn’t, it’s licensed under a source available license. Why does this matter? Essentially, FUTO is welcoming user control and collaborative innovation when it comes to their plugin system, but not the app itself. To go further, this increased my concerns stated below about integrating other identity features.

Apr 23 2023 Gabriel

Knowledge is power. Control over knowledge is immense power. This power isn’t merely used to advance sciences and create new technologies, instead it’s often used to take control of other people. Almost everyone these days seems to believe they’re surrounded by brainwashed masses. What if there really is something to that? Who, or what, is actually doing the brainwashing? It is a mistake to assume that someone who is acting differently than you is always making those decisions from incorrect information.

Apr 13 2023 Gabriel

For tyrants and dissidents alike, the Covid Crisis was a defining moment in the history of censorship. Top-down information control leapt out of the shadows into an overt campaign of propaganda, suppression and manipulation. One of the defining aspects of the crisis is that it exemplified an arms race between those who want complete top-down control, and those who would dare to seek their own path. Despite the best efforts of Big Tech corporations, governments and NGOs, people who took a stand against creeping totalitarianism were able to meet, organize, and share information.

Apr 08 2023 Gabriel

When it comes to Twitter, Substack was on borrowed time. Musk has shown anti-competitive behavior in the past. In response to Substack announcing their notes feature, it appears as though Musk has sanctioned Substack in it’s entirety. I appreciate that Substack has been a valuable platform for many who spoke out during the Covid Crisis. They provide a quick way of starting a newsletter and a valuable feature of allowing cross-pollination between communities through social features.

Feb 20 2023 Gabriel

Introduction to the fediverse Part of Operation Chorus Call to action: Join the FediverseA simple, but very effective way to tip the scales in favor of free speech.

Dec 11 2022 Gabriel

What went wrong Corporate social media entities aren’t “the public square” and they aren’t a safe way to stay in touch with family and friends. While they may masquerade as such, they are the furthest thing from being either of those. These are information control systems. One of the best things about the #TwitterFiles is that for many people, it’s a window into what those operating these systems see. This is hardly a secret.

Jul 17 2022 Gabriel

A shadowy figure appears out of nowhere and tells you: They understand your problems It’s worse than you think They have a really simple solution they just need you to hand over your private information (or large sums of cash) to make all your worries go away The solution doesn’t require any real work on your part It’s a scam. Blatant scam artists and social engineers both heavily rely on affirming your biases.

Mar 22 2022 Gabriel

Tools of the Technocracy: #4 Online Identity There are some good reasons to attach your identity to online interactions, there are just as many (if not more) good reasons not to. It is important to understand how your actions ripple across the Internet and wider data-landscape. One of the greatest challenges in keeping your data secure is the fact that the Internet almost never forgets. It’s so difficult to be aware of all the data-points that have built over time.

Feb 22 2022 Gabriel

The Fediverse is a web of federated social networks. Powered by the ActivityPub protocol, they allow for interoperability between them. Here is a fantastic demo of it in action today Currently there are many federated equivalents to popular sites people use: For YouTube there is PeerTube For Instagram there is Pixelfed For Twitter there is Mastodon, Pleroma and Misskey For Facebook there is Frendica For Podcasts & Music there is Funkwhale For Reddit there is Lemmy Why bother?

Dec 19 2021 Gabriel

The best way to protect data is not to record it Almost everyone has at least a dozen accounts and it can be quite a disaster if your password gets published in yet another data breach. Passwords aren’t the only information worth stealing and the best way to protect important information is never to collect it. In general, it’s best to avoid making an account with a service if you don’t need to.

Nov 25 2021 Gabriel

You are not immortal, and you can be fooled from time to time. This is okay, admitting it is much more important than being right all the time. Admitting you are wrong, and can be is the very thing that allows you to escape the prison of lies. In fact, admitting it can do a great deal of good in helping free other people from false illusions. My goals with the Libre Solutions Network are: