Local Digital Social Networks
It is worth recalling that the foundations of liberal political thought were laid in part by Hobbes, whose central concern was neither liberty for its own sake nor power for its own sake — it was liberty born from state-enforced peace.
Hobbes argued that without the firm and consistent application of law, society would descend into chaos, violence,... See more
Hobbes argued that without the firm and consistent application of law, society would descend into chaos, violence,... See more
Strategic philanthropy has more difficulty funding bona fide organizers who are embedded in and responsive to the communities they serve. In contrast to their support for outspoken moral activists, philanthropic funders cannot meaningfully predict in advance what particular issue(s) grassroots organizers and their communities will prioritize. That... See more
In the 1970s and 1980s, the philosopher of technology Langdon Winner dismantled the idea that technology is a “neutral” tool (Winner, 1978). Winner’s work emphasized how those developing technology benefit the most while already disadvantaged individuals and groups pay the highest price, laying the philosophical foundation for subsequent work in... See more
In a model, agents are interchangeable. Consumer A and Consumer B have different preference curves, yes, but they respond to the same incentive structures in predictable ways. Community is what you get when agents stop being interchangeable to each other. When Alice doesn't need "a neighbour" but needs that neighbour, the one who watched her kids... See more
Just a moment...
Communities are Not Fungible
Just as important, they wanted information that was directly relevant to their lives and reflective of their communities. They were not interested in paying for a bundle of content that felt distant from their daily concerns. If local news is to earn financial support, it must first demonstrate local value.
In short, they wanted consistent, reliable... See more
In short, they wanted consistent, reliable... See more
Article
Preference for small, comprehensible businesses; valuing craftsmanship, limits, anti-optimization, and the philosophy of “enough.”
TRANSCRIPT
I feel like they're more real. I like real things, for whatever that means. Define it however you'd like. But a billion-dollar business or a ten-billion-dollar business, just it doesn't feel like a real thing to me. It feels like a concept.
Meanwhile, the dry cleaner down the street, I can drop off my shirt. I get it cleaned. I bring it up. I pick
... See moreShe and others wanted to find a way to restore their sense of community. They wanted to weave and the question was, how? “We chose activities that we knew people really cared about, but where there was no controversy,” she says.