DIY Decentralization
During the last two years, in response to new laws like FOSTA and under pressure from politicians, our major digital communication platforms (Facebook, Google, Tumblr, etc) have deployed machine-learning-based content moderation at a “move fast and break things” pace. This has resulted in the removal of content from marginalized communities, and the prioritization of the viewpoints of certain groups over others. While claiming to be neutral, the bias expressed by these actions has made many online communities no longer feel safe; some have been forced off the platforms entirely, even though they were not breaking any laws.
Underneath each of these tech giants, a bevy of open source tools power the social web. These tools are not as hard to operate as you might think! Come learn how to put the power back into the hands of local communities. You, too, can run your own private infrastructure for email, chat, calendar, file sharing, and social media. Join a growing movement to re-de-centralize the Internet!
I will demo installation on a cloudy virtual machine; if you want to follow along, it’s also possible to install locally on either x86 or ARM chipsets (eg, old laptop, intel NUC, or even a raspi).
Presenters
Aeva Black
Aeva is a queer and non-binary geek, a lifelong student of the buddha dharma, a consent advocate, an aspiring author, and a regular speaker at both #InfoSec and #OpenSource conferences and meetups around the world. In addition to their technical work, they are committed to improving diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, and advocating for digital privacy rights.