Hi everyone, I joined the list out of sheer curiosity after watching Mr. Robot. Am an ex-journalist and communications manager turned education entrepreneur.
We run a business training digital skills based in Singapore and Malaysia. Happy to connect via https://www.linkedin.com/in/daylonsoh/ On Tue, Apr 23, 2024 at 4:43 AM Kate Krauss <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Lorelei, > > Wow--I have never thought about the right to petition or the idea that > Facebook is an ad-based grievance processing platform. I am fascinated by > these civic tech tools, especially pol.is. > > Pol.is basically runs huge town meetings and helps people build consensus > over political divides. The US desperately needs to try these tools, and > it's great to hear that you are working on this for US Congress. > > Taiwan uses them; I'm hoping to drag Audrey Tang, the brilliant digital > minister of Taiwan who is an open-source hacker, onto this list. I > wrote the piece below about civic tech in Taiwan and Estonia a few years > ago. The text might be a little rosy (Audrey should come on the list and > say if it is!) but it talks about some civic tech tools that people might > not be familiar with. And it is long; feel free to skip it. > > -Kate Krauss > > *Tl;dr: Long opinion piece walks through civic tech as enacted in two very > clever countries* > > Taiwan withstands intense hacking and disinformation from the Chinese > government (right next door), yet it has managed to build an ecosystem of > inventive and useful tools that outmaneuver its more powerful neighbor. > > > To counter disinformation, Taiwanese volunteers created CoFacts > <https://cofacts.g0v.tw/> (Collaborative Facts), a chatbot that allows > people to ask questions about internet rumors without leaving their > messaging app. Users instantly receive an even-handed analysis of what is > true and false about the rumor, researched by vetted fact checkers similar > to Wikipedia editors. > > > Pol.is <https://pol.is/home> is an online platform that builds > understanding between people with opposing views.* Developed in Seattle > [!]* but fine-tuned for Taiwan, the platform allows people to present > their own solutions to political problems, adding to and editing them to > improve the ideas and find consensus. (Pol.is also had a successful trial > run in Bowling Green, Kentucky town meetings.) > > > A Taiwanese tool called “Government Budget Maps” compares federal budget > items to the price of lunch boxes, bubble tea, or space travel so that > people can wrap their minds around the cost. Citizens are then invited to > review and rate each item. > > > These ideas, and many others, have emerged from Taiwan’s large and vibrant > culture of civic hacking--a movement of volunteers, known as G0V > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G0v>, who work together to develop and > adapt open source tools that advance democracy and keep the government > accountable. G0V is building out *nonprofit* civic space. People can > voice their opinions, but no one is trying to keep them on a platform at > any cost, enrage them with false information, or introduce them to Nazis. > > > Other countries are also innovating to evade trouble online. Estonia, the > tiny democracy wedged between Russia and the Baltic Sea, has fought back > <https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2020/0204/Cybersecurity-2020-What-Estonia-knows-about-thwarting-Russians> > against Russia's hacking of its bank, government agencies, press, and power > grid. Advocates formed the CyberDefense League, enlisting hundreds of > volunteers--teachers, lawyers, software developers, even priests--to > protect the country from Russian cyberattacks. The CyberDefense League > organizes emergency drills--fake disasters--that teach the government and > citizenry how to prepare for, and counter, cyberattacks. They also teach > ordinary people to protect themselves online. > > > Estonia convinced NATO to run joint cyberdefense exercises, drawing > thousands of participants from more than two dozen countries. The country > named > an ambassador-at-large > <https://govinsider.asia/cyber-futures/heli-tiirmaa-klaar-lessons-from-estonias-cyber-ambassador/> > for cybersecurity in 2018 (Taiwan has a digital minister). Every highschool > student in Estonia is required to enroll in a 35-hour class on media and > disinformation. > > > These strategies are working: When Russia hacked the Ukraine in a 2017 > attack that spread to 64 other countries, Estonia was largely untouched. > [I wrote this in 2020 so not sure how Estonia is doing now -Kate] > > > In the US, open source civic hacking groups have made inroads in > streamlining US government processes [go, Lorelei!], but for-profit > companies still dominate the public square. > > > [My obvious point] Americans lack nonprofit, large-scale, online civic > space in which to discuss ideas, read articles, or watch videos without > being manipulated by profit-making algorithms. Instead, Facebook and others > send us content that provokes us, because research shows this keeps us > online. The longer we scroll, the more information we reveal that the > company can monetize for ads. Facebook alone made $134 billion this way in > 2023. > > > > So what can the US do? We must move open source, nonprofit, > democracy-oriented software projects from the sidelines to the center of > American life and its public square. Congress, which already funds some > software development—and private foundations—can scale up funding and > promote projects that support everything from civic hackathons to > publicly-minded discussion platforms. > > > Facebook was never built to promote democracy. The company’s central value > and operating principle has always been growth--to get as big as possible > as fast as possible. Rather than speculating about Facebook’s latest > content moderation disaster [although actually we have to do that] or > analyze Mark Zuckerberg’s personality, let’s learn from other countries > that prioritize nonprofit, online civic life. > > --- > > > > On Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 3:42 PM Lorelei Kelly <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> hi, seeing if this thread goes through this time! >> >> ---------- Forwarded message --------- >> From: Lorelei Kelly <[email protected]> >> Date: Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 3:00 PM >> Subject: Re: [liberationtech] Liberation Tech would like a word. >> To: Kate Krauss <[email protected]> >> Cc: liberationtech <[email protected]> >> >> >> deliberative technology could take many different forms pol.is remesh, >> Zoom, Cortico Fora...online Town Hall Models, Citizen Assemblies, mini >> publics... >> what's interesting to me is how the Right to petition function of >> Congress (First Amendment duty) was basically offshored in the 1940s to the >> Executive Branch, thereby depriving Congress of its internal barometer of >> the American people-- it gave the President power at the expense of the >> legislature, and allowed the public grievance processing space to languish >> or be privatized (Facebook). Now much access is purchased via >> lobbying...and advocacy... the rest of us are left to vote occasionally or >> protest or spiral into frustration and even apathy (very dangerous)... >> Grievance processing on top of an advertising platform is one of the major >> drivers of dysfunction IMHO. And that's not even mentioning the Putin ad >> buys. It has been a disaster for democracy, but specifically for >> institutions like Congress whose communications standards were literally >> stuck in the Pony Express until 2020. Here's an article that explains >> <https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/3985778-to-protect-democracy-from-machines-congress-must-modernize-our-constitutional-right-to-petition/>this >> big picture framing. >> >> We have to actually change alot of laborious and byzantine rules, even >> laws to allow Congress to function in the modern world. It has many >> pockets of Civil War era technology like an 1860s document format. Fixing >> this is an institutional long game--the Right Wing has been much more >> successful at eliminating public infrastructure and then >> occupying/capturing it, selling it off to friends and cronies or >> corporations (or flooding the zone with shit aka Bannon's plan) The Left, >> as far as I can tell has no competitive institutional plan. Centrists tend >> to not be supported by outside or adjacent orgs. >> >> our dysfunction re: tech and institutions is partly because the first >> generation of technologies on social media fit into campaigning needs, not >> governing, which requires slow moving, slow thinking and deliberation. >> Its one reason why governing looks like campaigning now. The whole >> incentive system is streamlined for it. Citizens United in 2010 allowed >> unlimited dark money into the blood stream of democracy. We have to change >> this incentive. Americans need to fall in love with their governing >> institutions again. They are so beleaguered and brittle. And this needs >> to be paid for by taxpayer dollars,facilitated by philanthropy, not >> privatized. Democracy is not a pro bono project or a side gig that you >> think about while building a Mars rocket-- Scorn for institutions is one of >> the reasons I left Silicon Valley (where I was born!) and have never >> looked back. >> >> >> On Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 1:10 PM Kate Krauss <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> This is so interesting. Thanks for sharing your fascinating insights >>> into the dynamics right now in US Congress. I can't believe we've found an >>> optimist! :) >>> >>> What sorts of things are you working on in this regard: "how to >>> integrate new forms of deliberative technology into the workflow of members >>> so there is a flow of authentic, productive, constituent driven feedback." >>> What sorts of deliberative technology? >>> >>> In modernizing, what kinds of unmodern things go wrong, and what >>> direction are you going in fixing them? Also very interested to hear about >>> AI and LLMs in the House (seems like a Saturday Night Live skit, but also, >>> the future!). >>> >>> Thanks again, >>> >>> -Kate >>> >>> On Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 12:33 PM Lorelei Kelly <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> hi, thanks for the note. >>>> I'm glad to see this list momentum effort! We need it! >>>> I lead the modernizing Congress portfolio at Georgetown and I'm still >>>> working adjacent to the US Congress with the members and committees who are >>>> behind this effort-- The House has passed 202 reform and modernization >>>> recommendations. It is truly an unprecedented and historic push forward. >>>> I'm now helping implement the more difficult ones that include a social >>>> cohesion aspect. (i.e. how to we integrate new forms of deliberative >>>> technology into the workflow of members so there is a flow of authentic, >>>> productive, constituent driven feedback) Also we have gotten ahead of the >>>> curve on AI and LLMs in the House at least. I'm proud of this old >>>> institution, even though its looking like a three ring circus in the news. >>>> I think the Mike Johnson success on Ukraine funding is a very interesting >>>> turning point for looking at democracy as transcendent critical >>>> infrastructure (backed up by pandemic measures to go remote and then J6 >>>> reactions to look at the information systems on Capitol Hill as national >>>> security priorities) We have begun to marginalize deviant behavior through >>>> the process and this is a good, emergent, systems way to make sense of it. >>>> Very interesting time for all of this. >>>> LK >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 12:19 PM Kate Krauss <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hi! >>>>> >>>>> We didn't move the list, or change its name (Liberation Tech) but we >>>>> did supply a link which works (after fixing a technical glitch) that you >>>>> can share with new people who might want to join. >>>>> >>>>> Cheers, >>>>> >>>>> Kate >>>>> >>>>> On Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 12:12 PM Undescribed Horrific Abuse, One >>>>> Victim & Survivor of Many <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> > > Hi, I’m confused, what about the list this email was sent to ( >>>>>> [email protected]) ? >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > > What does the “subscribe” link in this email have to do with that >>>>>> list? >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > > Is it a different list? The same list? Is >>>>>> [email protected] still alive or being moved? >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > > Very confused, >>>>>> > > Greg >>>>>> > >>>>>> > I'd like to relate that some communities have been both disrupted >>>>>> and >>>>>> > defended by influences skilled in social manipulation, and that one >>>>>> > attribute of that is changing the environment. >>>>>> > >>>>>> > Changing an environment can help change, whether overt or covert, be >>>>>> > adopted more readily. It can separate both from harm and fear as >>>>>> well >>>>>> > as familiarity and community. >>>>>> > >>>>>> > It's pleasant that changing the list name could help people feel >>>>>> safer >>>>>> > from any trauma associated with the old list, and help anything >>>>>> > targeting the old list have a little trouble finding the new people. >>>>>> > >>>>>> > I hope that everybody who was affiliated with the old list succeeds >>>>>> in >>>>>> > finding the new one, but I know there will be people who don't. >>>>>> > >>>>>> > Some communities often have to move in order to survive well. This >>>>>> > does sadly often mean leaving people behind. >>>>>> > >>>>>> > Crazy Karl (I think I have OSDD from technologically-facilitated >>>>>> abuse!) >>>>>> >>>>>> Apologies, I did not realize it was the _same_ list the subscribe link >>>>>> was sent to. >>>>>> >>>>>> I had assumed by context that this was a new list. >>>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Liberationtech is public & archives are searchable from any major >>>>> commercial search engine. Violations of list guidelines will get you >>>>> moderated: https://lists.ghserv.net/mailman/listinfo/lt. Unsubscribe, >>>>> change to digest mode, or change password by emailing >>>>> [email protected]. >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> >>>> *Lorelei KellyResearch Lead, Congressional Modernization >>>> <https://beeckcenter.georgetown.edu/project/modernizing-congress/>* >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *Founder, Georgetown Democracy, Education + Service (GeoDES)* >>>> >>>> >> >> -- >> >> *Lorelei KellyResearch Lead, Congressional Modernization >> <https://beeckcenter.georgetown.edu/project/modernizing-congress/>* >> >> >> >> *Founder, Georgetown Democracy, Education + Service (GeoDES)* >> >> >> >> -- >> >> *Lorelei KellyResearch Lead, Congressional Modernization >> <https://beeckcenter.georgetown.edu/project/modernizing-congress/>* >> >> >> >> *Founder, Georgetown Democracy, Education + Service (GeoDES)* >> >> -- >> Liberationtech is public & archives are searchable from any major >> commercial search engine. Violations of list guidelines will get you >> moderated: https://lists.ghserv.net/mailman/listinfo/lt. Unsubscribe, >> change to digest mode, or change password by emailing >> [email protected]. >> > -- > Liberationtech is public & archives are searchable from any major > commercial search engine. Violations of list guidelines will get you > moderated: https://lists.ghserv.net/mailman/listinfo/lt. Unsubscribe, > change to digest mode, or change password by emailing > [email protected]. > -- Warmest Regards Daylon Soh Founder & General Manager <https://curiouscore.com/?utm_source=signature&utm_medium=email> Golden Mile Tower, 6001 Beach Rd, #15-09 Singapore 199589 Tel: 6591 8672 * <http://curiouscore.com/>curiouscore.com* 2022 Winner of Singapore SME 500 <https://atc.sg/sme-500-business-promising-entrepreneur-singapore-emerging-brand-award.php> & Spirit of Enterprise <https://soe.org.sg/soe-awards/> Awards
-- Liberationtech is public & archives are searchable from any major commercial search engine. Violations of list guidelines will get you moderated: https://lists.ghserv.net/mailman/listinfo/lt. Unsubscribe, change to digest mode, or change password by emailing [email protected].
