An essay outlining the author's vision for a new architecture of social media, designed to be free from oligarchic control and manipulation, focusing on principles like open source, community ownership, human management, and a multi-threaded conversation topology.
Lee Felsenstein's post outlines his vision for a next-generation social media system designed to counter the negative influences of current platforms, particularly those controlled by oligarchs and used for manipulation. He argues that control of information channels is key to politics, and a healthy "commons of information" is vital for a civilized society.
His proposed system, "Commons of Information – NextGen," is built on principles of open source code, community ownership, human management, local cooperative economics, multi-threaded conversations, restriction to public communications, and a lack of profit motive.
Key features include a book-like conversation topology (avoiding "topic drift"), a micropayment system for content moderation and services, and a legal structure designed to resist takeover by powerful interests. Felsenstein emphasizes the need for ongoing discussion and collaboration to realize this vision, framing it as a crucial step towards a more democratic and informed future. He positions this work as a response to the current political climate and the dangers of authoritarianism and misinformation.
Lee Felsenstein's post outlines his vision for a next-generation social media system designed to counter the negative influences of current platforms, particularly those controlled by oligarchs and used for manipulation. He argues that control of information channels is key to politics, and a healthy "commons of information" is vital for a civilized society.
His proposed system, "Commons of Information – NextGen," is built on principles of open source code, community ownership, human management, local cooperative economics, multi-threaded conversations, restriction to public communications, and a lack of profit motive.
Key features include a book-like conversation topology (avoiding "topic drift"), a micropayment system for content moderation and services, and a legal structure designed to resist takeover by powerful interests. Felsenstein emphasizes the need for ongoing discussion and collaboration to realize this vision, framing it as a crucial step towards a more democratic and informed future. He positions this work as a response to the current political climate and the dangers of authoritarianism and misinformation.
The 'Books' page of FelsenSigns presents a book titled 'Me and My Big Ideas – Counterculture, Social Media, and the Future'. The book chronicles the author's journey through the evolution of social media from the 1960s to the 1980s, exploring its origins, politics, and the need for better information exchange. The author hopes to educate readers on how social media was structured for corporate benefit and how it can be reimagined for societal good.
Lee Felsenstein, a key figure in the evolution of personal computers, explores the rise of social media, AI’s shortcomings, and the golden age of engineering in his new book.
