From Open Source Software to Open Services

The Next Step in the Great Battle

This concept puts into action the principles of The Techno-Activist Movement in the online world. Our Movement aims to make technology accessible to all and combat the dominance of large corporations in this field.

It's no secret that this issue is not new, and humanity has been grappling with it for many years. There was a time when Open Source Software emerged as a promising alternative to commercial software, offering a potential solution to curbing corporate monopolies in the IT industry. This concept had some success, particularly when software was relatively simple and could run on regular PCs. Users had control over the software itself and the infrastructure it relied upon. Independent developers could contribute to projects and steer them in the right direction at any time.

However, as time went on, tasks became more complex and technology evolved alongside them. The advent of Big Data and AI technologies significantly increased the computational power required by software. High-speed internet access became commonplace. The philosophy of IT usage gradually shifted, focusing on facilitating interaction among large groups of users and machines.

These factors marked the end of the era of autonomous software and ushered in the era of internet services. Even though Open Source Software still holds a significant place in the industry, it has largely lost its role as a counterbalance to corporate monopolies. The time is not far off when its destiny will be limited to creating unimportant toys and reproducing hopelessly outdated technologies. This is because a major internet service entails more than just software. It requires a robust infrastructure, a team of researchers and developers, and a vast community responsible for its operation. All of these elements come at a high cost, affordable only for a select few. Furthermore, in the recent technological race, control over individual components of a technology is less critical than having a team capable of rapidly and efficiently developing that technology.

However, where there is a monopoly, there is also a form of dictatorship. Throughout history, humanity has embraced the idea that democracy is the path to freedom and justice. We had hoped that the internet would be the space where true freedom could flourish. But look at what has transpired—it is now dominated by the absolute tyranny of service owners! The ordinary user has become a powerless creature, forced to use any service "as is," without any say.

Service owners have the authority to change their platforms as they see fit, direct their development in any direction, or even shut them down completely, all without considering user opinions. The decisions made by these administrations are shrouded in opacity. The administration can arbitrarily restrict users' rights and even completely prohibit them from accessing the service without the right to appeal. A user can never be certain that the information collected by the service about them will not be used against them. All this arbitrary behavior is concealed behind flimsy "user agreements" and the pretext of "protecting private property."

Unfortunately, governments do very little to safeguard users from the whims of resource owners, and when they do intervene, it is often in the wrong manner. Furthermore, countries where open dictatorship prevails extend their oppressive practices into the online realm, exacerbating the situation even further.

All of this wouldn't be such a significant problem if the internet were solely utilized for leisure and entertainment. However, as time passes, technology seeps further into our lives, encroaching upon increasingly sensitive areas. And if humanity fails to discover a way to democratize the internet space, sooner or later it may encounter its most formidable adversary—the internet itself.

What Exactly Are Techno-Activists Proposing?

So, what should we do? Techno-activists have their own response to this question. Above all, we should abandon any attempts to beseech or demand anything from the government or service owners. The current rules of the game suit them perfectly, and they are unlikely to change them in our favor.

Instead, we need to present people with an alternative to existing approaches and practically demonstrate that by embracing new methods and standards, we can bring to life projects that would never come to fruition under the present circumstances. This is facilitated by the fact that the internet, despite all attempts to regulate it, still retains enough freedom for us to create our own space within it, governed by our own rules.

To achieve this, we suggest implementing the following principles:

1. Internet technology should prioritize the interests of users over those of investors or developers from the very beginning. The user community should hold the sole power within the service. This should not only be stated but legally enforced.
2. Complete control over the service means that all key processes related to its functioning should be fully formalized and delegated to machines. Human intervention in these processes should be eliminated.
3. The user community should have control over all components of the technology (software and infrastructure) as well as all related processes, including research, development, and maintenance. Individuals involved in these processes should be fully accountable and subject to the control of the user community.
4. User control over the technology is exercised through mechanisms of direct democracy, such as universal voting on all key issues related to its development and usage. All users are equal in this regard. The community may delegate some control and management questions to machines, provided that the machine itself is fully controlled by the community based on the principles outlined here.
5. All achievements obtained during the creation and development of the service belong to the community as common property. The results of research, ideas, know-how, documentation, and source code are completely open and can be used by anyone without restrictions. All work is carried out in the public domain.
6. The primary source of project funding comes from voluntary donations from individuals and organizations. Sponsors have the right to know how their money is being spent but waive any claims to influence the project's fate. However, this does not prevent them from approaching the user community with proposals to implement certain ideas in the project in exchange for funding. Additionally, the community may seek other sources of funding, including introducing fees for using the service, provided that all income generated is solely used for the development and maintenance of the service.
7. The user community should be open, allowing anyone to join or leave at any time. However, only those who have undergone identity verification and have a certain level of experience as real users of the system are allowed to participate in decision-making. This ensures the project is protected from attempts to influence it through bots.
8. No one can be arbitrarily restricted in using the service or denied access to it. Every user has the right to protect their interests and have conflicts with the administration or other community members addressed promptly, thoroughly, and fairly. Therefore, particular attention should be given to creating mechanisms that uphold this right within the community.

It is clear that democracy will not reliably function in a small community. In such settings, power can easily be seized through bribery, pressure, or manipulation of its members.

Building a mass community cannot happen overnight or at the command of an individual. It requires a gradual process of gathering a user community around one or several projects, developed by a group of passionate individuals who share the principles mentioned earlier. With the support of all interested parties, we can work towards transferring full control to the users in a phased manner.

Following this path, we propose the development of a user community alongside the implementation of three interconnected promising projects based on AI technologies:

1. Your Personal Intelligence Service. It makes everyone well-informed about everything almost as much as the wealthiest and most influential people on the planet.
2. Justice for All. It ensures fast and fair resolution of disputes and conflicts, helping everyone defend their rights.
3. The All-Seeing Eye. It provides a mechanism for effective control of those in power by society.
4. Security Service in Your Pocket. It protects anyone from dangers and unpleasant situations, assisting in successfully navigating challenging circumstances.

We firmly believe that these projects, with their high demand, innovation, and uniqueness, will captivate the interest of potential users and the IT community, generating true mass support.

How Can You Support Us?

We extend a heartfelt invitation to all who resonate with our ideas: join us! Spread the word among your friends and acquaintances. Share information about our ideas on your platforms or in the communities you belong to. Endeavor to catch the attention of influential figures who can amplify our projects. Help us translate information about them into different languages.

If you possess skills that can contribute to the realization of our projects, we invite you to join our team. Share your knowledge and experiences with us. Perhaps you have your own socially significant project ideas—share them with us.

Support us and our projects financially. Let's demonstrate that together we hold significant power and can amass resources to address crucial challenges.

Let's collaborate to create a more liberated and just world for all.