- TheBetterWeb
- Posts
- Issue #21
Welcome back to TheBetterWeb newsletter!
This is the round-up of my Better Web week. Five links show you what, in my opinion, has been important in the digital sphere for change makers during the last few days.
I write about tech, tools, and politics for a progressive world. If you are an activist or trying to make the world a better place, I provide you with information and references for your daily business.
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Furthermore, you should know that I’m part of Acter, where we build a secure and effective tool for community organizing. Get updates on LinkedIn and Twitter.
And here we go.
1. What happened this week?
France Dissolves Environmental Group
The French government dissolved the environmental group Collectif Les Soulèvements de la Terre. This took place after anti-terrorist units had taken action against activists of the group Last Generation in Germany a few weeks ago.
In Europe today, sea rescuers are criminalized, climate protectors are treated like terrorists and soon all communication via messengers might be scanned, because of ChatControl. I think something is going wrong here.
2. Matrix Foundation
New Membership Program
An important technical component of future digital communication are decentralized apps and their underlining protocols which offer protection from any one person or organization entirely dictate the dynamics of that platform.
The Matrix protocol is one of those protocols which ensures decentralized as well as encrypted communication. One example of an app built on top of it is Acter, the app I’m part of.
As a result, we also feel connected to the Matrix Foundation and are pleased that they have announced a membership program and other innovations.
3. Campaigning
18 Activists to watch
Successful campaigning is not easy. It takes a lot of energy, support, knowledge and momentum. This article features activists around the world who seem to have done something right.
💡Think smart: It may be worth having a close look at one of the activists. They can inspire and serve as role models.
4. Media Attention
Five billionaires vs. hundreds of refugees
The world is holding its breath as five billionaires went missing in a submarine and sadly died. A huge rescue operation is triggered and there are live updates on all sorts of news sites. In contrast, this week alone hundreds of refugees drowned on a fishing boat en route from Libya to Italy.
This article takes a closer look at the differences in media attention and deployed rescue resources.
5. Online privacy & security
How to De-Google your phone
Our mobile phones are very good everyday helpers, no doubt. At the same time, however, they constantly send data. Google can particularly benefit from the fact that it is prominently represented on both mayor systems, Android and iPhone, and its apps are very data-hungry. Here's how you can limit this.
Just nice!
Chat GPT, finish this building!
This picture has been very present in the last few days. But if you haven't seen it yet, check it out. It is of course an allusion to the strong AI hype of the last few weeks, too.
The billboard is in Antwerp, Belgium and has gone viral. More information is available here.
Thanks for reading this.
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See you next week!