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   Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 05-Aug-2024 23:07:00 JST Nathan Schneider

   I am deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh. There is euphoria, rightly, about the power of the people. But far too often in recent years, we have seen that power succeed at disruption while leaving dangerous power vacuums for succession...

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 05-Aug-2024 23:12:45 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     We saw it in different ways in the Arab Spring, in Tunisia and Egypt, and then in other ways in Syria and Yemen: popular movements in the digital age excel at mobilization and disruption but are totally unequipped for transitioning or holding power toward something better. Repeatedly, legacy institutions step in and reassert their raw power, making things worse.

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 05-Aug-2024 23:16:48 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     Zeynep Tufekci captured this dynamic well in her book Twitter and Tear Gas: https://www.twitterandteargas.org/downloads/twitter-and-tear-gas-by-zeynep-tufekci.pdf [PDF!]

     If We Burn by Vincent Bevins seems to capture it in even more depth, but I have only read reviews: https://newrepublic.com/article/175314/decade-mass-protest-mass-disappointment

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 05-Aug-2024 23:20:18 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     From a media perspective, this is a story of online social infrastructures designed for outrage and virality but that do not enable participants to build durable organizational power.

     In the years since my euphoric book on 2011 protests, I have been trying to crack this nut: how can online networks enable not just disruption but co-governance, not just circulation but solidarity?

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 05-Aug-2024 23:27:20 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     It is for moments like this, in part, that I have been searching for ways that people can collectively govern online, from co-ops to DAOs to simple shifts in interface design: https://ntnsndr.in/books

     But there is a long way to go.

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Monday, 05-Aug-2024 23:32:02 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     For now, beware of the euphoria. If you are in a position to do so, help put pressure on the Bangladeshi military and other institutions to bring about more democracy and respect for human rights, not less.

     Long term, as we build movements, we need to be sure we have the institutional power to follow through on our disruptive dreams.

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     excited for the mastodon rise (qkslvrwolf@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Aug-2024 01:44:16 JST excited for the mastodon rise

     in reply to

     @ntnsndr I assume you're familiar with like https://newpublic.org/ and what not? And Ethan zuckerman?

     These are probably mildly insulting questions so apologies, but maybe they'll be useful to someone reading

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Aug-2024 01:44:16 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     Thanks! I'm a big fan of both:)

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     Neo-Rodneyite: Yap Szn ✍🏿📖 (jalcine@todon.eu)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Aug-2024 01:44:50 JST Neo-Rodneyite: Yap Szn ✍🏿📖

     in reply to

     @ntnsndr Your book and these two are in this corner of my shelf called "Governance Beyond the State" and this thread is nudging my need to start it sooner

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Aug-2024 01:45:05 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     I'd love to know what you think!

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     Alexander Brăteanu 🇪🇺 (alexbrateanu@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Aug-2024 01:45:36 JST Alexander Brăteanu 🇪🇺

     in reply to

     @ntnsndr do you know the software liquidfeedback? I didn't read the developers book (https://liquidfeedback.com/en/book-the-principles-of-liquidfeedback.html) but used the software in my time at the German Pirate Party and I haven't seen such a good working machine for creating democratic decisions ever after. Not only yes or no answers but complex texts. Of course liquidfeedback wouldn't work in all scenarios but liquid democracy and some other concepts implemented by liquid feedback are, from my perspective, key to good online democracy.

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     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Aug-2024 01:45:36 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     Yes, it is definitely a helpful tool to have, though certainly not sufficient on its own.