I’ve been following a couple of ‘movements’ online for the last few months that I’ve found interesting and certainly share quite a few principles with but somehow I just don’t quite click with either of them.

I think the people behind (and supporting) redecentralize.org and indiewebcamp.com are almost certainly right in what they are trying to achieve. The idea of breaking up the digital cartels that control the web and making privacy a priority (hell even a possibility) is a mission that is clearly on the side of the angels.

Controlling your own content and data is also clearly increasingly appealing in this post-PRISM world of ours.

In particular the POSSE (Publish on your Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere) concept from the IndieWeb is something that appeals to me – albeit isn’t something I really follow. 99% of my writing is pretty much just here anyway and nobody else would be interested in it and the little bit of more personal or fun stuff I do I publish on Medium now as it is easy and I am enjoying playing with that platform. I guess when I am done experimenting over there I could export my content and move it to one of my own domains.

I think maybe it is the language both these ‘movements’ use that prevents me from really getting behind them. Geeky as I am I am no developer and both of these sites strike me as pretty intimidating if you aren’t from that world. Take a look at these Principles or check out any of these videos to see what I mean.

I think because of this they both smack of preaching to the converted when surely the issue is widen the appeal of these ideas not pitch them at another geek ghetto?

It is relatively early days for both of these groups so maybe I am expecting too much and they will become more accessible over time. I’ll certainly continue to keep an eye on both as the problems they are trying to attack are not going away anytime soon.