diff --git a/content/blog/dark-side-of-centralization.md b/content/blog/dark-side-of-centralization.md index f689f3fd..9caabf0a 100644 --- a/content/blog/dark-side-of-centralization.md +++ b/content/blog/dark-side-of-centralization.md @@ -1,13 +1,31 @@ --- title: "Dark Side of Centralization" date: 2023-05-01T12:57:56+06:00 -featureImage: images/blog/blog-post-5.jpg +featureImage: images/blog/darkclouds.jpg author: David Young authorThumb: images/author/david.png --- -Think piece on the dark side of centralization. +Much like the incredible expense of all the software-as-a-service offerings today, when taken in aggragate, in the 1960s and 1970s, computing was a "big company" sport because of expense. Large computer companies sold mainframes and smaller mainframes (called "minis") and were very content with the status quo and profits. -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-1.jpg) +When the idea of personal computers came along, no establish computer company had any desire to play along. In fact, when Steve Wozniak created the Apple I personal computer, he offered it to his employer Hewlett-Packard five times but the big-computing company had no interest. + +We know the rest of the story, the industry radically de-centralized and the rise of personal computers brought in innovations such as local-area-networks, client-server, and, ultimately, the internet *as used* by the world-wide-web. + +But, in a story as old as time, as companies sought ways to "monetize" what were entirely open protocols and data structures on the web (despite all the efforts of the old, bad Microsoft), the internet became more and more "centralized" around a few "big company" and "big computer" vendors. + +We are back to the 1970s and another revolution is in the making. But the purpose of this piece isn't to explain the future, but to examine why the present isn't a place for stasis. + +Centralization, whether in politics, economics, technology, or in a more esoteric area such as heuristics, is the attempt to offer "simplification" in exchange for "pacification". What I mean by that is the "central planners" argue that, as the "experts", they are better equipped to to understand ("heuristics") a given situation, and so their "solution" is best made for "me" or "you". + +Radical "centralization" leads to very bad ends. Without motivation, the clients of centralization have to will to innovate and become mere consumers of the centralized "product". Further, without any alternatives, the "product" increases in real price over time. Finally, even though the "product" price increases, the quality of the same "product" decreases since there is no reason for the center to innovate or improve. Of course, these behaviors manifest to varying degrees as a given economy (a centralization) moves from decentralization to centralization. + +The opposite of "centralization" can be such a radical "decentralization" that it becomes practically impossible for each of us to coordinate any sort of cooperation or society. This is just as true in culture as it is in technology. There are currently efforts to "decentralize" treating everyone,frankly, as an individual "centralizer" rather than a more natural economy where each of us participate in each other's particular sets of talents, offerings and capabilities. + +When a society is centralized the particular capabilities of the individual, the small team, are devalued over time for the capabilities of the centralizing "authority". + +Can we "innovate" with respect to the offerings of Amazon Web Services, for example? Does Apple allow my team to offer new key technologies as part of the Macintosh operating system? No. But the precise opportunties are offered with Linux or in the ways Docker of Joyent's SmartOS operate. + +![blog image](/images/blog/centralization.jpg) diff --git a/content/blog/digital-sovereign-toolbox.md b/content/blog/digital-sovereign-toolbox.md index 879bad77..655424fa 100644 --- a/content/blog/digital-sovereign-toolbox.md +++ b/content/blog/digital-sovereign-toolbox.md @@ -1,12 +1,20 @@ --- title: "Digital Sovereign Toolbox" date: 2023-05-26T20:18:07+06:00 -featureImage: images/blog/blog-post-6.jpg +featureImage: images/blog/sunrise.jpg author: Blake Burris authorThumb: images/author/blake.png --- -Using Pop OS, Graphene, Federated Core and other Open Source tools +At Federated, we try to put our tools, our digital tools, where our mouth is. We don't used centralized software for almost nothing to run our business preferring to use Federated Core and other self-hosted open-source projects. -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-1.jpg) +While we have systems running (virtual machines) for Windows and macOS testing, we run Linux on the desktop with most of us choosing to run [Pop!_OS](https://pop.system76.com/). The "tile windows" manager and integration with Federated services makes this a winner. + +We also use [System 76 Pangolin](https://system76.com/laptops/pangolin) laptops. Very attractive, tough enclusure, good battery life. + +Most of us use [GrapheneOS](https://grapheneos.org/) on a Google Pixel (because that's the hardware supported and it is pretty good). Graphene has a sand-box feature allowing use of certain stock Android apps with a minimum of risk. + +It's true, when we moved from macOS/iOS or Windows/Android to these new, digital sovereign, tools there was a learning curve. But that is often the case when changing tools. But it is nice to know we are doing our small part to break free of the big "centralizers" who want acces and control over all of our digital lives. + +![blog image](/images/blog/popos.jpg) diff --git a/content/blog/federated-founders-and-our-joyent-history.md b/content/blog/federated-founders-and-our-joyent-history.md index 1e21238f..d144d7b1 100644 --- a/content/blog/federated-founders-and-our-joyent-history.md +++ b/content/blog/federated-founders-and-our-joyent-history.md @@ -1,31 +1,34 @@ --- title: "Federated Founders and Our Joyent History" date: 2020-09-06T20:18:07+06:00 -featureImage: images/blog/blog-post-2.jpg -author: Blake Burris -authorThumb: images/author/blake.png +featureImage: images/blog/joyent.jpg +author: David Young +authorThumb: images/author/david.png --- -A lot has changed about how we work, and most people have no choice but to transition to working from home. But even before the pandemic, an increasing number of people bid goodbye to their onerous commute to become freelancers and telecommuters. Thanks to ever-evolving technologies such as Skype, Zoom, Facetime, Google Hangouts, Slack, and cloud computing, it’s no longer necessary to be in an office to be productive. In fact, most tasks can be done just as effectively from home. +### The Origins of Federated -Working from home can be one of the greatest perks of doing freelance work. But as appealing as remote work sounds, it comes with several challenges. What if you need something important from the office that you have no access to? What if loneliness takes over and you experience time management problems? What if you lose connection with colleagues? What if you’re overwhelmed by other home-related distractions like family members, pets, and electronics? +Most of the founders of Federated Computer come from an earlier company that worked on decentralization called "Joyent". You can read some of that story in a blog post I wrote when Joyent was sold to Samsung at [this link](https://davidpaulyoungdotcom.wordpress.com/2016/06/17/a-brief-history-of-joyent/). -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-1.jpg) +![blog image](/images/blog/earlyjoyent.png) -If you need inspiration, we've compiled some awesome information from the top-performing professionals in the industry. These are answers to commonly asked questions from artists you may never get to meet in person, and we combined them in one freaking sweet book. +The picture above shows the first few engineers and designers who worked on Joyent, including the now tremendously successful Apple, Dallas Cowboys, and other topics blogger and podcast [John Gruber](https://daringfireball.net/) in the red shirt. -Download Experiment. Fail. Repeat and discover the secrets of the universe! Or, you know, just get encouraged, which ever you most prefer is totally fine. +At Joyent, we started with a project to bring office and productivity applications to the world using browsers (before Google drive and mail were a thing), and we ended up inventing a way to programmatically sell parts of a datacenter (cloud computing) because that is exactly the product we needed to work on our office suite. -## Working from Home: Healthy Practices to Stay Productive +Well, the cloud became a very big thing, but the "big companie" came in, as is often the case, and now dominate "cloud". -- Setting a Healthy Routine -- Proper Ergonomics -- Exercise Regularly -- Find Work-Life Balance When Working from Home -- Dealing with Family Members and Coworkers +So a few of us from the Joyent days, after some detours into ice cream, BBQ, oil well services, and professional hockey, decided we needed to work on another company that would provide Customers with an opportunity to use cloud applications and services without the constant surveillance, privacy invasions, extreme prices, and confusing or non-existant integrations of the current "regime". As Herb Kellher the founder of Southwest Airlines said at the beginning of that Customer friendly company "this ain't right" and so, like Herb, we sat down and drew out our plans on a Nextcloud-self-hosted "napkin". -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-4.jpg) +David, Blake, Barry, and Derek started this company, and we are fully committed to pringing the best of the spirit of decentralization and personal and team liberty to our Customers and Partners in everything we do. (Psst. There's no picture of us together, yet, since we've never all been in the same place. The realities of a fully decentralized, distributed organization.) -We are creatures of habit – and that is because routine helps us both mentally and physically to prepare for things. One of the benefits of working from home is flexibility. It might be tempting to roll out of bed and onto your couch and starting checking emails or browsing through social media, but you’ll need to establish a schedule when it comes to working remotely. +### Federated Manifesto -What’s goes into your schedule is a guide on what you’re supposed to do at a specific time. Get up early in the morning, take a shower, prepare a cup of coffee and take breakfast, then get dressed as if you’re actually reporting to work. You don’t have to wear a suit and a tie, but you’ll need to prepare for the day the same way you do while going to the office. Set regular working hours and include breaks and meal times. In the end, a routine can be extremely powerful at helping you get started every day. +Here's our "manifesto". + +1. It shouldn't be hard to self-host and get away from the "centralizers". But it is. We want to solve this. Your keys, your computer. +2. If Customers are on their own infrastructure, VMs, whatever, we must provide ways for developers to offer solutions to them that interoperated with the other solutions used by those customers. +3. Open source allows us to offer high-value for a sane price. The price always needs to promote maximum adoption. +4. Every Customer or Team will, in time, become their own financial institution as the centralization of money continues to break down. Bitcoin is the key to that solution and we will deeply and fully integrate bitcoin, and the side networks helping with bitcoin adoption, into every facet of our take of Customer solutions. +5. Connect our digital self-sovereign efforts with a broaded cultural urge towards self-sovereignty. No global reset, instead a sovereign reset. +6. Stop being a bitch. Let's get this done. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/content/blog/how-we-built-federated-core.md b/content/blog/how-we-built-federated-core.md deleted file mode 100644 index 0a4f854a..00000000 --- a/content/blog/how-we-built-federated-core.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: "How We Built Federated Core" -date: 2023-04-15T20:18:07+06:00 -featureImage: images/blog/blog-post-3.jpg -author: David Young -authorThumb: images/author/david.png ---- - -Buildinf Federated Core - -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-1.jpg) - - diff --git a/content/blog/in-praise-of-thunderbird.md b/content/blog/in-praise-of-thunderbird.md index 5243499b..9ba846f7 100644 --- a/content/blog/in-praise-of-thunderbird.md +++ b/content/blog/in-praise-of-thunderbird.md @@ -1,13 +1,13 @@ --- title: "In Praise of Thunderbird" date: 2023-05-02T20:18:07+06:00 -featureImage: images/blog/blog-post-6.jpg +featureImage: images/blog/thunderbird.jpg author: Blake Burris authorThumb: images/author/blake.png --- Why the new Thunderbird deserves our respect. -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-1.jpg) +![blog image](/images/blog/thunderbirdscreen.jpg) diff --git a/content/blog/introducing-federated-core.md b/content/blog/introducing-federated-core.md index 628bcdc1..cd66cabb 100644 --- a/content/blog/introducing-federated-core.md +++ b/content/blog/introducing-federated-core.md @@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Software should be easy. Open-source is at the center of the success of Federated Core. We plan to announce in the very near future concrete plans to contribute money from Customer subscriptions back to the open-source projects that make up Federated Core. -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-4.jpg) +![blog image](/images/blog/federatedscreen.jpg) ### Thanks diff --git a/content/blog/power-of-free-and-open-source.md b/content/blog/power-of-free-and-open-source.md index e34c31ef..f61a5d28 100644 --- a/content/blog/power-of-free-and-open-source.md +++ b/content/blog/power-of-free-and-open-source.md @@ -1,12 +1,12 @@ --- title: "Power of Free and Open-Source" date: 2023-04-27T12:59:58+06:00 -featureImage: images/blog/blog-post-3.jpg +featureImage: images/blog/highcountry.png author: Blake Burris authorThumb: images/author/blake.png --- Thinkpiece on free and open source software. -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-3.jpg) +![blog image](/images/blog/opensource.jpg) diff --git a/content/blog/stop-being-a-bitch.md b/content/blog/stop-being-a-bitch.md index 4a17765c..c93461b4 100644 --- a/content/blog/stop-being-a-bitch.md +++ b/content/blog/stop-being-a-bitch.md @@ -1,13 +1,13 @@ --- title: "Stop Being a Bitch" date: 2023-05-027T20:18:07+06:00 -featureImage: images/blog/blog-post-5.jpg +featureImage: images/blog/bitch.png author: Barry Goers authorThumb: images/author/barry.png --- Change to open-source solutions means a change in workflow. -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-1.jpg) +![blog image](/images/blog/davidgoggins.jpg) diff --git a/content/blog/the-future-of-cloud-computing.md b/content/blog/the-future-of-cloud-computing.md index 5b82b05e..449a0e14 100644 --- a/content/blog/the-future-of-cloud-computing.md +++ b/content/blog/the-future-of-cloud-computing.md @@ -1,31 +1,37 @@ --- title: " The Future of Cloud Computing" date: 2023-05-25T20:18:07+06:00 -featureImage: images/blog/blog-post-1.jpg +featureImage: images/blog/clouds.jpg author: David Young authorThumb: images/author/david.png --- -A lot has changed about how we work, and most people have no choice but to transition to working from home. But even before the pandemic, an increasing number of people bid goodbye to their onerous commute to become freelancers and telecommuters. Thanks to ever-evolving technologies such as Skype, Zoom, Facetime, Google Hangouts, Slack, and cloud computing, it’s no longer necessary to be in an office to be productive. In fact, most tasks can be done just as effectively from home. +### Cloud 1.0 -Working from home can be one of the greatest perks of doing freelance work. But as appealing as remote work sounds, it comes with several challenges. What if you need something important from the office that you have no access to? What if loneliness takes over and you experience time management problems? What if you lose connection with colleagues? What if you’re overwhelmed by other home-related distractions like family members, pets, and electronics? +At Joyent, my previous startup, we literally invented "cloud computing". We figured developers would appreciate the ability to purchase an "on-demand data center" in order to build web applications at scale without the enormous up-front infrastructure costs previously associated with datacenters. + +This all seems like old-hat today, but at the time, in the early 2000s, we were felt like pioneers. ![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-1.jpg) -If you need inspiration, we've compiled some awesome information from the top-performing professionals in the industry. These are answers to commonly asked questions from artists you may never get to meet in person, and we combined them in one freaking sweet book. +### Centralization Sucks -Download Experiment. Fail. Repeat and discover the secrets of the universe! Or, you know, just get encouraged, which ever you most prefer is totally fine. +What happened with cloud infrastructure is a story, in the technology universe, as old as time. All the innovative companies were bought up by those companies with large checkbooks and the concentration of offerings results in much higher prices, lower flexibility, and constant threats of "de-platforming" if the work done on the "big cloud" isn't "approved". -## Working from Home: Healthy Practices to Stay Productive +While it is still true the *initial* capex and opex of "Cloud 1.0" is a vast imrpovement over the old datacenter, over time the costs of "Cloud 1.0" balloon to be much more expensive. The APIs and services offered by these centralized clouds either don't keep up, change arbitrarily, represent significant lock-in, and don't quite do what the developer, the Customer wants/needs. -- Setting a Healthy Routine -- Proper Ergonomics -- Exercise Regularly -- Find Work-Life Balance When Working from Home -- Dealing with Family Members and Coworkers +### Cloud 2.0 -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-4.jpg) +Federated Computer exists to work on a new model for cloud computing. We seek to build a distributted, point-to-point cloud that devolves control and innovation away from the "centralizer" back to the developer/Customer. -We are creatures of habit – and that is because routine helps us both mentally and physically to prepare for things. One of the benefits of working from home is flexibility. It might be tempting to roll out of bed and onto your couch and starting checking emails or browsing through social media, but you’ll need to establish a schedule when it comes to working remotely. +In order to do this, Federated Computer and industry partners working on this shift, must continue to work on a few challenges, among others. -What’s goes into your schedule is a guide on what you’re supposed to do at a specific time. Get up early in the morning, take a shower, prepare a cup of coffee and take breakfast, then get dressed as if you’re actually reporting to work. You don’t have to wear a suit and a tie, but you’ll need to prepare for the day the same way you do while going to the office. Set regular working hours and include breaks and meal times. In the end, a routine can be extremely powerful at helping you get started every day. +1. We must standardize ways to enable distributed "devops" without access to the data/secrets on a machine. I believe there are a number of ways to begin to tackle this problem. At Federated Computer, we are using a technology invented at Google called a "macaroon" to allow fine-grained access to a system without being "root". + +2. Communication between systems must be decoupled so that a Customer can decide to "subscribe" to "devops" services from Vendor A or Vendor B beased on their needs rather than the needs of the Vendor. Federated is using "Nostr" as a platform for systems communications. This allows for full privacy, full control for the Customer. + +3. Ultimately, we must address abilities for Customers (end-users) to re-mix data principles from various "applications" into a single view for their own business. This is in *no way* a new idea. Earlier projects like Apple's "Cyberdog" attempted ways to publish/subscribe into a single "frame" allowing customers/developers to build for-purpose applications. Earlier web technologies like RSS began to explore these options, but were swept away by a rush to "control". + +### The "Why" for Federated Computer + +If you want to know the "why" of Federated Computer, this is it. We want to disrupt the enormous world-wide cloud-computing industry with a new paradigm for cloud that is free, inexpensive, and interoperable. diff --git a/content/blog/we-built-federated-using-federated.md b/content/blog/we-built-federated-using-federated.md index 9635451b..e34ddbe7 100644 --- a/content/blog/we-built-federated-using-federated.md +++ b/content/blog/we-built-federated-using-federated.md @@ -1,11 +1,11 @@ --- -title: "We Build Federated Using Federated" -date: 2020-09-05T20:18:07+06:00 -featureImage: images/blog/blog-post-3.jpg +title: "We Built Federated Using Federated" +date: 2023-05-02 +featureImage: images/blog/federatedmountains.jpg author: Derek Crudgington authorThumb: images/author/derek.png --- hugo, gitea, caddy -![blog image](/images/blog/single-blog-1.jpg) +![blog image](/images/blog/climbingmountain.jpg) diff --git a/content/merchandise.md b/content/merchandise.md index 2d5f4697..0a911197 100644 --- a/content/merchandise.md +++ b/content/merchandise.md @@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ description: "Stuff you can buy to show you are Federated." Want to live the Federated lifestyle? Then you'll need a "founder's 2022 belt buckle". These buckles are limited edition, made to order, and will tell everyone in the room "Hey, I think 'centralization sucks!'". The belt buckle is four and a half inches across, made from silver, studded with costume cubic zarconia "jewels" and on-of-a-kind. These won't last long. US$120. -[![image](/images/general/beltbuckle.jpg)](https://buy.stripe.com/3cs2am01i485b965kl) +[![image](/images/general/beltbuckle.jpg)](https://ee620c.myshopify.com/cart/45448097825086:1?channel=buy_button) -Please click on the **[Buckle up!](https://buy.stripe.com/3cs2am01i485b965kl)** link or the image to buy. +Please click on the **[Buckle up!](https://ee620c.myshopify.com/cart/45448097825086:1?channel=buy_button)** link or the image to buy. Bitcoin payments are accepted. Belt *not* included. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/public/blog/dark-side-of-centralization/index.html b/public/blog/dark-side-of-centralization/index.html index 1b6ba6fb..5cabc428 100644 --- a/public/blog/dark-side-of-centralization/index.html +++ b/public/blog/dark-side-of-centralization/index.html @@ -155,8 +155,17 @@
-

Think piece on the dark side of centralization.

-

blog image

+

Much like the incredible expense of all the software-as-a-service offerings today, when taken in aggragate, in the 1960s and 1970s, computing was a “big company” sport because of expense. Large computer companies sold mainframes and smaller mainframes (called “minis”) and were very content with the status quo and profits.

+

When the idea of personal computers came along, no establish computer company had any desire to play along. In fact, when Steve Wozniak created the Apple I personal computer, he offered it to his employer Hewlett-Packard five times but the big-computing company had no interest.

+

We know the rest of the story, the industry radically de-centralized and the rise of personal computers brought in innovations such as local-area-networks, client-server, and, ultimately, the internet as used by the world-wide-web.

+

But, in a story as old as time, as companies sought ways to “monetize” what were entirely open protocols and data structures on the web (despite all the efforts of the old, bad Microsoft), the internet became more and more “centralized” around a few “big company” and “big computer” vendors.

+

We are back to the 1970s and another revolution is in the making. But the purpose of this piece isn’t to explain the future, but to examine why the present isn’t a place for stasis.

+

Centralization, whether in politics, economics, technology, or in a more esoteric area such as heuristics, is the attempt to offer “simplification” in exchange for “pacification”. What I mean by that is the “central planners” argue that, as the “experts”, they are better equipped to to understand (“heuristics”) a given situation, and so their “solution” is best made for “me” or “you”.

+

Radical “centralization” leads to very bad ends. Without motivation, the clients of centralization have to will to innovate and become mere consumers of the centralized “product”. Further, without any alternatives, the “product” increases in real price over time. Finally, even though the “product” price increases, the quality of the same “product” decreases since there is no reason for the center to innovate or improve. Of course, these behaviors manifest to varying degrees as a given economy (a centralization) moves from decentralization to centralization.

+

The opposite of “centralization” can be such a radical “decentralization” that it becomes practically impossible for each of us to coordinate any sort of cooperation or society. This is just as true in culture as it is in technology. There are currently efforts to “decentralize” treating everyone,frankly, as an individual “centralizer” rather than a more natural economy where each of us participate in each other’s particular sets of talents, offerings and capabilities.

+

When a society is centralized the particular capabilities of the individual, the small team, are devalued over time for the capabilities of the centralizing “authority”.

+

Can we “innovate” with respect to the offerings of Amazon Web Services, for example? Does Apple allow my team to offer new key technologies as part of the Macintosh operating system? No. But the precise opportunties are offered with Linux or in the ways Docker of Joyent’s SmartOS operate.

+

blog image

diff --git a/public/blog/digital-sovereign-toolbox/index.html b/public/blog/digital-sovereign-toolbox/index.html index 148f7633..dada1481 100644 --- a/public/blog/digital-sovereign-toolbox/index.html +++ b/public/blog/digital-sovereign-toolbox/index.html @@ -155,8 +155,12 @@
-

Using Pop OS, Graphene, Federated Core and other Open Source tools

-

blog image

+

At Federated, we try to put our tools, our digital tools, where our mouth is. We don’t used centralized software for almost nothing to run our business preferring to use Federated Core and other self-hosted open-source projects.

+

While we have systems running (virtual machines) for Windows and macOS testing, we run Linux on the desktop with most of us choosing to run Pop!_OS. The “tile windows” manager and integration with Federated services makes this a winner.

+

We also use System 76 Pangolin laptops. Very attractive, tough enclusure, good battery life.

+

Most of us use GrapheneOS on a Google Pixel (because that’s the hardware supported and it is pretty good). Graphene has a sand-box feature allowing use of certain stock Android apps with a minimum of risk.

+

It’s true, when we moved from macOS/iOS or Windows/Android to these new, digital sovereign, tools there was a learning curve. But that is often the case when changing tools. But it is nice to know we are doing our small part to break free of the big “centralizers” who want acces and control over all of our digital lives.

+

blog image

diff --git a/public/blog/federated-founders-and-our-joyent-history/index.html b/public/blog/federated-founders-and-our-joyent-history/index.html index c8a597c7..f55f5bf3 100644 --- a/public/blog/federated-founders-and-our-joyent-history/index.html +++ b/public/blog/federated-founders-and-our-joyent-history/index.html @@ -133,11 +133,11 @@