Collective Endeavours: Shaping Through Community

My work has never been a solitary effort. From grassroots edtech to experiments with decentralised networks, communities have been important spaces for developing my ideas. This part of the Archive records the collective groups that supported my thinking.

TeachMeet / Edtech: The Early Spark

The TeachMeet movement started around 2008. It was an active heart for educators who were interested in how technology could change learning. My work with the Becta Open Source advisory group during this time showed my interest in how communities are built. Those were days of unconferences and a sense that technology could truly change education. My writing on community building from this era shows my early focus on collective action.

Open Badges: Promise and Enclosure

Between 2012 and 2019, I was part of the Open Badges community. This global effort, led by Mozilla and others, tried to create portable digital credentials. It was a time of intense work on an open recognition system. However, the experience also taught me about the enclosure of open standards. My post "Goodbye DigitalMe" records that shift. It was a lesson in how open ideas can be pressured by commercial interests.

The Weeknotes Crew: Rhythm and Accountability

I started writing "weeknotes"—regular public reflections on my work—around 2010. This became a steady habit between 2018 and 2026. I was part of a loose group of people doing the same thing. This shared rhythm of public reflection provided accountability and support for my thinking. My weeknote from 2020 shows how this practice worked as a community bond.

We Are Open Co-op: A Model of Collaboration

The We Are Open Co-op, active between 2016 and 2026, was a way to practice flat hierarchy and worker ownership. We worked with many organisations while testing alternative ways of working. The co-op closed in May 2026, which was an important chapter in my work on co-operative economics and organisation.

Bonfire / Fediverse / Catalyst: Building Alternatives

From 2020 to 2025, I was involved with groups looking at decentralisation. This was a time of building ethical digital alternatives. My work with projects like Bonfire, mentioned in my Bonfire beta post, was about creating digital commons. It was an effort to move from theory to actual infrastructure.

IndieWeb / micro.blog: The Result of Unbundling

Between 2023 and 2026, my work with the IndieWeb movement was the result of my focus on platform unbundling. This community focused on personal data ownership and self-hosting. My moves between platforms were statements about digital autonomy. This Archive is proof of those principles—a curated, owned digital home.

These collective efforts have shaped my work. They are foundational chapters that show how ideas are tested in community. They are all carefully preserved here in the Archive.