Knitting Our Internet is a face-to-faceworkshop about the Internet. It consists of an interactive journey through its history and a collective rethinking of its future.
The lab provides tangible examples on how the Internet actually works, questioning the very essence of today’s mainstream social networks. Its main purpose is to expose the critical limits of surveillance capitalism, centralization, and its environmental impact.
After aknowledging the challenges the digital domain is currently facing, participants are encouraged to reinterpret social networks starting from decentralization, envisioning more human, collective, and participatory digital futures.
Host the workshop! 🪢
This workshop is conceived to happen exclusively in person: this website only contains information about it.
You are welcome to invite me (Tommi, the creator) to host the workshop and bring a personal touch to it! Otherwise, I produced The Weaver Kit, which contains all the materials and information to help you in hosting the workshop yourself.
During the first semester of 2023, while writing my bachelor’s thesis, I got an idea for a simple yet critical and accurate introduction the Fediverse to non-experts. Enriched by the research for his thesis, the content and structure of the workshop changed and matured over time, adapting to very diverse publics of any age and background.
In June 2024, after having hosted the workshop in many occasions I decided to deepen my work on Knitting Our Internet, also involving some friends to give it a visual identity, a better structure, and publish its website—the one you are reading right now.
It is not merely rhethorical: this workshop is truly for everyone! This workshop was concieved to adapt to any public and environment, by design.
It is inter-disciplinary, because it highlights the profoundly socio-political nature of something that is usually considered from a merely technical point of view. Furthermore, the workshop is meant to be contaminated by different forms of art and approaches.
It is inter-generational, because it can be very powerful as a simple and entertaining game for kids, as a profound reflection on the digital domain for the elders, but also as an opportunity to approach the same topic from the perspective of different generations.
It is international, because this whole website and the workshop material can be translated in any language!
It is critical but welcoming, because it is very opinionated and strongly positioned politically, but it is also open to critiques, aiming to be a truly safe space even if the participants do not know each other.
It is truly accessible. Despite “accessibility” being a widely popular but misused buzzword, since the beginning this workshop was built to be a meaningful experience also for people coming from under-represented minorities or with disabilities. The accessibility of Knitting Our Internet is deeply relational: only by interacting and through the guidance of the host the experience can be inclusive and safe for all.
As a proudly independent project Knitting Our Internet is meant to be collective and collaborative. Not only contributions are welcome, but they are the essence of this workshop!
Every detail of Knitting Our Internet costed a lot of work.
At the moment, I have no funding whatsoever: all the expenses I face come out of my pockets. Even though I definitely do not do this for profit (I hate capitalism), it would help a lot if you could chip in with a donation you can afford.
If you think you can help me with the workflow or with the technical infrastructure of this website, please do not hesitate to open a pull request on Codeberg or on GitHub! The source code is open for you to play with!
🗣️ Translate
Translate the content of this website and the workshop materials to enable non English speakers to get involved!
Make our voices heard and reclaim Our Internet! Share ournet.rocks and join our fight!
It would be particularly meaningful if you knew anyone organizing events or actively participating in communities that would be interested in hosting the workshop. Connect us!
🤗 Contribution philosophy
When considering the idea of involving other people and ask for their time and effort, I did not want to do so for the sake of friendship only, but at the same time I do not have the funds to pay their work either.
For these reasons, this whole project is brought forward on the principles of mutual aid and personal curiosity.
If you are interested in learning more, read the introductory email I sent to the first people he invited to collaborate.