Another enjoyable newsletter, Ed, and it's great to hear your community's growing.
For me, independence means exactly the things you listed above: free from outside control; not subject to another's authority; not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence.
As you know, I think it's really worth thinking what they mean in the context of how we operate and communicate in the modern world. Basically, 'be the goalposts' — https://jacklowe.com/be-the-goalposts/ — and remember that excellent quote by Jaron Lanier:
“We cannot have a society in which, if two people wish to communicate, the only way that can happen is if it’s financed by a third person who wishes to manipulate them.”
Thanks for commenting Jack. Yes, it's all about thoughtfully moving towards what is best for me. But in all honesty, unless you are face-to-face, there's always a third party or apparatus manufacturer between to people communicating, whether it's BT, AT&T, Netscape, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or the myriad of others.
Indeed...we all rely on systems of some sort but there is a big difference between communication systems (BT et al) and communication platforms (Facebook et al). Wishing you continued good luck on the journey!
![The[ED]it](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F10fafd9a-1b10-453f-8b58-eac6fa884cd0_600x600.png)
Another enjoyable newsletter, Ed, and it's great to hear your community's growing.
For me, independence means exactly the things you listed above: free from outside control; not subject to another's authority; not depending on another for livelihood or subsistence.
As you know, I think it's really worth thinking what they mean in the context of how we operate and communicate in the modern world. Basically, 'be the goalposts' — https://jacklowe.com/be-the-goalposts/ — and remember that excellent quote by Jaron Lanier:
“We cannot have a society in which, if two people wish to communicate, the only way that can happen is if it’s financed by a third person who wishes to manipulate them.”
Keep well and keep 'em coming!
Jack
Thanks for commenting Jack. Yes, it's all about thoughtfully moving towards what is best for me. But in all honesty, unless you are face-to-face, there's always a third party or apparatus manufacturer between to people communicating, whether it's BT, AT&T, Netscape, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or the myriad of others.
Indeed...we all rely on systems of some sort but there is a big difference between communication systems (BT et al) and communication platforms (Facebook et al). Wishing you continued good luck on the journey!