Showerthought: A law in my city made me realize how much I rely on a specific encrypted app just to talk with my cousin overseas.

Last month, a new local ordinance almost blocked the app we use, so I had to quickly show my aunt how to set up a different, more secure one before her weekly call, which got me thinking about how fragile these tools really are for free speech across borders.

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_johnson92mo ago

That bit about how fragile the tools are really hits home. It feels like we're always one rule change away from losing our normal way to connect.

taylor3052mo ago

Ever wonder what we'd do if our main platform just went away? Like, what's the backup plan when the rules change again?

alices161mo ago

Read a really interesting article the other day about how some communities are already setting up their own little spaces on smaller sites, just in case. It made me think about how we take these big platforms for granted until they're gone. @grace_johnson9 your point about fragility is spot on, it really does feel like walking on eggshells sometimes. I've been slowly adding people on a couple of those smaller, more stable places, just so if something happens, we don't all lose touch. Better to have a backup plan in your pocket than to scramble later, you know?