Towards Digital Autonomy – What Is #SovereignByDesign?
Over the last couple of weeks, as you may remember, I have mentioned how both Distance Working and Digital Autonomy are going to be key themes of reflection and discussion in this blog going forward. There is one other major topic I’d like to focus on as well. One that’s dear to my heart. One that has defined my own views, and work / life experiences, around the Open Social Web, both within the workplace and out there on the Internet, since the mid-90s. One I’ve never gotten tired of writing thousands of blog posts and articles ever since. In fact, it’s that one single theme that connects the dots for all three subjects. One I didn’t have the chance to sit down and define, till now. Time to introduce it then, I guess, shall we?. Here you go. Here is #SovereignByDesign.
Before I dive into it, allow me to perhaps share some additional background info as to why I’ve decided to put into words now what has been in my mind all along. Before I didn’t see a need for it. I seriously thought it was a given. I know, perhaps a bit too naïve from my side. I need to become accountable to it now. It’s time. It’s time to put into words a definition that allows me to demonstrate to myself, and to others!, why I’m still such a strong advocate and supporter of working from anywhere after 25+ years and how for that to become an effective knowledge (Web) work strategy to strive for digital autonomy, away from US Big Tech, is the key enabler to make it all happen. You will see what I mean shortly, after I share below the definition I put together. So what is #SovereignByDesign?
“A deliberate commitment to digital autonomy: our data, connections, identities, and communities governed by consent, transparency, and shared principles—not by corporate extraction or algorithmic control. Open protocols and intentional architecture make it achievable, restoring human agency to the heart of the web we inhabit. More than just a mere hashtag, it’s a movement to architect a digital world that truly honours our collective dignity and potential.”
There is one key word in that definition I put together a couple of months back that also defines what I’m currently working on: Communities. You’ll remember how in a previous blog post I wrote a little bit about my work background, i.e. consulting / advising organisations, both in the private and public sectors, about Knowledge Management, Collaboration, Community Building, Learning, Change Management, Social Networking for Business, Digital Enablement, Digital Workplace / Transformation, etc. But in the last 3 years I’ve been working exclusively on something else. I no longer work with organisations, but with people, in communities. Specially, with one of them that was sparked out of an idea I had back in 2014 and that it, finally, became reality in November 2023.
But I will talk more about it at a later time, because I also plan to write different blog posts about what it is like building, nurturing and sustaining online communities, of whatever the type (i.e. Of Practice, Interest, Purpose, etc.), for long-term impact and success in creating a stronger sense of belonging and purpose, both inside and outside of organisations, to be able to do our best knowledge work yet! Ever heard of Communityship as an operating model?
You can see though how it is all coming together, right? How all of these topics are interconnected as part of a bigger transformation process in terms of not only how we view work, but also how we live our lives as an interconnected / hyperconnected, digital society. That’s what I’m fully committing to: think global, act locally.
Distance Working, Digital Autonomy, #SovereignByDesign and Building (Online) Communities. In a nutshell, these are the major core themes you can expect to see in this blog from here onwards. Of course, I’ll also be writing about fun stuff, specially, about the activities and projects I’ve embarked on to fill in the gaps of the time, energy, intent and effort I no longer spend on those traditional Social Media platforms I’ve abandoned and deleted from my life for good in December last year. It’s now a good time to find a new (blogging) voice. With style and taste. And, above all, still having way too much fun altogether!
On my terms, not theirs.
