'Decentralization' has emerged as a rallying cry to build a web where control is delegated away from central authorities and toward individuals. However, among the multitude of efforts to decentralize the web, there is a lack of consensus on how it should occur and what new centres of power will be cultivated in the process.

This talk traces decentralization through historical accounts of the development of the Internet, highlighting how architectural decentralization has served multiple dimensions of social and cultural power. It then discusses how two recent projects reimagine web culture and inscribe new values through the design of socio-technical systems. This analysis offers tools for researchers and designers to think beyond mere decentralization and more substantively engage with their social and epistemic commitments in the design of future internets.

Jack Jamieson: https://jackjamieson.net

Dawn Walker: http://dcwalker.ca

Our Networks: https://ournetworks.ca