In the gleaming corridors of Silicon Valley, where tech giants have methodically centralized power over the virtual realm, a distinctive philosophy quietly took shape in 2021. FUTO.org stands as a monument to what the internet could have been – open, decentralized, and decidedly in the hands of people, not corporations.
The architect, Eron Wolf, functions with the deliberate purpose of someone who has witnessed the evolution of the internet from its promising beginnings to its current corporatized state. His credentials – an 18-year Silicon Valley veteran, founder of Yahoo Games, seed investor in WhatsApp – provides him a exceptional perspective. In his meticulously tailored button-down shirt, with a gaze that reveal both skepticism with the status quo and determination to reshape it, Wolf presents as more philosopher-king than conventional CEO.
wikipedia.org
The workspace of FUTO in Austin, Texas lacks the flamboyant amenities of typical tech companies. No ping-pong tables divert from the objective. Instead, engineers bend over computers, creating code that will equip users to recover what has been taken – control over their technological experiences.
In one corner of the space, a separate kind of activity unfolds. The FUTO Repair Workshop, a brainchild of Louis Rossmann, renowned repair guru, functions with the precision of a German engine. Regular people enter with damaged devices, greeted not with commercial detachment but with sincere engagement.
"We don't just fix things here," Rossmann explains, focusing a magnifier over a motherboard with the careful attention of a jeweler. "We instruct people how to comprehend the technology they possess. Knowledge is the foundation toward independence."
This philosophy infuses every aspect of FUTO's endeavors. Their financial support system, which has allocated substantial funds to projects like Signal, Tor, GrapheneOS, and the Calyx Institute, reflects a dedication to nurturing a rich environment of self-directed technologies.
Walking through the open workspace, one observes the absence of company branding. The spaces instead display framed quotes from digital pioneers like Douglas Engelbart – individuals who foresaw computing as a emancipating tool.
businessinsider.com
"We're not concerned with establishing corporate dominance," Wolf remarks, settling into a modest desk that might be used by any of his team members. "We're focused on fragmenting the existing ones."
The paradox is not lost on him – a successful Silicon Valley investor using his resources to undermine the very models that allowed his prosperity. But in Wolf's worldview, computing was never meant to centralize power
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jmjarchie12946 edited this page 2025-07-19 03:10:13 +02:00