[tog] Self-hosting advocacy

[Éibhear]

Hi,

I would like to know if members of TOG are aware of any advocacy groups 
focused on promoting self-hosting, particularly as regards how it is 
affected by government policy.

For those not familiar with the notion, self-hosting is where someone 
sets up a service on the internet using their own resources. This could 
be a blog (e.g. using Wordpress), micro-blogging (e.g. using GNU Social 
or Mastodon), an instant messaging service (e.g. using XMPP or matrix). 
In my view, "using their own resources" means either setting up and 
managing the servers directly (e.g. in a home office) or buying 
computing power from a hosting provider.

If you're interested in learning more, there's a huge list of options at 
https://github.com/Kickball/awesome-selfhosted/.

The Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality is seeking submissions 
on "issues of online harassment, harmful communications and related 
offences"[1]. The deadline is the 20th September.

I am in the process of preparing a submission for the committee that 
will (I hope) serve to inform them of the potential impact any 
legislation may have on perfectly legal self-hosted services. I made a 
similar submission to the Department of Communications, Climate Action 
and the Environment in April this year[2][3].

I would like not to make a personal submission this time 'round, which 
is why I'm wondering if there might be a group already working on one. 
If there isn't such a group, I will then look into forming one. My 
thinking is that making a submission as an organisation may carry a 
small bit more weight than a personal one.

This won't be the last opportunity to make such a submission; the new 
Copyright Directive and Terrorism Content directive will inspire 
contributions to help protect self-hosting, so if there's an advocacy 
group, it will be active for the next few years.

If anyone is aware of any such group, or is interested in being part of 
one, please get in touch with me off-list. Contact details below.

Thanks,

Éibhear

[1] 
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/committees/submissions/20190808-committee-on-justice-and-equality-calls-for-submissions-on-online-harassment-and-harmful-communications/
[2] 
https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/consultations/Pages/Regulation-of-Harmful-Online-Content-and-the-Implementation-of-the-revised-Audiovisual-Media-Services-Directive.aspx
[3] 
https://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/consultations/Documents/86/submissions/Eibhear_O_HAnluain.pdf

-- 
Éibhear Ó hAnluain
Dublin, Ireland.
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