diff --git a/src/_posts/2016-09-23-our-founding-principles.md b/src/_posts/2016-09-23-our-founding-principles.md index a8a83e4..23484f0 100644 --- a/src/_posts/2016-09-23-our-founding-principles.md +++ b/src/_posts/2016-09-23-our-founding-principles.md @@ -6,8 +6,64 @@ image: pic01.jpg category: values --- -Privacy. - -Transparency. +Autonomic is a workers co-operative. That means we are owned and run by our workers, not by bosses or investors. We make our +decisions collectively using consensus. It means we are committed to a set of basic principles of working on projects for social +good. We reject destructive and unsustainable practices within the tech industry. -Sustainability. +As individuals, we have become increasingly concerned with the levels of surveillance carried by nation states and corporations. +Everyone deserves the fundamental right to privacy and safety online as well as in the physical world. We seem to be moving ever +closer to a total reliance upon centralised services that mine our data for profit and are run in anything but our best interest as +users. + +There is another way. The philosophy of free and open source software allows for development guided not by profit alone, but instead +by the desires and inspiration of the developers and users. Rather than subjugating users, it aims to empower. Don't like the +specific direction a project is going in? Copy the code and start your own project and then share that with the world. Sharing is +always better than hoarding. Hoarding gets you nowhere good in the long run. You can't achieve happiness from piles of money alone. + +## Privacy + +We are committed to providing a platform for progressive projects and ideas that require accessible and modern infrastructure to +thrive and grow. + +We seek to minimise data collection and retention wherever possible. If you don't need it, don't collect it. + +We will utilise and recommend encryption wherever possible, especially if it is end to end encryption and has been well tested in +real life scenarios by non-technical users. + +We believe that unrestricted and uncensored access to the internet is a human right and we should all resist any attempts to stifle +the sharing of knowledge and experiences that helps build greater cooperation between people around the world. + + +## Transparency + +We don't give you any crap. If something is wrong, we'll let you know and we seek to communicate with our clients and the public in +an effective way. + +We use the software we recommend and deploy and are committed to using free (as in freedom) software wherever possible and seek to +contribute back to the projects we rely on where practical. + +We won't work with or for any organisations that are racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist or otherwise engage in oppressive +behaviour. + +We will share with the community anything that we make that is really cool and useful that will help build the software commons. + + +## Sustainability + +As a workers co-operative we aim to grow in a sustainable way. This means not taking venture capital or risky loans. We do this the +smart way through hard work. We are always learning and studying as we go. + +We are committed to learning more about about the ecological impact of technology. Whether that be the energy used by data centres +or the components in our computing devices. + +We are committed to investigating ways to making ecological choices in our daily lives just as in our business. Many of us are vegan +or vegetarian and we always use public transport or cycle where possible. + +We will engage with the wider co-operative movement and work together to grow our sector and begin to build a new world in the ashes +of the old. + + +We hope this basic statement of principles has given you an idea of where we are coming from and perhaps where we will go. The plan +is to revisit these ideas as we grow and access the impact of this project. We hope you will be a part of this adventure. + +Autonomic Co-operative