At the core of my soul, I feel more true to myself as a self-hosted, open-source pirate than as a commercialized participant in the centralized, capitalistic Borg, publishing lightning videos that become clickbait.

At the same time, I find myself asking whether there is real value in receiving likes from people we will never meet, or whether engagement metrics serve little purpose beyond fueling the ego. Is it possible that the healthier path is to cultivate engagement through the organic process of handshakes at church, public meetings, conversations at community events, and genuine human interaction?

Perhaps the people who truly care about us will find our hearts more effectively through authentic relationships than they ever will through a profile page.

Legal Disclaimer: The use of the word “pirate” in this context does not communicate a past, present, or future violation of United States or Iowa law. Rather, it communicates a spirit of open, decentralized, and democratic distribution of speech, ideas, and conscience in a world that is increasingly governed by monetized algorithms fueled by the exploitation of human psychology for the benefit of the few, or the one.

#real

#authenticity