Panel: We are Making the Tech We Want

The Tech We Want Summit took place between 17 and 18 October 2024 – in total, 43 speakers from 23 countries interacted with 700+ registered people about new practical ways to build software that is useful, simple, long-lasting, and focused on solving people’s real problems.

In this series of posts, OKFN brings you the documentation of each session, opening the content generated during these two intense days of reflection and joint work accessible and open.

Above is the video and below is a summary of the topics discussed in:

[Panel 4] We are Making the Tech We Want

17 October 2024 – 13:30 UTC

With the skills that the panellists have, it would be easier to work for the mainstream tech industry and just go with the flow. But they’ve all chosen a different path: making software that makes sense. In this conversation, we’ll share the trajectories of some open, free/libre, and alternative technologies, and discuss how to tip the scales in our favour amidst a solutionist discourse in an ultra-specialised industry.

Isabela Fernandes – Executive Director, The Tor Project
Patricio Del Boca – Tech Lead, OKFN [moderator]
Sid Drmay – Community Manager, Open Source Hardware Association
Denis ‘Jaromil’ Roio – Director, Dyne.org Foundation
Zoë Kooyman – Executive Director, Free Software Foundation
Angela Oduor Lungati – Executive Director, Ushahidi

Summary

The discussions focus on building sustainable, community-driven technology, the importance of open source hardware and software, and overcoming challenges such as the affordability of technical talent and the sustainability of open source initiatives. Key themes include the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, the role of education in software freedom, and the different challenges faced in different regions. Panellists also emphasise the need for community support, innovative funding models, and continued efforts to realise the tech we want that meets local and global needs.