Hi! Andrew Dunn here, co-founder at Oakland-based Siempo: a humane tech-inspired smartphone interface. We recently went open source, to collaborate with mission-aligned developers, designers, data scientists, marketers and more on prototyping the future of humane technology.
Our theory of change is that the faster this ecosystem builds examples that users can rally around, the faster Big Tech will adopt.
We’re building on Android, web, and soon iOS. Keen on attracting professionals with a diversity of life experiences and passion for this collective mission. Come on into the bunker and write the code that Apple, Google, Samsung and others will imitate in 2-4 years! Fill out this form and we’ll set up a chat
Wonderful to see some real builders of humane tech here, and that the Siempo launcher is well-liked by so many users.
I like your theory about Big Bad Tech adopting humane tech example, but I have another theory that Big Tech can’t fully compete with humane tech because they are the bad guys. Big Bad Tech will never meaningfully adopt humane tech, except to try to make them superficially look like good guys. Maximising their profits requires extreme greed and taking advantage people in every sneaky way that they can get away with.
I see so much potential in your development, because whoever controls the platform controls the user. Google created Android for the sneaky reason of being able to track and control people. Platforms and services are not at all neutral, actually it is the opposite. Android traps people in an entire ecosystem of inhumane shit which they can never escape, all controlled by Google. Your opportunity is to make a humane platform, starting with the launcher and then I hope moving to other parts of the OS.
But you will have to accept not maximising profits, probably much lower profits or nonprofit, so you can put users first. However once you put users first and do it transparently and can be trusted, and once you have a humane platform, there is no limit to how much humane tech you can build on top of it. That is because given a choice, users will choose to be in a humane system which works for them instead of being in a system that only takes advantage of them.
Good luck, and hope that you make the kinds of Good things that Big Bad Tech would never want to copy.
I’m installing the Android version and checking it out. If there’s a need to help with design please let me know. I’ll see how much time I can allocate to help with UX.
I’m excited to learn about Siempo, and hope to find time to contribute.
One suggestion: your team might want to enable issues on your github repos. I installed and uninstalled your desktop extension because I want the per-site timers, but don’t want the new tab experience. I’d have filed a bug, but didn’t see any way to do so.
Also, I’d like to encourage you to apply for Mozilla’s MOSS grant, under the Mission Partners track, which could potentially provide funding for some of your development activity:
Note that I’m a Mozilla employee, but I’m not directly involved with MOSS.
