Rescue Cafe- Escape Big Tech Workshop

This interactive workshop will give you an overview of the concerns about Big Tech, what alternatives there are, and how to transition.

Concerned about the power of, and dependence on, Big Tech platforms like X, Instagram, Microsoft and Google ? Want to learn more about alternatives? This interactive workshop will give you an overview of the concerns about Big Tech, what alternatives there are, and how to transition.Facilitated by Elaine Baker (on alternative social media) and Darren Flynn (on alternative software)

Elaine Baker - a parent and environmental activist living in Cloughjordan. She is working to support the Fediverse and other alternatives to surveillance-driven social- media platforms. She led the development of the xodus.online website which supports the movement away from toxic social media platforms towards alternative open de-centralised social media. She also co-founded mobilizon.ie - an Irish non-profit instance of Mobilizon, which is a Fediverse open-source software to empower community groups to publicise their events online without depending on big-tech profit-driven platforms. Elaine's other activism work is outlined at linksta.cc/@ElaineActivism
Darren Flynn is a multimedia practitioner and digital creator with nearly 40 years of experience across various disciplines. His roots lie in audio engineering and music production in the late 80's, through to video and multimedia digital content creation in the 2000's, up to the present where he also teaches music theory, digital music production and occasionally does astrophotography, weather permitting.Darren has leveraged digital technology throughout, whilst also pursuing open source practices using free and libre software. The Linux operating system is central to the open source community and Darren has been on a quiet campaign for the last number of years to help people move away from the planned obsolescence of big tech and on to suitable Linux / open source platforms.