Abandoning Amazon
Convenience Comes at a Cost
Thanks to all who participated in our poll from the OpenSource Everything intro post!
We have already tackled the Smart Phone.
So now, as promised, we’re taking a look at Amazon.
None of these lists or suggestions claim to be comprehensive. Please feel free to drop additional resources and ideas in the comments!
Amazon Shopping
Amazon’s online marketplace provides unprecedented selection and convenience. You can get just about any product you can imagine, shipped to your door in a matter of days.
We know that energy is never created or destroyed, so what is the real cost? How are they able to offer all of this convenience and still make so much money?
Like most C@pItalist endeavors, Amazon does not shy away from extorting people and planet. But I’m not here to dig into that, I’m here to provide alternatives. Because we’re done funding the Tech Oligarchy and making the rich richer while they drain the planet and our fellow people.
My first set of suggestions have nothing to do with software or the internet. Rather, staying local and consuming less.
All of these community-oriented solutions already exist, and have OpenSource blueprints (linked above) if you want to get one started in your community. Not only do these solutions keep resources local and out of the Tech Oligarchy’s pockets, they foster real connection and community, waste less resources, and move us towards a fully circular economy.
That said, let’s see what technology does have to offer in this space.
Olio is a cool app that operates in a similar space as buy-nothing groups. It focuses on reducing waste and fostering community.
FarmFresh 24/7 is a virtual farmers market.
LittleFarmStore has created a digital bridge for Community-Sourced Agriculture.
OfferUp is similar to Facebook Marketplace.
Amazon Music
Right there with the many other music streaming providers, it has extorted artists and their beautiful creations to make a profit.
For the past couple of months, I have been helping to lead the engineering of the Sacred Sound App. Right now, the focus is bringing a vision to life for the Florestral community. They have recording studios, host concerts, and promote the creation and enjoyment of Sacred Music.
Since I have come on board, my OpenSource Everything approach has also been embraced. So now, our long-term goal is to build the app in such a way that we create the Internet of Music. It builds on top of the existing OpenSource Music project, Funkwhale. Once we get Sacred Sound fully launched, we will be contributing any of the new features we have created (custom metadata, music videos, live-streamed concerts, paid subscriptions, artist payouts, easy UI theming, etc) to the upstream Funkwhale project that are welcome.
Then we will begin implementing more Artist collectives on this platform, effectively creating the OpenSource Internet of Music. No Corporations, no ads, no middlemen. Just you, the artists, and Gratitude.
Amazon Video
Matching their streaming video selection and convenience is a similar story to their shopping experience. You simply can’t match it while also caring for people and planet.
And let’s be honest, a gigantic library of video for your streaming entertainment isn’t a need. This is one of those times when we need to acknowledge that Revolution won’t always be comfortable. Getting off the couch and doing something productive is the only way we’re going to plant enough gardens and build enough community resilience to be able to fully step away from C@pItalist systems.
Sharing video in general though — is a very useful tool for us to have. We need to keep building our collective OpenSource information pool. And to that end, I love PeerTube. More details coming on that in our next OpenSource Social Media Post.
Kindle
Books are amazing! Being able to access them quickly with a digital device could be such a boon towards our dream of OpenSourcing Everything. But how to do it without supporting Amazon?
Calibre is an OpenSource E-reader software project. They have options for multiple platforms, and even plugins to help you remove the DRM from books purchased on platforms like Kindle.
Also, make sure to check out your local library. Many of them now have digital apps where you can check out e-versions of many resources.
Amazon Web Services
AWS is a beast all its own and is big enough to require a devoted article looking at OpenSource Cloud hosting options. But you can get a preview of my thoughts in our prior article.
Gratitude
Thank you all for hopping in and following along. We are excited to be on this journey to OpenSource Everything with you. We have been blessed with an explosion of free subscribers these last few months!
As I said I would, I have made the jump from contract work, and am falling towards a dark sea of the unknown.
I have created a vacuum, trusting a siphon of abundance to flow. The bills are coming in, and I am doing my best to hold this trust. I would prefer to not go crawling back to working for C@pItali$ts, pulling my time away from working for all of us.
We now have enough free subscribers (and have lowered our living expenses enough) that I only need 10% of you to support us with a paid subscription to have our basic needs met. If you like the world we’re building towards — An OpenSource Network of Regenerative Communities — I am asking for your support.
In service to God, the Regenerative Renaissance, and OpenSourcing Everything.
My alternative to audible are a collection of apps. The mains ones are Libby and Libro.fm. Libro.fm is basically audible except your money goes to supporting a local, small bookstore of your choosing anywhere in the US. There’s also LibriVox which is a collection of free audio recordings of classic books like Dracula, Moby Dick, etc. The main thing to remember with Amazon is they get a bulk of their money from Prime memberships, which is how they can offer cheaper prices on everything. Anything to end this oligarchical takeover.
And I hope people get very serious about giving up Tesla and Starlink. Very serious.