Module 6: Forging the Anvil

Duration: 2 weeks Type: Tool Building & System Creation

Module Overview

You've learned to preserve the dead. Now it's time to forge tools for the living.

In this module, you'll build something new: a tool, protocol, educational resource, or system that advances digital sovereignty. This is Anvil work—creation, not just preservation. You're contributing to the infrastructure of a more sovereign digital future.

Learning Objectives

1. Build sovereignty tools: Create software, protocols, or resources that empower users 2. Contribute to digital commons: Make your work open and shareable 3. Document for reuse: Create clear documentation so others can build on your work 4. Think systemically: Design interventions that change power dynamics 5. Ship something real: Complete a project that others can actually use

Required Readings

- Textbook Chapter 12: The Economics of Sovereignty—Building the Anvil - Textbook Chapter 13: Distributed Commons Governance - Darius Kazemi, "Run Your Own Social" - Devine Lu Linvega, "Hundred Rabbits" (tools for resilience)

Project Options

Choose ONE to build over two weeks:

Option A: Sovereignty Tool

Build a working tool that increases user sovereignty:

Ideas: - Data export tool for a major platform - Cross-platform post scheduler (own your content, syndicate everywhere) - Personal archive dashboard (monitor what you've backed up) - Feed algorithm selector (swap out platform algorithms) - Portable profile generator (take your identity anywhere)

Requirements: - Must work (not just a prototype) - Open source (GPL, MIT, or similar) - Documented (README, usage guide) - Solves a real sovereignty problem

Option B: Educational Resource

Create teaching materials that spread archaeobytological practice:

Ideas: - Workshop curriculum: "Preserve Your Digital Life in One Day" - Video series: "Digital Sovereignty Explained" - Interactive tutorial: "Build Your Own Mastodon Instance" - Zine: "A Teen's Guide to Platform Independence" - Podcast series: "Platform Autopsies"

Requirements: - Complete and polished - Accessible to non-experts - Licensed for reuse (CC-BY-SA) - Tested with real users

Option C: Protocol Contribution

Contribute to an existing open protocol:

Ideas: - Write an ActivityPub implementation guide - Build a bridge between protocols (Matrix ↔ XMPP) - Create a reference implementation for a small spec - Document an undocumented protocol - Write tests for an existing protocol library

Requirements: - Meaningful contribution (not trivial) - Accepted by protocol community (PR merged or RFC submitted) - Documented for others to use

Option D: Digital Commons Infrastructure

Build shared infrastructure for sovereignty:

Ideas: - Shared hosting cooperative (YunoHost + cost-sharing) - Mutual aid backup network (distributed storage collective) - Community tool library (host open source tools for local orgs) - Skill-sharing platform (teach each other self-hosting) - Resource directory (sovereign alternatives to Big Tech)

Requirements: - Must serve multiple people (not just you) - Governance model for shared resource - Sustainability plan - Documentation for replication

Assignment Structure

Week 1: Build & Iterate

Part 1: Project Proposal (Due: Day 2)

Submit 2-3 page proposal: - What are you building? - What sovereignty problem does it solve? - Who is it for? - What's your technical approach? - What's the timeline?

Part 2: First Prototype (Due: End of Week 1)

Ship something testable: - For tools: Basic working version - For educational resources: Draft of core content - For protocol work: Initial implementation or documentation - For infrastructure: Proof of concept

Get feedback from at least 3 people. What works? What doesn't?

Week 2: Polish & Document

Part 3: Final Release (Due: End of Week 2)

Complete your project:

For Software: - README with installation/usage - License file - Basic test coverage - Tagged release (v1.0)

For Educational Content: - Finished materials (video, zine, curriculum) - Teacher/facilitator guide - Assessment/feedback mechanism - License and attribution

For Protocol Work: - Complete implementation or documentation - Examples showing how to use it - Submitted to community (PR, RFC, or mailing list) - Follow-up plan for maintenance

For Infrastructure: - Operational and serving real users - Governance document - Financial/sustainability plan - Replication guide

Part 4: Project Documentation (Due: End of Week 2)

Write a 3-4 page reflection:

1. What You Built: Clear description with screenshots/examples 2. Sovereignty Impact: How does this advance digital sovereignty? 3. Technical Choices: Why did you build it this way? 4. User Testing: What did people say? What would you improve? 5. Sustainability: Will this keep working? Who maintains it? 6. Lessons Learned: What was hard? What would you do differently?

Assessment Rubric

Project Functionality (40 points)

- Works as intended (20 pts): Actually solves the problem - Quality (10 pts): Polished, not just proof-of-concept - Sovereignty impact (10 pts): Meaningfully increases user control

Documentation (25 points)

- User-facing docs (15 pts): Others can use/replicate your work - Code/content quality (10 pts): Clean, maintainable, clear

Project Reflection (20 points)

- Critical analysis (15 pts): Thoughtful about tradeoffs and impact - Sustainability thinking (5 pts): Realistic about long-term maintenance

Community Contribution (15 points)

- Open licensing (5 pts): Truly shareable - Community engagement (10 pts): Tested with real users, responsive to feedback

Example Projects from Past Students

Tool: FediFriend - Browser extension that shows Fediverse alternatives when visiting Big Tech social media Resource: "Sovereignty Bootcamp" - Weekend workshop curriculum teaching self-hosting basics Protocol: ActivityPub implementation guide for Python developers Infrastructure: Cooperative Mastodon hosting for 50 users, $5/month each

Getting Help

Lab Hours: Open workspace for building (Mon/Wed 4-8pm) Code Review: Office hours for technical feedback Community: Share progress in Discord #forge-the-anvil channel

"The best way to predict the future is to forge it. Build the tools you wish existed. Create the infrastructure your community needs."