Jack Dorsey pumps $10M into a nonprofit focused on open source social media

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and CEO of Block, is taking bold steps beyond traditional social networking by investing $10 million into a nonprofit aimed at developing open source social media tools. This initiative, dubbed "and Other Stuff," was established in May and brings together a team of innovators, including Twitter's first employee Evan Henshaw-Plath, Cashu creator Calle, and other notable tech figures. The group's primary focus is to explore experimental projects that could reshape the social media environment. They are particularly invested in Nostr, a decentralized, apolitical social networking protocol that has garnered Dorsey’s attention since he stepped back from Twitter and Bluesky's board. Beyond Nostr, the team plans to work with tools like ActivityPub, which powers popular decentralized applications such as Mastodon, and the Cashu wallet. Dorsey has expressed growing concerns about the trajectory of social media platforms, suggesting that Twitter should never have functioned as a corporation. He believes that Bluesky, despite its potential, is falling into the same patterns that plagued Twitter due to its corporate structure. Henshaw-Plath emphasized that "and Other Stuff" is designed to operate as a hacker community rather than a conventional business, aiming to foster creativity and innovation. Among their projects is "Shakespeare," an app-building platform tailored for Nostr-based applications that incorporates AI assistance. Other initiatives include heynow, a voice messaging app, the private messaging tool White Noise, and a social community called +chorus. These innovations are made possible by recent advancements in AI-driven coding, echoing the transformative impact of earlier web technologies. In a recent podcast episode, Dorsey and Henshaw-Plath discussed the history of Twitter and the missteps that led to its complications. Dorsey noted that the platform's dependence on advertising revenue compromised its integrity, suggesting that an open protocol model would allow for healthier business practices. He expressed a vision for social media that prioritizes user freedom and decentralization, akin to Bitcoin’s structure. Looking ahead, the team at "and Other Stuff" is also drafting a social media "Bill of Rights," which outlines essential user rights regarding privacy, security, and transparency. This framework aims to hold platforms accountable to their users, irrespective of external pressures. With Dorsey’s backing, the nonprofit is already making strides in the development of iOS and upcoming Android applications, with more exciting projects on the horizon, as teased by Henshaw-Plath.