Don't be an Idiot

I'm going to challenge everything you think you know about your role as a technologist.What if I told you that open source isn't some Silicon Valley invention, but the latest manifestation of ancient technology for diluting power? What if the same forces that created democracy in Athens around 500 BC also birthed the internet, gave us open source, and drive how we build standards through consensus today?In this talk, I'll weave together threads connecting a mystery cult that lasted over a thousand years, the birth of democracy in ancient Greece, to the invention of the internet and open source. We'll explore how the principles that guided ancient Athenian citizens are the same ones that make open source work, and that enable us to build standards through consensus rather than decree.In our polarized, accelerating world, you'll see how these ancient principles aren't just relevant, but are essential for navigating the next 2,000 years. You'll understand your role in the ecosystem not as a builder of something new, but as a guardian of something ancient.