Substrate

Doug has compiled a weekly report, known as the "News Canary", which features ten global change signal stories from the last seven days, covering various topics such as politics, economy, and health. The report includes stories on Brazil's election, the EU's Climate Resilience Law, and the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, among others. These stories are selected based on criteria like scale, impact, and novelty, and are intended to provide insight into how systems evolve.

Doug has created a Classic Revival theme for the Rockbox firmware on the iPod 5G, which provides a stock-looking interface. The theme, based on the iClassic theme, features a split-screen main menu and smooth Helvetica-style text, among other elements. It is available to download from the Rockbox themes site for iPod Video users running Rockbox.

Doug discusses the concept of digital sovereignty, a term with varying meanings, and introduces a new dispatch co-authored with Tom, which explores the idea of sovereignty in the digital realm. The dispatch highlights the importance of considering sovereignty for whom, over what, and what for, rather than simply accepting definitions from governments or companies. Doug and Tom's work accompanies the upcoming Digital Sovereignty Unconference, where these questions will be further discussed.

Doug has updated his consultancy website, Dynamic Skillset, to reflect his new focus on systemic work with mission-driven organisations. The website overhaul includes the addition of prices for his services, such as the Watershed Review, Critical Friend work, and Strategy Reviews. Doug aims to bring value to organisations by blending his experience and training with the capabilities of artificial intelligence.

Doug discusses the concept of "scenius" in relation to open doctoral knowledge, reflecting on his own experience of making his doctoral thesis publicly available. He references a recent article, Disputatio in the Digital Agora: Opening the Doctorate Through Dialogue, which explores the benefits and challenges of open doctoral research. Doug argues that sharing ideas and working openly can foster innovation and collaboration, rather than hindering individual progress.

Doug discusses Reticulating Splines, a reimagined version of SimCity 2000, which offers enhanced visuals, multiplayer, and modern tools, all built on OpenSC2K. This new version also allows play with alternative graphics and audio, eliminating the need for the original game. Doug provides links to further information on this project.

Doug is recovering from an illness that has left him weak and in pain, but is on the mend and has been keeping active with long walks. He has been preparing for the installation of solar panels and a Tesla Powerwall 3 at his home, which is expected to save him around 75% on his energy bills. Doug also discusses his upcoming work and personal plans, including attending the MozFest in Barcelona and working on various projects.

Doug discusses the concept of "open" in various contexts, citing a journal article Fifty shades of open that explores the multiple meanings of the term. He notes that companies such as OpenAI, OpenTable, and OpenText have adopted the term "open" despite having proprietary services or restrictive licences. The ambiguity surrounding the term "open" has led to satire, including the website OpenFatigue™, which pokes fun at the overuse and misuse of the term.

Doug discusses the importance of considering the ethics and values behind the software projects we use, citing the potential risks of being associated with vendors that may hold problematic views. He references an article by Dorian Taylor, which highlights the need to reassess relationships with vendors that may have become liabilities. Doug also shares his own experience of creating an alternative solution, Quire, in response to concerns about certain software projects.

Doug has introduced OrgLens, a free and open-source systems-based health check for organisations, which allows users to describe their organisation and receive a report on what's working and what areas need improvement. The tool uses systems thinking to analyse the organisation from three different perspectives and provides a report with quotes and suggestions for next steps. OrgLens is available to try online, with the option to run a private copy using the open-source code.