The Open Internet Preservation Society at MozFest

The Mozilla Festival is a celebration of the creative power of the web, and an open invitation to help build the future of the Internet. This begs some big questions: what kind of a connected society do we want to live in? What sorts of things must we do now to create that future? And, what sorts of paths must we avoid?

These are far-ranging and important conversations that we think should happening everywhere and with the participation of everyone. This year at Mozfest, we’re thrilled to be convening a meeting intended to spark the beginning of an ongoing global discussion about the Internet we want to see in fifty years and beyond.

Presenting The Open Internet Preservation Society (OIPS), a team of some of the most brilliant thinkers, makers and participants that Mozilla has had the pleasure to encounter in our work around the world.  Hosted by Mitchell Baker and Joi Ito, participants will include:

And many more to come! On November 9th in London – they’ll be tackling three different scenarios for a future Internet envisioned by science fiction authors Cory Doctorow, Daniel Suarez and Hannu Rajaniemi. While the stories are speculative, the issues they deal with are real. OIPS will contend with a future with a billion more coders, an Internet divided up and fragmented by governments, and the future of data and influence online. They’ll be charting a path forward – and thinking through the public policies, practices and technologies that will shape those futures.

We’re planning on attacking these scenarios from every level, from the fate of funny cat videos online to the biggest issues around civic infrastructure and governance. More updates to come about OIPS in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for more!