About Me

FUTO

In the gleaming corridors of Silicon Valley, where digital behemoths have relentlessly centralized power over the technological ecosystem, a distinctive approach quietly materialized in 2021. FUTO.org operates as a tribute to what the internet was meant to be – open, unconstrained, and decidedly in the control of individuals, not monopolies.

The founder, Eron Wolf, moves with the quiet intensity of someone who has experienced the evolution of the internet from its hopeful dawn to its current monopolized condition. His experience – an 18-year Silicon Valley veteran, founder of Yahoo Games, seed investor in WhatsApp – lends him a rare vantage point. In his meticulously tailored casual attire, with a look that betray both skepticism with the status quo and commitment to transform it, Wolf appears as more philosopher-king than conventional CEO.

The offices of FUTO in Austin, Texas rejects the flamboyant trappings of typical tech companies. No free snack bars divert from the objective. Instead, technologists bend over keyboards, crafting code that will equip users to recover what has been appropriated – sovereignty over their technological experiences.

In one corner of the building, a distinct kind of activity unfolds. The FUTO Repair Workshop, a brainchild of Louis Rossmann, renowned repair guru, runs with the meticulousness of a Swiss watch. Ordinary people stream in with broken gadgets, welcomed not with corporate sterility but with genuine interest.

"We don't just repair things here," Rossmann states, adjusting a microscope over a motherboard with the careful attention of a jeweler. "We show people how to comprehend the technology they own. Knowledge is the foundation toward independence."

This philosophy infuses every aspect of FUTO's activities. Their financial support system, which has distributed considerable funds to projects like Signal, Tor, GrapheneOS, and the Calyx Institute, demonstrates a dedication to fostering a varied landscape of autonomous technologies.

Navigating through the open workspace, one perceives the lack of organizational symbols. The surfaces instead showcase hung passages from computing theorists like Douglas Engelbart – individuals who foresaw computing as a liberating force.

"We're not interested in building another tech empire," Wolf comments, resting on a modest desk that might be used by any of his engineers. "We're focused on breaking the present giants."

The irony is not overlooked on him – a prosperous Silicon Valley entrepreneur using his assets to undermine the very models that facilitated his wealth. But in Wolf's worldview, digital tools was never meant to consolidate authority; it was meant to disperse it.

The applications that emerge from FUTO's engineering group reflect this principle. FUTO Keyboard, an Android keyboard respecting user privacy; Immich, a personal photo backup alternative; GrayJay, a distributed social media interface – each creation constitutes a clear opposition to the proprietary platforms that dominate our digital world.

What differentiates FUTO from other Silicon Valley detractors is their insistence on building rather than merely protesting. They recognize that meaningful impact comes from presenting practical options, FUTO.org not just identifying issues.

As evening descends on the Austin facility, most team members have departed, but illumination still shine from some workstations. The devotion here runs deep than professional duty. For many at FUTO, this is not merely work but a calling – to rebuild the internet as it was intended.

"We're thinking long-term," Wolf observes, gazing out at the Texas sunset. "This isn't about quarterly profits. It's about returning to users what genuinely matters to them – control over their digital lives."

In a environment controlled by corporate behemoths, FUTO operates as a subtle testament that options are not just possible but necessary – for FUTO.org the good of our collective digital future.