civic-tech

Have you heard of the concept of PLURALITY? PLURALITY is the idea of transforming the diverse values and conflicts of opinion that exist in society into creative energy, rather than division. Advocated by Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s first Digital Minister, and others, it aims to use technology to foster cooperation among people from different backgrounds. Instead of a single, dominant force (singularity) controlling everything, it shows a new path toward building a better society where countless voices can coexist. PLURALITY is defined as “technology for collaboration across social differences.”Some may see this as just fine-sounding words, but many people around the world, especially those interested in technology, are engaged in various activities with this concept in mind. I believe these activities are most prominent in the world of OSS (Open Source Software). I am particularly interested in OSS projects around the world that are driven by the concept of PLURALITY, and I have started contributing to them.I don’t have any particular conviction. The reason is simply that it seems more fun that way. But the culture of OSS contribution gives me a great sense of purpose. Even for a simple Japanese translation, I receive comments like, “Thank you, you are definitely making a difference!” (which I think is a bit of an exaggeration), and I can clearly feel my skill level improving.So, I have been contributing, little by little, to organizations such as DD2030, g0v, and Agora (zkorum).I plan to use this page as a note to jot down anything if I ever start developing my own OSS.