The first day of Mozilla Festival started off with a MozFest magic carpet ride talk from @amirad and how to make the most of MozFest before moving on to the keynotes.
Mark Surman
Small history of MozFest. The proto-Mozilla festival in 2010, called Mozilla Drumbeat with a hackfest and with tents out in the museum square. It was to help us answer the question:
Where should Mozilla focus its energy beyond Firefox?
It was you, us, and the festival.
The festival is kind of like the web. It’s kind of chaotic, but open, interoperable, things can be connected and remixed, can be ours and shaped.
There are threats, like surveillance laws, corporations, etc., but we’re also in a good place. Have a tremendous amount of hope looking at the work year round that’s happening.
You are a key leader and activist by taking the ideas out into the world. Hope that Mozilla can help you do that.
Mozilla Festival is great for:
- collaboration platform
- production engine
- chart your own path
- take and create inspiration
Sam Dyson
MozFest is designed to be like the web, where you can make things that matter.
With your devices off, would you be more or less connected? collaborative?
Since the beginning, MozFest has inspired us because of what people can do, and connect people to leverage the open web. Everyone is a co-creator to build together.
It’s not obvious what early ideas and prototypes will inspire later on. Examples: Ridew/me, Chicago hackfest. Building products not for your community, but with your community.
Making things that matter is a humanly networked activity.
The chaos is intentional by asking everyone to help shape MozFest.
Milena Marin
Needed another training model. Where people could work hands on with data, but needed a place to experiment, which is what MozFest was for.
Another way to engage people in the core of their works. Way to document human rights abuses. Alternative to Clicktivism.
Hope that the global community is ready to help.
Michael Saunby
Got excited by what could be shared. Should make use of the new understanding that they’ve gotten.
Things weren’t impossible, maybe just difficult or hard to get done.
As of 6 months ago, started working as a team. At the edge of their organization, exploring the edges.
MozFest is where a lot of edges meet.
Hera Hussain
Talked about her experience through 3 MozFests.
Her advice on experience MozFest:
- Meet every person you can.
- Learn things you don’t normally get to learn.
Mitchell Baker
Known for Firefox, but Mozilla is about building opportunity and the platform to do what we want, and use.
All citizens in a range of activities can be drawn to openeness. MozFest proves how much hope there is for success.
With Drumbeat, had a theory that Mozilla should provide learning, growth, and more from a range of people beyond Firefox.
All people can benefit from technology, can use technology to change and influence our lives.
Not until 6 months from now, we don’t necessarily know what the outcome is from MozFest.
The legacy is the people.
The community is where MozFest can become a core seed in building something more.
The web is a global public resource that provides opportunities for all of us.
Bobby Richter
This year we introduced pathways.
It’s a little like being at a theme park. It’s about getting the most exhilaration in one trip.
Pathways are collections of sessions with similar themes.