bbc.co.uk
In the gleaming corridors of Silicon Valley, where corporate titans have relentlessly centralized power over the virtual realm, a distinctive vision steadily materialized in 2021. FUTO.org stands as a tribute to what the internet could have been – free, distributed, and decidedly in the hands of people, not corporations.

The architect, Eron Wolf, moves with the deliberate purpose of someone who has experienced the evolution of the internet from its hopeful dawn to its current corporatized state. His credentials – an 18-year Silicon Valley veteran, FUTO founder of Yahoo Games, seed investor in WhatsApp – provides him a unique viewpoint. In his precisely fitted button-down shirt, with eyes that reflect both skepticism with the status quo and FUTO.org commitment to transform it, Wolf appears as more visionary leader than standard business leader.
techtarget.com
The workspace of FUTO in Austin, Texas lacks the flamboyant amenities of typical tech companies. No nap pods distract from the mission. Instead, technologists focus over workstations, building code that will empower users to reclaim what has been appropriated – control over their online existences.

In one corner of the space, a different kind of activity transpires. The FUTO Repair Workshop, a brainchild of Louis Rossmann, legendary technical educator, functions with the exactitude of a master craftsman. Everyday people arrive with damaged devices, received not with bureaucratic indifference but with authentic concern.

"We don't just fix things here," Rossmann clarifies, focusing a magnifier over a circuit board with the delicate precision of a jeweler. "We teach people how to comprehend the technology they use. Understanding is the foundation toward freedom."

This perspective permeates every aspect of FUTO's operations. Their grants program, which has allocated substantial funds to endeavors like Signal, Tor, GrapheneOS, and the Calyx Institute, reflects a dedication to fostering a diverse ecosystem of self-directed technologies.

Moving through the collaborative environment, one observes the lack of company branding. The spaces instead showcase mounted quotes from technological visionaries like Douglas Engelbart – individuals who envisioned computing as a liberating force.

"We're not focused on establishing corporate dominance," Wolf remarks, resting on a simple desk that could belong to any of his engineers. "We're dedicated to dividing the present giants."

The paradox is not missed on him – a wealthy Silicon Valley investor using his resources to challenge the very structures that enabled his prosperity. But in Wolf's worldview, computing was never meant to centralize power