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Chattanooga.Digital all-call this Wednesday, 6:30 PM
by Greg Laudeman Oct. 26, 2026

Oct. 26, 2026

Our next all-call, an open discussion among Chattanooga.Digital members, will be this Wednesday, 6:30 PM, online at https://cloud.chattanooga.digital/call/feey5vuy. The agenda is: 1. Status update (see below) * Administration * Operations * Outreach * Support 2. Opportunities: * Love Computing pilot * May First discussions 3. Nextcloud overview: what it is, how to access and use it 4. General discussion * How to get charter members and launch Here's our current status: * Administration o Bylaws, charter, contracts, etc., are next big challenge + Charter memberships and launch financing are big open issues. o Hosting costs updated o Member data is in CiviCRM, basics of memberships set up + 19 individual pilot members + 5 organizational pilot members, including partners o Partners + Eduity + RoushTech + Scirpthammer * Operations o Apps: + Check out our portfolio current and potential apps <https://cloud.chattanooga.digital/apps/collectives/Operations-4/Portfolio-4…> for the cooperative's core operational and members' private and shared purposes. # It's impressive but still in the early stages; it will evolve! + Nexcloud, our "meat & potatoes" app, has numerous apps inside it. We are generally planning: # cloud.chattanooga.digital (current shared instance) for corporate/cooperative purposes # home.chattanooga.digital for individual/household members (all members would get an account) # work.chattanooga.digital for organization/business members (all organization members would get an account) # Individual and Organization members can get private Nextcloud instances o Total hosting costs $150/month + Minimal backups o Volunteer labor: + Engineering: 4 hours/week + Executive: 24 hours/week + Operations tech/sysadmin: 10 hours/week * Outreach: o Racket on the Rails initial foray; event "kit" o Open Source Camp Chattanooga, November 13 & 13 o The Enterprise Center AI Summit presentation, December 3 o Article for Livewire magazine o Geospatial Hack Session, January 16 * Support o Chattanooga.Digital CiviCRM, Nextcloud, and website o Eduity o IAM evaluation and general process o Training & development? Let me know what other issues or questions we should address! -- Greg Laudeman, Ed.D., Instigator Chattanooga.Digital <https://chattanooga.digital/> greg(a)chattanooga.digital <mailto:greg.laudeman@chattanooga.digital> 706-271-5521

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MayFirst tech coop
by Greg Laudeman Oct. 23, 2026

Oct. 23, 2026

There are several organizations like Chattanooga.Digital out there although with different focuses and scopes of services. One I just connected with is MayFirst <https://mayfirst.coop/>, which provides shared apps and web hosting services to individuals and organizations for social justice. Basic membership is $50/year for 10 GB storage. Advanced membership allows for multiple emails, sites, etc., and is priced on a sliding scale based on income, storage, and optional VPS capacity that starts at $63/year for 40 GB. Services include chat (Jabber/XMPP), cloud file sharing (Nextcloud), Discourse server(s), email accounts and lists (Mailman), and video conferencing (Jitsi). They use CiviCRM for membership. I think we should basically copy them, although I think our stack will be a bit different and I'm not real keen on their pricing model. Who would be interested in talking with them about their operations and stack? I'm interested in how the manage their Nextcloud and email services and their position on digital identities as well as their administrative systems and organizational structure. -- Greg Laudeman, Ed.D., Instigator Chattanooga.Digital <https://chattanooga.digital/> greg(a)chattanooga.digital <mailto:greg.laudeman@chattanooga.digital> 706-271-5521

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Love Computing pilot program
by Greg Laudeman Oct. 21, 2026

Oct. 21, 2026

As mentioned in a recent email, we have the opportunity to pilot up to 20 community cloud servers from Love Computing. These would be deployed at members' homes (or other sites), integrate with our software infrastructure, and provide personal/household apps. Who might be interested in participating? I know I am! The key commitments on our part are to define the apps and handle the on-boarding. If the pilot is successful, we can negotiate to purchase devices but there is no commitment to do so. The only other possible issue is the confidentiality clause of the letter of intent, which says "Each party will keep the other’s non-public business and technical information confidential for two years from the date of this letter." Our non-public info is about members and usage. Love would need to clearly flag what they consider to be "non-public." Check out the letter of intent PDF on cloud.chattanooga.digital <https://cloud.chattanooga.digital/f/3805> and let me know if you (a) see any issues with the terms and (b) might be interested in participating in the pilot. -- Greg Laudeman, Ed.D., Instigator Chattanooga.Digital <https://chattanooga.digital/> greg(a)chattanooga.digital <mailto:greg.laudeman@chattanooga.digital> 706-271-5521

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Postpone October Members' All-call to next week, 10/28
by Greg Laudeman Oct. 20, 2026

Oct. 20, 2026

I'm vacationing this week so I think I'll postpone our monthly membership call to next Wednesday. That will give everyone little extra heads-up, too! An updated appointment file is attached for your use. I hope you can join us! -- Greg Laudeman, Ed.D., Instigator Chattanooga.Digital <https://chattanooga.digital/> greg(a)chattanooga.digital <mailto:greg.laudeman@chattanooga.digital> 706-271-5521

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Opportunities with Chattanooga.Digital
by Greg Laudeman Oct. 17, 2026

Oct. 17, 2026

We have some basic functionality down. Now, let's take it to the next level! Here are some cool opportunities to help out! cloud.chattanooga.digital <https://cloud.chattanooga.digital/>: Your Home in the Clouds! All Chattanooga.Digital members, including YOU, now have access our shared Nextcloud instance! It has a number of apps you can use, including Talk for online meetings. Click the matrix of 9 dots in the upper left-hand corner to see the apps. We will have an overview of Nextcloud this Wednesday during our October all-call. Nextcloud Applications Numerous applications for specific purposes are available for Nextcloud. Check them out here <https://apps.nextcloud.com/>. Apps on our cloud.chattanooga.digital are primarily for internal, operational purposes. We are planning two new instances and need your input! * home.chattanooga.digital - for personal, individual, and household/family purposes. * work.chattanooga.digital - for organizational, commercial, and business purposes. What apps would you like to have for either home and work? You will be amazed by the possibilities! Review what's in the Nextcloud app store and let us know what you like! Pilot Love Computing devices Love Computing <https://computingwith.love/> is developing a distributed, plug & play cloud server with community cloud services, locally hosted apps, and shared apps. We have the opportunity to participate in the pilot. C.D would jointly purchase devices for members, provide operational support, and cultivate community tech support providers to help members with configuration, customization, etc. We are reviewing a letter of intent (LOI). Review the letter-of-intent at https://cloud.chattanooga.digital/f/3799. That link takes you to a shared "Member Resources" folder containing a PDF of the LOI. Check it out and let us know what you think! We will put other files for your information in this folder in the future. Evaluate IAM Identity and Access Management <https://appomni.com/saas-glossary/identity-and-access-management/> services enable us to manage access to apps and services and provide members with a digital identity. The goal is to provide single sign-on to all C.D services and to external apps and services that support standards. It critical for operations and has great value for members. Interested in learning more or helping to review that alternatives? Join the task force! Select community social media app We are looking at options for a variety of community apps, including social media. I covered most of the options in a recent blog post, "Own Your Own Social Media <https://chattanooga.digital/blog/2026-09/own-your-social-media>". toot.chattanooga.digital, our Mastodon microblogging instance, which we need to get more folks using, has limited functionality. If you might be willing to help review social media options, please let me know. Help define financial and legal structure (admin working group) Recruit members Chattanooga.Digital has four organizational functions: Administration, Operations, Outreach, and Support. Our focus so for has been on Operations and we are starting to figure out support. We need help with Administration and Outreach. The cool thing about all of these opportunities is that YOU CAN CREATE IT! You get to have a direct role in creating something cool that will benefit MANY people. Let me know where you might like to play a part! Membership All-Call Our next all-call is online <https://cloud.chattanooga.digital/call/feey5vuy> this Wednesday, October 21st, 6:30 PM ET. A calendar file is attached for your convenience. We will discuss opportunities along with an update and provide an overview of Nextcloud. I hope you can join us! -- Greg Laudeman, Ed.D., Instigator Chattanooga.Digital <https://chattanooga.digital/> greg(a)chattanooga.digital <mailto:greg.laudeman@chattanooga.digital> 706-271-5521

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Building community software infrastructure
by Greg Laudeman Sept. 30, 2026

Sept. 30, 2026

Hey, everybody! We're getting it done! Modest, small steps, making sure we're heading in the right direction, building community software infrastructure. At this point we have the basic platform for platforms, the online equivalent of a blank slate: * A single site app (Chattanooga Venturing <https://venturing.chattanooga.digital/> Discourse <https://www.discourse.org/> server) * A production Swarm managed by Portainer, behind a reverse proxy server (Traefik <https://traefik.io/traefik>) running multiple production apps: o Bigcapital <https://bigcapital.app/> accounting o CiviCRM <https://civicrm.org/> o Cloud/server monitoring o Drupal <https://new.drupal.org/> websites (including the coop website https://chattanooga.digital/) o GNU Mailman <https://list.org/>/Postorious listserv (https://list.chattanooga.digital/mailman3/lists/) o Hubzilla <https://hubzilla.org/page/info/home> (https://hub.chattanooga.digital/) o Mastodon <https://joinmastodon.org/> (https://toot.chattanooga.digital/public/) o A private Nextcloud <https://nextcloud.com/> and a shared Nextcloud for the coop (https://cloud.chattanooga.digital/) with a TURN server <https://webrtc.org/getting-started/turn-server> for Nextcloud Talk online conferencing. * A locally hosted (by RoushTech — thank you, William!) staging/test swarm that parallels the production set up, behind a VPN <https://www.wireguard.com/>, with Gancio community calendar demo <https://gancio.staging.chattanooga.digital/> and IAM test instances * Working on: o Identity and access management (IAM) software for members to transparently access their apps and data; evaluating four options all currently running on our staging server. This would basically go between the users and the coop, the entry ramp to our infrastructure. o Setting up back up for our data/systems. Beyond that we're looking at establishing our own cloud, email, and git code repository services! We have opportunities to partner with Civic.Social civic software <https://civic.social/> and Love Computing <https://computingwith.love/> for decentralized, hardware-based cloud... and we haven't even ramped up! The vision is for a portfolio of community apps everyone can use and private apps for customer members and their guests, behind a firewall for additional security. There are so many options it's a bit crazy! All of these apps represent collaborative networks, too. Our challenge is how to communicate effectively about the coop, the /why/ as well as the /how/. The list of cool stuff above means digital autonomy for personal, community, and business purposes. We also need to create on ramps folks who want to pursue tech career and stepping stones for those who just want to minimize their digital footprint. I'm working on getting data into administrative systems while thinking about how to do outreach and draft organizational documents. -- Greg Laudeman, Ed.D., Instigator Chattanooga.Digital <https://chattanooga.digital/> greg(a)chattanooga.digital <mailto:greg.laudeman@chattanooga.digital> 706-271-5521

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Decentralized identifiers for self-sovereign digital identities
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Sept. 27, 2026

Sept. 27, 2026

It seems to me that it would be valuable for Chattanooga.Digital to support self-sovereign digital identities. The first of the three “pillars" <https://www.identity.org/self-sovereign-identity/#What_Are_Three_Pillars_of…> is decentralized identifiers. See also https://www.dock.io/post/decentralized-identity. Excuse the AI outputs as a starting point: Decentralized identifiers (DIDs) are unique digital ID strings that let people, devices, and organizations prove who they are online without relying on a central company or government. [1 <https://www.w3.org/TR/did-1.1/>, 2 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentralized_identifier>, 3 <https://www.dock.io/post/decentralized-identifiers>] Unlike traditional user accounts, emails, or government-issued passports, DIDs are fully owned and controlled by you. They form a core part of the official W3C Decentralized Identifiers Standard <https://www.w3.org/TR/did-1.1/>. [1 <https://learn.mattr.global/docs/concepts/dids>, 2 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentralized_identifier>, 3 <https://www.dock.io/post/decentralized-identifiers>, 4 <https://www.w3.org/TR/did-1.1/>] How DIDs Work Unique Text Strings: A DID looks like a normal web address, starting with did: followed by a method and a unique number (for example, did:example:123456). [1 <https://curity.io/blog/decentralized-dentifiersand-verifiable-credentials-b…>, 2 <https://www.coinbase.com/learn/wallet/what-is-a-decentralized-identifier-did>] Cryptographic Keys: Each DID connects to a digital record containing public cryptographic keys. [1 <https://www.w3.org/TR/did-1.1/>, 2 <https://curity.io/blog/decentralized-dentifiersand-verifiable-credentials-b…>] Self-Proof: You prove you own the ID by signing messages with your private key, removing the need for a central database to check your password. [1 <https://www.sardine.ai/learn/decentralized-identifiers-did>] Main Benefits Complete Ownership: No third party can delete, freeze, or change your identifier. [1 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentralized_identifier>, 2 <https://learn.mattr.global/docs/concepts/dids>] Better Privacy: DIDs do not store personal details like your real name, phone number, or email address inside the ID string. [1 <https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/cybersecurity-101/identity-security/decen…>, 2 <https://curity.io/blog/decentralized-dentifiersand-verifiable-credentials-b…>] No Password Fatigue: You can log into websites or apps securely using your cryptographic keys instead of remembering endless passwords. [1 <https://ethereum.org/decentralized-identity/>, 2 <https://learn.mattr.global/docs/concepts/dids>] DIDs have to be generated somehow. More AI output on this: The leading open-source software for creating decentralized identifiers includes Credo, ACA-Py, walt.id, Veramo, SpruceID, CREDEBL, and Sphereon. These tools support various credential formats and protocols, aligning with the current standards for decentralized identity management. startwithidentity.com <https://startwithidentity.com/articles/top-7-open-source-decentralized-iden…> gartner.com <https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/decentralized-identity> Overview of Open Source Software for Decentralized Identifiers Decentralized identifiers (DIDs) are crucial for managing digital identities in a secure and user-controlled manner. Several open-source software projects have emerged to facilitate the creation and management of DIDs. Leading Open Source Tools The following tools are recognized as the leading open-source software for creating decentralized identifiers: Software Description Key Features Credo A TypeScript framework for decentralized identity, supporting mobile wallets. Supports DIDComm and AnonCreds; React Native support. ACA-Py A mature Python agent for decentralized identity, maintained with government support. Well-documented; widely used in various applications. walt.id Focuses on identity and access management using decentralized technologies. Tools for issuing and verifying digital credentials. Veramo A framework for building decentralized identity applications. Supports multiple credential formats and protocols. SpruceID Provides tools for managing decentralized identities and verifiable credentials. Interoperable with various identity systems. CREDEBL An open-source platform for managing decentralized identity at an organizational scale. Multi-tenancy support; issuer and verifier console. Sphereon Offers tools for issuing, verifying, and managing digital credentials. Integrates with existing systems for credential management. Key Features of Decentralized Identity Tools Interoperability: These tools support various credential formats and protocols, ensuring compatibility with existing identity systems. User Control: Users maintain control over their identities, enhancing privacy and security. Support for Standards: Many of these tools align with current standards for decentralized identity management, such as OpenID4VCI and OpenID4VP. The other two pillars are verifiable credentials and blockchain or other means to make DIDs and credentials are accessible, private, and secure. Of course, a key aspect of blockchain is that those using it replicate it. Everyone has a copy all of which are updated when DIDs are added or modified. It seems to me that Chattanooga.Digital could enable all three pillars, and the place to start is providing means to create and manage DIDs. Thoughts? Let’s discuss vis-a-vis IAM… It seems that Keycloak, at least, supports DIDs. — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Beginning outreach, using Nextcloud, and Open Source Camp
by Greg Laudeman Sept. 24, 2026

Sept. 24, 2026

If you are out and about on Saturday, come by the Choo Choo for Racket on the Rails <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/racket-on-the-rails-2026-chattanoogas-vinyl-vi…> record fair and market. I'll have a modest booth and be hitting people up to fill out our survey. If I have power, I'll do some demos. This is the first foray into outreach for the coop! You now have an account on cloud.chattanooga.digital, our coop Nextcloud instance. Have you tried it out? What do you think? Share your thoughts! I'll do an intro to Nextcloud at our next monthly member all-call on October 21st (calendar file attached). Also, plan to join us at Open Source Camp, November 13 and 14, at the UTC Library, register online here <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-source-camp-chattanooga-2026-tickets-2001…>. -- Greg Laudeman, Ed.D., Instigator Chattanooga.Digital <https://chattanooga.digital/> greg(a)chattanooga.digital <mailto:greg.laudeman@chattanooga.digital> 706-271-5521

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Four sign-on systems to try, and who wants to help pick one
by Turtle Wolfe Sept. 21, 2026

Sept. 21, 2026

Greg asked me to share this with the list. The co-op is choosing one system to handle signing in to everything it runs, instead of a separate account for every tool. Rather than pick from the brochures, the four main options are set up side by side on test servers, so we can pick the one people actually like using: Keycloak: https://keycloak.staging.chattanooga.digital/ <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://keycloak.staging.chattanooga.digital/&…> Authentik: https://authentik.staging.chattanooga.digital/ <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://authentik.staging.chattanooga.digital/…> OpenAM: https://openam.staging.chattanooga.digital/openam/ <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://openam.staging.chattanooga.digital/ope…> Zitadel: https://zitadel.staging.chattanooga.digital/ <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://zitadel.staging.chattanooga.digital/&s…> Nothing there touches the live site, and there's nothing you can break. Greg, Adam, Rob, William and I already have accounts. If you'd like one, reply here and I'll add you. There's no password to keep track of: each system emails you a link to set your own. What we want to know from each one: how easily you find your way around, whether adding a new member looks like something you'd do yourself, and whether anything feels more awkward than it should. There's a checklist to record what you checked, one column per system: https://github.com/Chattanooga-Digital/stack/pull/20 <https://www.google.com/url?q=https://github.com/Chattanooga-Digital/stack/p…> Tick what you personally verified, with your initials and the date. Anything that surprises you, good or bad, goes on that system's page. Who's interested in helping evaluate? Greg named Adam, Rob and William; more hands are welcome. Reply here and say which one you want to start with. Jon

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Chattanooga.Digital All-call agenda Sept 16, 2026
by Greg Laudeman Sept. 16, 2026

Sept. 16, 2026

We will meet online at https://cloud.chattanooga.digital/call/feey5vuy, not in-person. The agenda is simply a review of the coop's preliminary structure and what's happening in each area: 1. Administration 2. Operations 3. Outreach 4. Support Let me know of any specific issues or topics you would like to address. -- Greg Laudeman, Ed.D., Instigator Chattanooga.Digital <https://chattanooga.digital/> greg(a)chattanooga.digital <mailto:greg.laudeman@chattanooga.digital> 706-271-5521

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