We are using an app called Discord to organize this. It’s free. There is a desktop version for Mac, Windows, and Linux, and an app for Android and IOS. After noticing that many haven’t heard of it, I decided to write a post explaining it.
What is Discord?
Discord is an app designed for creating online communities and engaging with them. But it’s not like Social Media where you have “fans” and are at the mercy of an algorithm. Also, Discord communities can be private.
Before this project, I thought only gamers used it. When I started doing the research necessary to learn how to moderate a server, I learned that it’s commonly used by activists too. That makes sense. Discord is incredibly useful for coordinating actions online.
Discord has the video chat functionality of Zoom…
…But that is not what we will be using it for. If you’ve heard of Slack, it’s actually very similar to that. Except it has more features than Slack. And unlike Slack, it’s completely free even for the server owner.
In Discord we can:
- Brainstorm, strategize, and coordinate actions over group audio calls anonymously.
- Do the above in a text chat system that’s similar to old-school online forums.
- Do 1 and 2 simultaneously.
- Share resources (photos, google sheets/docs, etc.) with everyone on the project.
- Do 1 and 4 simultaneously.
- Get important messages out to everyone on the project.
To succeed at this, we need to be organized, perfectly in-sync, and always one step ahead of Etsy. Discord will help us at achieving that goal.
Right now, the Discord server is open only to “allies” – those who have signed up to help with the project. Coming Wednesday, we will open it up to anyone planning to strike, or who supports the strike..
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.