MeSpeak is my vision of a social network for news junkies, pundits, bloggers and activists. I started writing the code for it at the beginning of the year, but I haven't been able to finish. Between being a single dad of two, software developer, and Counter Jihadist, I just don't have any time to work on it.
I've come to the realization that the only way I'm going to ever finish is by finding a way to make it my day job. This GoFundMe campaign is my first attempt at figuring out how to make that happen. Got a few bucks for a good cause? Throw them my way, they will be put to good use. Don't have a few bucks? Well, clicking one of share buttons on this post or my GoFundMe page is both helpful and free :)
More info:
As LinkedIn demonstrated through its success, there is room for additional dimensions to the social networking scene. News enthusiasts, political pundits, bloggers, activists, and "loud mouths" of all stripes are more than ready for a social media environment designed around their needs—all the ease of use of traditional social networks, all the control of full-fledged blogging platforms, and all the freedom of the First Amendment (plus some sweet tools for managing other social media accounts, organizing campaigns, and presenting data via charts, maps, spreadsheets, and the like).
I've personally been the victim of suspensions and deletions by major social media sites for years. My "crime"? Expressing politically incorrect truths, mostly about Islam. Unfortunately, my experience is not an aberration. There are literally millions (on both sides of the political aisle) who have had their voices suppressed in the name of the new age religions "political correctness", "multiculturalism", and "diversity".
As an American, a no-longer-in-uniform U.S. Marine, and fierce defender of free speech, I am profoundly horrified by the role social media is playing in draining the lifeblood (access to information and the free exchange of ideas) out of free societies around the globe. Don't get me wrong, Facebook, Google, et al are certainly within their rights to "censor" anything they want. They own the websites, they make the rules. However, freedom will not last forever if someone doesn't establish a competing social presence around the idea that arguing is good for humanity (the best ideas rise to the top) and censorship is an abomination.
In addition to being a U.S. Marine, a Counter Jihadist, and freedom activist, I am also a software developer and white hat hacker with over a decade of experience slinging code and keeping the bad-guy hackers out. As a consequence, I have to believe I'm one of the most qualified individuals alive to invent the "activist dimension" to social media.
