3:35 p.m.
I believe that advocating for digital autonomy and data sovereignty for the individual is
an emerging and largely unaddressed governance policy issue that fits with TC’s mandate.
In essence, it’s an expansion of our concern for digital equity. The next paragraph is an
expanded re-draft of how I’ve described the issue elsewhere. I’d be open to conversations
on how this issue might be framed and addressed.
Through AI, people are now gaining access to personal assistants that are simulations of
themselves. To the degree that those simulations become autonomous agents they will become
a new and different way of extending individual consciousness. Maintaining humanity while
extending consciousness requires ownership of that which simulates the individual’s being
in the world. The world’s largest tech companies are fixated on AI with autonomous agency
as a commercial product. In focusing their attention on AI’s essence as a consumer
artifact, their development of agency in AI risks making agency serve corporate ends and
therefore become parasitic and dehumanizing. When we can act collaboratively with a
trusted AI simulation of our self, we will be experiencing extended cognition with joint
responsibility for collective action. Agency without responsibility is malignant. We
prompt and inform our AI and our AI prompts and informs us. Having the individual, not
corporations, in control of their actions and relationships in the world is the key to
remaining human as extended consciousness reframes our realities.”
GG
On Dec 29, 2025, at 12:40 PM, Joel Templeman
<joel.templeman(a)internetsocietymanitoba.ca> wrote:
What Could We Do Together With ISOC Funding?
Hi everyone,
Hope you’re all getting some well-earned rest this season.
I wanted to put something on your collective radar for the new year — a potential
opportunity for TC to collaborate with ISOC Manitoba on a project funded by the Internet
Society Foundation.
As an ISOC Chapter, I have access to a variety of funding programs designed to support:
• Local and national digital inclusion initiatives
• Community Internet infrastructure
• Internet policy engagement
• Digital skills training
• Technical community building
• Research, resilience, governance, and more
You can check out the full list of ISOC Foundation funding areas here:
🔗 https://www.isocfoundation.org/funding-areas/
This isn’t a call for proposals (yet), but more of a crowdsourcing exercise. TC is rich
in ideas, experience, and people. What we sometimes lack is money — and this could be a
way to fund something meaningful and leave a few “administrative dollars” in the bank
accounts of both TC and ISOC Manitoba to help keep the lights on.
So, I’m asking:
📣 What could we do with this kind of support?
Are there projects we’ve dreamed of but never pursued due to a lack of resources? Are
there local issues or national initiatives that could use a funding boost?
If there’s interest, I’d be happy to host a quick Zoom session in January/February to get
the conversation rolling.
Wishing you all a great end of year — and looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Warm regards,
Joel Templeman, CD, MPA, MEd
Executive Director
Internet Society Manitoba Chapter
431-999-3953
joel.templeman(a)internetsocietymanitoba.ca
> On Dec 29, 2025, at 11:25 AM, Marita Moll <mmoll(a)ca.inter.net> wrote:
>
> Hello advisors. This is a note wishing you all the very best in the New Year. As we
have since 1993, we will be looking for useful activities that support our mission
statement:
> • To ensure that all Canadians are able to participate in community-based
communications and electronic information services by promoting and supporting local
community network initiatives.
> • To represent and promote the Canadian community networking movement at the
national and international level.
> In 2025, TC was very active in the international discussions around the World Summit
for the Information Society +20. This is now completed and I will share some final
results. In this message I thought I would copy you on this excerpt from the year end
greetings from the National Capital Freenet which itemizes their activities and
achievements over 2025. In the spirit of learning from each other, please feel free to
share any similiar year-end roundups you feel are appropriate.
> Marita
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> ..... excerpt......
> 2. Some of what we accomplished in 2025 NCF’s mission to advance digital equity
centres around ensuring everyone in our community has access to internet that’s
affordable, reliable and that they can understand how to use, while feeling safe online.
> We’re proud of all we’ve been able to accomplish, from when we first launched our
dial-up services on February 1, 1993 to this past year!
> In 2025 that included:
> • moving our data centre, adding additional network resilience;
> • beta-testing and launching Fibre-to-the-Home internet services;
> • recruiting and training a bunch of new HelpDesk volunteers thanks to the
support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation;
> • updating our bylaws, official purpose and implementing a new Strategic Plan;
> • winning a Community Service Award from the Rotary Club of West Ottawa; and
> • advocating to the CRTC and government, including a recent submission related to
network resilience and reliability.
> The biggest thing we did in 2025 was launch CommuniFi, our free-to-use community WiFi
network pilot project, starting in Vanier-Overbrook. Over the past year, CommuniFi has:
> • connected more than 3800 unique devices for those living on low incomes in and
around 251 Donald Street, including a new health clinic and a free tax-filing clinic;
> • offered speeds tested up to 830Mbps; and
> • blocked more than 100,000 malware attempts and 20,000 phishing attempts using
CIRA's DNS Firewall.
> Check out our latest update on CommuniFi here.
> Check out a video about the project here.
> The CommuniFi pilot was funded by CIRA (the Canadian Internet Registration Authority)
and built in partnership with Ottawa Community Housing and Hiboo Networks, a subsidiary of
Hydro Ottawa. We’re particularly proud of this unique model that brings together
not-for-profits and municipally owned organizations to build local community digital
infrastructure.
> In many ways CommuniFi takes NCF back to our roots as a community network offering
dial-up, just with upgraded technology.
>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Marita
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