One Web Day + Drumbeat = Great!

I’m excited to announce that OneWebDay.org is joining forces with Mozilla Drumbeat. As Nathan blogged today, both organizations share a common cause: improving and protecting the open nature of the internet. We believe the best way to promote this cause is by working together. There will no longer be a single, centrally organized One Web Day in September. Instead, the focus will be on open web projects that take place year round under the Drumbeat umbrella.

Tristan and the Firefox during OWD2009. CC-BY-SA-NC, TNitot

Personally, I’ve been impressed by the diverse and energetic community that One Web Day has created. One example: last year’s  Toronto put me in touch with all sorts of people who I’d never seen at other local internet events. Artists. Designers. Photographers. Social activists. People who care about the open internet, but hadn’t yet found a way participate in making it better and stronger. These are exactly the kind of people we want involved in the practical projects and events that make up Drumbeat.

Building on this spirit, I invite anyone who has organized, volunteered or participated in One Web Day to get involved in Drumbeat. There are simple ways to do this: sign up on the site (we’ll be in touch) or make a donation (this will help us fund Drumbeat projects). There are also clear paths to getting involved at a deeper level right away: organize local a Drumbeat event in your city or propose Drumbeat project. We’re still at the very beginning of building Mozilla Drumbeat — I can imagine no one better than past One Web Day organizers to help shape and define what Drumbeat becomes.

PS. Nathan and I will be holding open conference calls over the next week for One Web Day organizers interested in getting involved in Drumbeat. Alternately, you can just introduce yourself as an OWD person in the Drumbeat organizers discussion forum.