A chance Hacker Hall conversation at DWeb Camp — sparked by the words “Holochain” and “Nostr” — pulled host Liz Sweigart into conversation with technologist-activist Daveed Benjamin. Within hours, they were mapping constellations of human knowledge and scheming how to weave deeper context and connection into the fabric of the Internet.
In this episode of Past the Profile, Daveed (co-author of The Metaweb: The Next Level of the Internet and catalyst behind the Meta-Layer Initiative) traces the path from local-energy advocate to architect of a web where everyone can link, label, and share context. He and Liz explore why our data should serve us, how “bridges” can replace one-way links, and what it takes to crowd-draft the next layer of the Internet before June 30, 2025.
Highlights
- How seeing the Web’s “dots without lines” led Daveed to design two-way bridges that anyone, not just site owners, can draw between pages.
- Why he believes personal data, properly stewarded, will eclipse homes and cars as our most valuable asset.
- A primer on the Trivium (knowledge → understanding → wisdom) and why today’s Internet gets stuck at Step 1.
- The MetaLayer submission assistant (“Bridgit”) that turns germs of ideas or favorite links into formal proposals for the next-gen Web.
- An open invitation to mid-2025’s first white-paper sprint: drafting the “Desirable Properties of a MetaLayer" as suggested by Vint Cerf.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.