Online Intensive Course Beyond Big Tech: Building Alternative Futures for Personal Data and Infrastructure

Are you a community organizer, artist, designer, archivist, gallerist, or curator interested in freeing your data from the power and control of big tech infrastructure, but not sure where to start? In this 6-week online course, participants will discuss history, theory, and case studies for decentralized archives and web services to imagine how and why they might build networked resources for themselves or their communities, while also gaining hands-on experience with technologies they can use to implement their ideas. Drawing on examples from artists and cultural practitioners, participants learn about building their own networks, hosting their own web services or AI models, and creating archives of community work. We’ll cover setting up a Raspberry Pi with YunoHost to host your own email server, run a small scale social network, or host content on the web. We’ll start from the basics of working on the command line, so beginners are welcome and encouraged. Tech demos will be balanced with discussions of community, power, and data sovereignty, ensuring that participants not only learn the tools but also become ethical stewards of them. This course will take place online in a hybrid asynchronous/synchronous format. Each week of the course will include 2 hours of asynchronous video lecture or demo and 1 hour for synchronous meetings where participants discuss course material and troubleshoot technical issues together. This flexible format allows participants to view course lectures on their own schedule, while still providing weekly discussion time to build community and learn together. Beyond Big Tech is made possible by the support of Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web. The curriculum is adapted and evolved from our previous DWeb for Creators course. Enrollment Deadline: September 24, 2026 Dates: October 5 – November 12, 2026 (Six weeks of instruction online, plus a class orientation meeting on October 1) Synchronous Node Meetings: Thursdays, October 1 – November 12, 2026 (Includes the first-week orientation meeting) Weekly Asynchronous Content: Posted Mondays Format: Online, hybrid asynchronous and synchronous Weekly Commitment: Approximately 2 hours of asynchronous video instruction 1 hour of synchronous discussion and facilitation Experience Level: Beginner. Basic computer proficiency is expected, but no coding or other technical knowledge is required. Scholarships: Diversity Scholarships are available. Apply by September 28, 2026. Scholarship notifications will be sent within one week after the deadline. Participants commit to joining one of two sections when they sign up for the course. Please check your local time zone when selecting the Node that works best for you. Node 1 Thursdays, 8 – 9 AM PT (11 AM – 12 PM ET) Node 2 Thursdays, 6 – 7 PM PT (9 – 10 PM ET) Participants need a computer with an internet connection, microphone, and camera for synchronous sessions. Some optional hands-on sessions may require additional materials. Participants can opt out of any hands-on sessions they do not wish to complete. Additional materials will be needed for students who wish to build along with the technical demonstrations during Week 6. More information will be provided before that session. By the end of this course, participants will be able to: Week 0: Thursday, October 1, 2026 Orientation Meet and greet with your Node. Week 1: October 5 – 8, 2026 Networks in Culture and Tech DWeb foundations. Week 2: October 12 – 15, 2026 Values and Principles in Decentralized Governance Command Line for Artists. Week 3: October 19 – 22, 2026 Critical DWeb Art Projects + Practices Week 4: October 26 – 29, 2026 Archives & Data Sovereignty Week 5: November 2 – 5, 2026 DWeb Stewardship A collective compass for sovereignty, power, and worldbuilding. Week 6: November 9 – 12, 2026 Introduction to Self-Hosting with YunoHost Scholarships are awarded based on available capacity and a review process overseen by the Gray Area team to prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and need. This approach helps ensure that people who are passionate, curious, and dedicated to the values of the decentralized web can participate in this course and Gray Area’s other educational offerings. Tuition fees, alongside ticket sales, grants, donations, and memberships, constitute a major portion of the financial support for our organization. These contributions enable us to compensate the artists and instructors who are essential to our programs. We strongly encourage those who can afford the tuition to pay for the course. By enrolling, you’re not just investing in your education; you’re supporting the broader Gray Area ecosystem and helping us offer more scholarships and reduce barriers to entry. $750 for 12 hours of asynchronous video instruction and seven hours of live facilitation, including a class orientation meeting before the course begins. Participants also receive access to instructors and facilitators for