Sacha traces the web's fandom roots and shows how small, personal, DIY spaces can help us escape algorithmic doom loops, reclaim creativity, and rebuild a more human internet.

My first computer was a Commodore Vic 20, aged ten. I was one of the first home users of the internet in Aotearoa/New Zealand in 1993, much to the chagrin of my parents who didn't enjoy paying astronomical rates for dial-up for me to hang out in LambaMOO. My first fandom was The X-Files, and I've lived and breathed transformative fan communities ever since. They're the best (and sometimes the worst!) of the internet. Now I'm weirdly micro-famous for giving tech talks all over the world about Harry Styles.