Even if SLAM IN is not yet a thing, we want to make our stance clear: we are against all wars.
Disparity and inequality breed envy and hate. Control over media and the systemic defunding of culture help create a mass of disinterested individuals who prefer clinging to the little they have—and complaining about it—rather than fighting for their rights (let alone for the rights of others). Many fear losing even a sliver of privilege over other minorities, even when those privileges are fragile or illusory (and the “minority” is not even a minority).

While we don’t pretend that an international poetry platform will change the world, we hope to build an equitable and fair tool to help everyone showcase their best selves to the world.

What’s mine is yours—but it’s not even mine

As we mentioned in our first article, there are enormous problems in the world, and poetry might seem like just a drop of water that could never quench the raging fire around us. But our first step towards a better society is to clarify where we stand, what we aim to do, and what we dream of achieving.

First, the “we” currently represents just three people, though we aim to welcome anyone who wants to invest their energy in this project. Together, we wish for a year with fewer wars—both the big, global conflicts and the smaller, everyday ones.

To avoid inequality within the platform, transparency is key, and that includes addressing the root cause of most wars: money.

This platform has costs. It had costs to build; it still incurs costs to maintain, and future development and bug fixes will add even more costs. One of the three people working on this project is being paid for their development work, demonstrating that we value labor (even when a it’s a friend who’s doing it). But reality is nuanced, and the truth is complex.

The privilege of making a living through poetry and art gave us a sense of responsibility: the chance to give back. Marx taught us the value of labor, surplus, and capital (mainly with his famous quote: “While money can’t buy happines, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery”… or was this from the other Marx?!). But poetry—and perhaps Fullmetal Alchemist?—taught us something transformative: everything is shared.

In any system, what one gains, another often loses. The way to achieve balance is to give back. When something more profound than money brings you happiness and gratitude, money loses its meaning. This is why we created SLAM IN not as a money-making venture, but as a way to say “thank you” to poetry. And that thank-you doesn’t need one in return.

Little steps

One of the primary drivers of conflict is fear. And fear thrives where communication is lacking.

That’s why we started this blog—to share everything openly with our community and prevent unnecessary fears.

One of our first steps this year will be to open SLAM IN for beta testing. It will involve a manageable group of people, allowing us to address any issues without affecting the whole community.

Modern digital platforms have amplified the fear of missing out (FOMO), driven by the illusion that someone is inherently “better” just for being somewhere or having something others don’t—or having it first. But what’s the value in being a hipster? You discovered a band before someone else? Great… and now what?

When we gradually roll out the platform, don’t worry about missing out. We’re working for you. Our hope for this year is to create something so valuable that the community will become its biggest advocate—a tool where there’s no longer an “us” and a “you,” just “we.”

Sharing is caring

Currently, we’re still waiting for your feedback on our EULA. We’ve just finished refining the personal calendar feature (with a few mobile bugs left to fix over the next couple of days). Our PeerTube instance, hosted by the amazing folks at Cloud68.co, is live. We’re consulting lawyers about international financial transactions between platform members, we’re trying to have a more transparent and fair tool to manage money transactions (we started with Woocommerce, because it’s easier and better integrated, but we’re trying to move to Open Collective, an amazing structure with a great philosophy underneath it), and we’re integrating Keycloak for robust authentication.

Once video functionalities are polished to our standards, SLAM IN will be ready for beta testing. Next week’s post will delve deeper into the video features.

We realize this all might sound tedious, pretentious, or even overly self-congratulatory for what’s essentially the creation of a social platform. But we believe that sharing every step helps build understanding: every effort matters. We don’t need perfection or to give everything we have every single time. When we choose to be kind and patient with ourselves, everyone benefits.

Because: UCIMU

Published: Gen 01 – 2025