Introducing Unbuffered – Episode 0

  • Mar 26, 2026
  • Jordan Pittman
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  • Podcasts and Videos
  • Community Broadband Networks
  • Big Tech
  • Monopolies
  • Regulations
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    A computer screen showing binary numbers 1/0

     

    Unbuffered is here. In this kickoff episode, Chris Mitchell introduces a new chapter that builds on Community Broadband Bits while expanding the conversation around Internet access, power, and local control.

    Welcome to Unbuffered, a new podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance that builds on the legacy of Community Broadband Bits and Connect This! while expanding the conversation around the Internet, technology, and power.

    Hosted by Chris Mitchell, Unbuffered will continue to explore community broadband, digital equity, and local solutions, but with a broader lens on how technology shapes our lives, our communities, and our sense of agency.

    From local infrastructure to global platforms, the show asks a central question: who controls the systems we rely on every day, and how can communities take that power back?

    Expect a mix of one-on-one interviews, roundtable discussions, and candid reflections on the policies, technologies, and ideas shaping our digital future.

    This trailer is 3 minutes long and can be played on this page

    Transcript below.

    We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

    Thanks to Riverside for the music. The song is Caveman and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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    More On This Episode

  • Christopher Mitchell (00:15)

    Welcome to Unbuffered, a sorta new show from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. I’m Christopher Mitchell, and I’ll still be here hosting most of these shows. We’re gonna be aiming for a show each week that brings honest reflection on issues relating to the Internet More specifically, on how to achieve the dream of an Internet that is open to everyone and where we can still route around gatekeepers. One of the things that I wanna do is focus more on local self-reliance.

    and how it connects to these issues. Why these issues go beyond the pocketbook and deal with all aspects of how we live our lives and how much agency we have. How much control do we really have over our lives? Or are we just pawns of a few billionaires that have the biggest media platforms? We’re gonna mix in the very local with the national and the global, just like before. We’re actually combining our two previous shows, the Community Broadband Bits show with more than 700 episodes and Connect This!

    into One Feed, a show that’s centered on the Internet and the technology is touching it, which seems like that’s pretty much everything moving forward. We’re still going to be doing one-on-one shows and small group interviews, as well as a four or five person panel show ⁓ periodically as the situation calls for it. But ultimately, this new name is not a major change of direction. The content will be the same, but hopefully we’re going to be more discoverable for new audiences.

    And we’re gonna keep that trust you’ve had for the previous shows if you’ve already been listening to us. And finally, hopefully it’s gonna be fun. It’s one of the goals that we always have because that’s what we do.

    So we hope that you’ll be tuning in to the early episodes and the later episodes and maybe the ones in the middle.

    Thank you all for listening.

    Jordan Pittman (02:05)
    Thanks for listening to this episode of the Unbuffered Podcast. We have transcripts for this and other episodes available at ILSR.org/podcast. While you’re there, check out our other podcasts from ILSR, including Building Local Power, Local Energy Rules, and the Composting for Community Podcasts. Email us at [email protected] with your ideas for the show. Follow us on Bluesky. Our handle is @communitynets.

    You can catch the latest research from all of our initiatives by subscribing to our monthly newsletter at ILSR.org While you’re there, please take a moment to donate. Your support in any amount helps keep us going. Unbuffered is produced by Christopher Mitchell with editing provided by me, Jordan Pittman. Special thanks to Riverside for providing the song Caveman. Until next time, thanks for listening.

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