Show HN: I'm 75, building an OSS Virtual Protest Protocol for digital activism | Hacker News Reader

Show HN: I'm 75, building an OSS Virtual Protest Protocol for digital activism

github.com

11 pointssakanakana005 comments

Hi HN,

I’m a 75-year-old former fishmonger from Japan, currently working on compensation claims for victims of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Witnessing social divisions and bureaucratic limitations firsthand, I realized we need a new way for people to express their will without being “disposable.”

To address this, I designed the Virtual Protest Protocol (VPP) ? an open-source framework for large-scale, 2D avatar-based digital demonstrations.

Key Features:

Beyond Yes/No: Adds an "Observe" option for the silent majority

Economic Sustainability: Funds global activism through U.S. commercial operations and avatar creator royalties

AI Moderation: LLMs maintain civil discourse in real-time

Privacy First: Minimal data retention ? only anonymous attributes, no personal IDs after the event

I shared this with the Open Technology Fund (OTF) and received positive feedback. Now, I’m looking for software engineers, designers, and OSS collaborators to help implement this as a robust project. I am not seeking personal gain; my goal is to leave this infrastructure for the next generation.

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/voice-of-japan/Virtual-Protest-Protocol/b...

Project Site: https://voice-of-japan.net

Technical Notes:

Scalable 2D Rendering: 3?4 static frames per avatar, looped for movement

Cell-Based Grid System: Manages thousands of avatars efficiently, instantiates new cells as participation grows

Low Barrier to Entry: Accessible on low-spec smartphones and low-bandwidth environments

We are looking for collaborators with expertise in:

Backend/Real-Time Architecture: Node.js, Go, etc.

Frontend/Canvas Rendering: Handling thousands of avatars

AI Moderation / LLM Integration

OSS Governance & Project Management

If you’re interested, have technical advice, or want to join the build, please check the GitHub link and reach out. Your feedback and contribution can help make this infrastructure real and sustainable.

Open articleView on HN

Amazing - congrats on this work. Do I understand it correctly that the goal of the platform is help organise online protests? If so, I would love to understand how this approach is different from using something like change.org. I have read through the linked README and it looks sophisticated and technical - I'm just wondering if this is the best way to protest online.

Thank you for the upvotes. I chose a 2D avatar system (sprite sheets) because during my time in Fukushima, I realized that high-spec hardware and high-speed internet aren't always available to everyone. I want this "Virtual Protest" to be accessible even on older smartphones, ensuring no voice is left behind due to a digital divide.

As the author, I’d like to add a bit more context.

My background is not in CS, but in the fish market. However, in the early days of the web, I managed the hosting for [Crimson Room](https://en.wikipedia.org), one of the original "Escape the Room" games. That experience taught me a simple truth: if the content is meaningful and engaging, the world will respond.

Today, I see young people in Japan and elsewhere giving up on social change because the "cost-performance" of traditional protest feels too low, or the risks too high. I want to change that.

The *Virtual Protest Protocol (VPP)* is my attempt to build a "digital town square" that is:

1. *Healing Social Division:* Modern discourse is broken by "For vs. Against" binaries. VPP introduces an *"Observe"* mode, allowing the silent majority to manifest their presence and concern without being forced into polarized camps. It visualizes the scale of the "unspoken" public will. 2. *Low-spec friendly:* So anyone with a $50 smartphone can participate. 3. *Resilient:* A protocol that can be hosted anywhere, making it harder to shut down. 4. *Visually powerful:* Thousands of avatars moving together creates a psychological impact that a simple "like" button cannot achieve.

I am 75. I don’t have 20 years to learn every modern web stack, but I have the vision and the initial specs. I am looking for "architects" who can help refine the cell-based grid system and "builders" who believe that digital activism needs a dedicated, open-source infrastructure.

I'll be here to answer any questions. Thank you for taking a look at a project from an old fishmonger.

One technical challenge I’m currently pondering: To ensure the "Observe" mode truly reflects the silent majority without being manipulated by bots, what’s the best way to handle lightweight sybil resistance for a 2D avatar protocol? I want to keep it accessible (no heavy KYC), but robust enough for OTF-level standards. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this architectural trade-off.

Another pillar of VPP is sustainability. My plan is to monetize the U.S. operations through commercial partnerships and royalties, then use those funds to support NPO-based implementations in regions with fewer resources. I want to prove that digital activism doesn't have to rely solely on fragile donations—it can be a self-sustaining infrastructure for global democracy.

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