← Basecamp
🍄 Become a Spore

You are not a user.
You are a node.

The mycelium doesn't have a centre. It has nodes.
Each one feeds and is fed by the others.
Chris doesn't scale. The spores do.

You found this because someone carried it. Now you can carry it too.

Got an old phone gathering dust? A powerbank? That's it. That's the whole kit. No router. No SD card. No technical knowledge. An old phone, a powerbank, a free app, and these free files — and you're broadcasting to everyone within WiFi range.

📶 Your network name
FeelFamous
When people connect, they arrive here. That's it. That's the whole system.

How to become a node (3 steps)

01

Get the files

⬇ Download feelfamous-basecamp.zip

Everything you need. One file. Free. Always up to date.

No internet? Ask the person who gave you this connection — the files are already on their phone. They can share them directly.

02

Set up your old phone

Unzip the files into a folder on the phone. Install HTTP File Server (free, Play Store) — point it at that folder, hit Start. Then turn on your hotspot and name it FeelFamous. Plug in a powerbank. Put it in your pocket or bag.

The URL people need: http://[your IP]:8080/files/index.html — the app shows the IP when it starts. Make a QR from the QR generator on this basecamp and people just scan it.

03

Walk into a crowd

The phone sits in your bag, broadcasting silently. People nearby see FeelFamous WiFi. They connect. They arrive here. They become nodes. The mycelium spreads. You don't have to do anything. You just have to show up.

Can you charge for this?

The files are free. Always. Nobody pays to download or use the basecamp — that never changes, no matter what happens.

But your time isn't free, and it shouldn't have to be. If you set old phones up for people, if you carry a spare kit to hand out, if you're the person in your street who knows how to do this when the signal's down — you're allowed to charge for that. People should be able to earn a living helping their neighbours, especially when money's tight.

The one rule: don't rip people off. £30 all in, maximum — for a phone, a powerbank, the files loaded, and someone showing you how it works. The free download always exists for anyone who wants to do it themselves.

This is a utility, not a product. If the grid goes down, if the internet goes down, if it all goes quiet — this still works, phone to phone, no server required. The day that matters most is the day nobody should be able to price-gouge it.

And when money itself is the thing that's gone — no cash, no cards, no signal to the bank — the £30 cap doesn't help anyone. That's what The Barter Barn is for: trade a skill for what you need, no money required. Fix a fence, mind some kids, teach a radio frequency, dig a plot — worth is worth. If cash has failed, trade hasn't.

It's better to have this and never need it, than to need it and not have it. Set it up on a good day. Forget about it. Be glad you did, on the bad one.

Go further: Decentralised tools

If you want to go deeper than the basecamp, these tools let you communicate and build community without corporate infrastructure.

📡
BitChat
Bluetooth mesh messaging. No internet. No phone signal. Works in crowds, forests, buildings. Messages hop between nearby devices.
🌐
MeshCORE
LoRa radio mesh networks. Low power. Long range. For when you want to build real infrastructure that survives infrastructure failure.
🔒
Signal
Encrypted messaging. No ads. No tracking. No data sold. The gold standard for private communication.
🐘
Mastodon
Federated social network. No algorithm. No ads. You own your identity. The server you choose doesn't own your account.
🦋
Bluesky
AT Protocol. Portable identity. Your followers move with you if you change server. Built on open standards.
⬆️
Upscrolled
Community feed. Real people. No algorithm manipulation.
"The internet was supposed to be decentralised. We let it get centralised. We can route around that — one node at a time."

Help yourself. Help others. And if you've got some to spare, help Chris — buy him a coffee. In that order. Nobody's asking you to skip a meal for this.