Episode: 1278
Title: HPR1278: OggCamp11: Interview with Marie Assen from Flatter
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr1278/hpr1278.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-17 22:49:58

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Hi everybody my name is Ken Fallon and today it's another in the series from
Agkampa 11 yes I know a year and a half ago. The today's interview is with Marie
Asson who is from Flatter. Again apologies to all the people who had delayed
interviews as a result of my incapacity to be able to release them.
Hello everybody my name is Ken Fallon and this is possibly I know the last one
was the last one I said I was going to record but we found somebody else to
to record and you're you were presented to me as the Flatter person. Can you
tell us but first of all who are you and why are you here. Hi my name is Marie
Marie Asson online I go by the name Malokie. I work at Flatter and why I'm here at
Agkampa you mean them I guess because I wanted to and I've been like listening
to links and there were three camps this weekend like CC camp the case
competing club in Germany and Agkampa and there was the Sweden social
webcam. Yeah from Sweden so obviously yeah and I went to go with everything but
I chose Agkampa and here I am. Okay you work for Flatter do you yes can you
tell our listeners if they don't already know what Flatter is. Well basically
it's the social way to get paid our idea is that a donation should be an easy
thing to do you shouldn't have to think about it so you get a flat rate fee or
not a fee but you decide how much you want to donate each month and at the end
of the month when you've been around telling us what you want to donate to will
spread evenly and if you want to add an extra donation you can do that to a
profile. So it's essentially you said yourself well here's 10 euros or 10
pounds or whatever I want to donate to causes or to websites and you go and
you press the Flatter button and you slice that pie. Yes. The cake. The cake is
not a lie in this case. What's wrong with a pie? But it's the cake. Yeah but
a lot of our listeners are US so they wouldn't know what a cake is. It's gonna be a
pie. Okay but they would not. It's a pie. So you seem to support a lot of
open source projects. Well actually it's not we who support it it's the
users of the open source projects that support it or the people who are
involved there. We support anything that would get support basically. When
Wikileaks got kicked off, well not kicked off but you know suspended from
PayPal and Massacard and we still gave them the nations. We have verified
that it's them who get the money. Okay so it's a good way it's for your
charitable organization. I know a lot of the people in the US will will
require you know get tax breaks if they give to charity. Yeah donations but is
that possible even via Flatter? We have a few charities and for if you donate
to a charity we will not take a fee because we take the fees from the user who
receive the money basically. So if you have a charity account there will not be a
fee which usually is like 10% otherwise that we want to lower but micro donations.
If you compare it to any other way of donations and we're still like a chic
way to do it because you can just spread out and don't really think about how much
she's gonna cost you per each. So I guess if you're like a poor struggling
student you can put a new one euro and if you're rich business money you can
be one thousand euro. It actually has to be between two euros and a hundred
years a month. Okay. But you can put in more money in advance and then you know
you have money next month. Okay. So that's a good thing. You don't have to have
money each month in your own backyard. So it's essentially a way to get back to
the community whatever that community is. Yeah exactly. For those who were at my
talk they would have heard that I said how does this connect to Floss and
basically it's a way to get back to the community without expecting anything
in return. When you contribute to a project within false it's like you give
what you can give your knowledge or documentation. Yeah well you know you
give what you can. At some point does they end up like I can't come down. And when it
comes to Flatter you might give a bear or you know what you can't. So if you
have some money. So it's essentially a way of buying somebody a bear for
good self. Yes. I think most of us have heard that the story about the guy who
found the guy who fixed the bug for something and made sure that there was a
bear at his local bar waiting for him. I don't know exactly. I never let the
truth stand. Yeah basically there was like a long live bug that didn't get
fixed and when someone finally fixed it a guy was really happy that he had. So he
made sure that he found out like where the local bar was for the guy who had
fixed the bug and called him up and like fixed so there would be a bear
waiting for him when he got there the next time. Is that the inspiration behind Flatter?
It could be part of but you know I wasn't part of that process because it's been
an ongoing thing for a lot of years. So when where did it start and who runs it
and tell us more? I don't know exactly what he started but one of our
funders is Peterson or broke up from the part by it. Yes. And he he's been
thinking about this for several several years that he wanted to help people be
able to pay for what they like. So that's basically the idea you want to
support what you like. Yeah. It's kind of natural thing. Yes. So and he wanted
it to be easy to desire. And I guess this is why you coming from Sweden are
involved and that's given that the part of essentially Swedish organization. I
guess it was just for a lot of your luck that it was a Swedish organization like
Flatter. I started as a promoter or evangelist like a year before I got
hired. First time I heard by Flatter I said could this save Wikileaks? Yes I did.
So when they got on Wikileaks a few months later like six months later I was
thrilled because I thought like I might have planted a seed here ages ago. And I
kept on promoting and eventually got a job to continue doing what I was doing.
That is absolutely fantastic. And the lesson there for all of us in the
industry. Yes. In the community. Support what you like and you might be lucky. If you
should actually go and watch like Lorna James talk. Yeah. And the link to the
obviously for the people listening at home that there will be a link in the show
on us to put your talk on her. Oh yes. Definitely. Because her talk moved me to
What was that talk about? Well jobs within like a career within open open stories.
And she basically talked about if you're dedicated and if you contribute you'll have a chance to get
a job. Yeah. It's not a secure card but you will have the chance and a bigger chance than if
you didn't. And she basically told my story so I was basically almost growing. Absolutely fantastic.
And I'd just like to point out now here for a listeners at home.
Getting the obligatory plug in for Hacker Public Radio. There's nothing looks better on a
CV than I contributed a show to a podcast network on something that I'm passionate about. It
chills in an interview that you're passionate about something and it's really, really easy to
contribute. Just go to Hacker Public Radio. I don't know for such contribute. And you can then
with all with your hands and your heart you can say yes I'm a podcaster and I've contributed
back to the open source community and obviously flatters another way to do it.
What sort of hardware does do you run in the back of? Can you explain to me a little bit about that
or are you just going to say I don't care if works? I actually do not know. I imagine that's
open source. Yeah. I'd be very surprised when we're doing Windows servers.
No, we don't run Windows servers. It's probably doing service and we have them at our office and
we have a assessment admins of your world. But you know I'm not sure what I'm like to say and what
I can say. No, no, that's not good on that role. What was the best part of the weekend for you?
Was it worth your while coming over here? Oh, it was definitely worthwhile. This is
personally. It's my first trip abroad. Super alone. Yeah. And I decided to go alone because
it's you open up to meeting a lot of new people in a different way than if you go with someone
you already know. And since I come from Sweden I would probably bring someone from Sweden
and talk Swedish with that person instead of talking English to everyone else.
And so I'm really glad that I came and that I came alone and I got to personally I got to meet
Dan and Fab. So I'm quite glad. Fab is a big flutter fan as well. Fab has promised me an
episode but I haven't seen that episode yet. So we're wishing a hope for that day.
Yeah, we were actually supposed to exchange interviews but we didn't have time.
Yeah, it's a bit of a problem here. But we will get on it. Yes, it will happen with
America. Does this thing called the internet I believe where you can do things remotely?
I heard about like Skype or Mumble or stuff like that.
We have a Mumble channel on Hacker Public Radio or if you go to Contribute Geals,
be able to see more information about who you two can record a collaborative podcast here on the
network. So you had a little bit of a, I don't know if you want to talk about it.
Yeah, we can talk about it. It's a funny story right now.
You had a little bit of an incident, let us say arriving over here.
Oh yeah, probably the so-called friend will hate me for saying this publicly in a radio
but you know it's his own fault. Basically, as I said, it's my first trip abroad.
It's my first time flying. Really?
Yes. How was that for you?
Oh, that was awesome. I was like, I landed and was like, yeah, I can play a no problem.
Turn on my phone, get a text message. Oh, I can't meet you at the airport.
I was supposed to stay there. I read them Monday.
You had organized a service on person?
Yeah, from Monday to Friday until I got the hotel for the conference.
And I get a text message like, is it okay if you stay somewhere else?
I'm like, no, it's not okay and I can't read it.
I get a panic attack which I can laugh at now.
But you know, it was so many other things that just had been live.
So I just released everything.
So somebody I told you, you can come and stay in my house and then I'm going to pick you up
at the airport and then you arrive at the airport and...
Yes, exactly.
Nothing?
Yes.
I'm what did you do then?
Tang, thanks to like the community and social media, I managed to get people to help me
because what I needed was to know that someone was helping me, basically.
Otherwise, I could have gotten a hotel.
But in my mind that it didn't really...
That's not the point.
Yeah, it didn't really work.
I just didn't mean to let me down, sort of.
Yes, so I managed to get a hotel thanks to someone
that I'm like, I told him, you're basically so in my life.
And then the next day I realized that a friend of mine
lived here in London, well, lived in London.
So I could say her there's still a week, so that was a good thing.
And she's actually the founder of Geek Island in Sweden.
So it's like...
Well, it's kind of a bit poignant, I guess.
You know, where I was just watching on the news this morning because of all the rights,
they want to shut off social media in the back.
Yeah, actually landed on everything.
Yeah, I landed in the middle of the riots.
So my cry for help probably got lost under the London tag.
But social media has, like, the internet in general has a lot of...
There's so many people with good and big hearts out there,
just waiting to help someone else.
And this is what happened.
And there wasn't, like, short.
It was one specific guy that got me hold of the hotel room.
But there were so many people reaching out their hands.
And like, even if they only retreated and reshared,
they basically said my life that night.
So, yeah, it's internet for me is like amazing.
So have you enjoyed the, you know, we're at the end of the show.
The show is over, the pub is closed.
Have you enjoyed your trip?
Yes, I have.
Overall, it's been a good trip.
Aside from that.
This weekend actually did make up for it,
because I've been sick all weekend as well.
Probably because, you know, you're on a vacation,
you're bored, it's like, oh, I can relax now.
And just release all the sickness in you.
And the food is different and everything else that goes on there.
But I had an amazing weekend, so I'm really happy to be here.
It's just so toxic at all.
Yes, I think I was on talks like every slot,
but am I supposed to remember?
No, no, no, no.
There's something John's other children.
I did mention Lorna already.
I watched a Nanod and for myself,
I've been, well, I know one of the guys who founded Arduino,
because I've been in a workshop with him,
because he lives in Marmot.
So it's like, even though he's from Spain or something.
And I liked watching the live recordings,
like the Bois for the Lynx Outlaws and the...
One to you, Tim?
Yeah, exactly.
And also the Dixer-Turpenton Roadshow.
Yeah, yeah.
I haven't listened...
Well, I did listen to it for a separate place,
which wasn't that good.
And everyone knows that.
Who has listened to it?
Exactly.
But I will probably start listening to it in there.
From you.
As I said, over the weekend,
just on the Hacker Public Radio is a great way to do your first podcast,
because you're not leaving that trail behind.
You can wet your feet here in Hacker Public Radio.
And then if you want to go on and start your own podcast,
like other people have done,
then you can start as a professional.
And then when people go back to episode one
and it's something you can be,
I guess, proud of, or whatever,
not embarrassed by the possible.
Well, I did some online radio, like, web radio,
before I knew of podcasts,
probably before they even arrived.
Yeah.
And so, like, going into podcasting
is an interesting idea for me.
And I've actually thought about it for Flatter and for the community,
like doing either a video cast or a podcast.
I kind of just recommend Hacker Public Radio as a great way
to get your show out there to a radio and waiting audience.
Yeah, I already have, have, like,
other Hacker-related subjects that I could bring up.
So I will probably get on there.
Absolutely. Fantastic.
Looking forward to it.
And I will get on there with this, so.
Yeah, exactly.
You've earned your badge.
Don't worry, but what is, you know,
when you go back, what's, I guess,
what would you think was the best point for obviously,
and there's no point at all of the weekend?
Obviously.
Maybe we'll go over the weekend.
We've already covered the low point.
Yeah, that wasn't really the weekend,
but I've still, I've had a cold.
Yeah.
So, but the high point was probably one steward,
uh, Ak.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, came up to me and told me that I really presented Flatter
in a good way for him to accept it.
And there I'm doing a good job as a community manager.
And then I should read two books to do a better job.
Oh, fantastic.
I brought up Flatter to Richard Stolman,
uh, yeah, as a presentation.
And it was about a discussion about, um, you know,
cash and traceability and whatever.
Now, um, obviously it was Richard Stolman,
so I guess, um, I guess probably not applicable
to the refinements, but, uh, yeah.
So, um, you know, what do you do to protect
somebody's identity, uh, from, from poking noses, I guess?
Well, you don't really have to reveal any information
about yourself except to, like, us.
And we're, we are dealing with money.
So it's a lot of red tape to get around,
but we do think privacy is really important.
And we look into as many different ways to, like,
get your cash out and get your cash in to the system,
uh, uh, except for, like, paypal,
because we don't, we have to use them.
It's like, I mean, to an end, um, but yeah,
I'm, I'm not sure if that answers your question,
but it's like, do you keep logs of people's IP addresses?
Only for what?
I'm not sure about the IP addresses, uh,
because that's not my area of specificities,
but I know that we only log for as long as we have to
since we're dealing with money.
Yeah, so you have the financial requirements,
because you have financial organizations,
I guess, uh, but then we'll, um, the remakes.
So it's probably a kind of, uh, left field.
I don't know what that expression means,
but I've heard a lot of podcasts and movies.
So, um, uh, have you any plans to get something
like Bitcoin into your, uh,
We have the discussion a lot and get that question a lot.
We would love to, but the thing is, um,
we only work with one currency,
which affects the system a lot if we bring in a value currency.
But what we are looking for is a way.
What currency is that, by the way?
Uh, Euro?
Yeah.
And is that okay for UK people to donate
and then I guess it gets transferred into Euro's,
okay.
Exactly.
Um, so, but the thing is,
okay, I lost my track.
Like, uh, I'm good at that.
I can rewind.
Uh, about Bitcoin.
Yes, Bitcoin.
Uh, what we could do,
we're looking for a way to,
because people who already have Bitcoin,
there's like Bitcoin to credit card.
And if they can do that transaction,
they can get the money into our system.
But it wouldn't be Bitcoin money,
but it would be the money that they've already earned in Bitcoins.
Yes.
So they've done an exchange and converted it to...
So we will, we want to be able to enable that.
Yeah.
Okay.
Is there anything else in the interview that I haven't covered?
No, it feels good.
We, what I can say just for, you know,
people who are interested in implementing Flutter
to their site or whatever,
we have a new, uh,
REST API coming out soon.
We're totally working it,
so it would be as good as it needs to be
to do a good integration to maybe
to support like your users and everything on your site.
So if you want to devote something for Flutter,
you should wait for a bit until it releases.
Okay.
But I don't have a date yet.
So you've got a website or something,
I should have asked this question,
yes, if 20 minutes ago,
but how do I post your Flutter dot com?
And I create an account and then what happens?
Well, it depends on what you want to do.
Do you want to receive money or give money or buy?
Say receive money.
Yes, receive money.
Then you create your account and you decide
where you want to put your buttons,
because, you know,
people click on the buttons like a retweet
or a plus one or a Facebook like.
Are they like a JavaScript piece of code or kind of?
But there are static buttons
and you can have a regular link as well.
Uh, it's so, but it depends.
And we're actually working.
Oh, I'm not so, I don't know.
Okay, we're working on the possibility
to have a static picture that's dynamic
without JavaScript.
Okay, cool.
So we'll see what happens there.
And then if you're, um, say you decide,
well, I want to be able to contribute 10 years a month.
Yes.
What do I do then?
Personally, I would decide how much,
how many months would I be able to put into the system now?
Because then you don't have to put in money each month.
Yeah.
So you put in as much money as you feel comfortable with.
You, uh, there will be like a bar where you can decide
if you want to donate two euros or three or five or 10 or up to 100
uh, for every month.
And then you, if you wanted it to be 10, you should stand.
Uh, and then you just go around like crazy
and click things that you like or try to support
or or you find their Twitter accounts and you tell them
you can like add a pending click to a Twitter account.
And when they connect the Twitter account to Flutter,
they claim their clicks.
Uh-huh.
Uh, so if you want to get in people who aren't already on the system,
you can do it that way.
Okay, so the learnings outlaw's guys obviously have uh,
Flutter button.
Did you want to UK guys?
I don't know, but I don't think so.
They should have though.
Yes, they should have.
Uh, but a lot of us like great projects do, uh,
GNU Das.
GNU, yes.
Does a GNU Richard Stormon, who I was talking about.
Yeah, well, it's not.
He is not the one that runs the project anymore,
but they do have a button or they're,
I don't know if they have it on their side,
but they're in the system.
Creative comms are supportable.
Yes, uh, we were really thrilled when they joined.
Uh, crunch bank Linux.
Yes, uh, Linux Mint.
Very good.
Uh, Sian Inmud, if you wanted for your Android phone.
Yes, very much.
Uh, G-Potter, Merrow, uh, Sparkle Share,
uh, there's like a lot of.
There's a lot of projects.
Now, say, okay, I want to donate to crunch bank every month.
Yes.
Uh, can I just do that without the pain of actually going there
and checking the whole time?
Yes, uh, there's actually, you can subscribe to a click.
Yeah.
Uh, so you can decide, like, you first you click it for this month,
and then you decide there's a subscription.
So it basically, but if you have a dynamic button,
it turns over so you get like,
it says to subscribe and then you choose
36 or 12 months.
Uh, and I'm not sure if it's done yet,
but we have on our way to get emails
when your subscriptions are about to expire.
Fantastic.
Yes.
Sounds like a good plan.
Yeah.
So you're going to come over next year?
I hope so.
If nothing gets in the way, I want to be here,
because I've had an amazing weekend.
So I like, thank you very much for the interview.
Thank you.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here and tune in tomorrow,
ladies and gentlemen,
for another episode of Hacker Public Radio.
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