Discussion

@ben wrote a good article "Growing the open social web" for FediForum.

It poses this *essential* question: Why do we want to grow the open social web and for whom?

While the question is crucial when considering the future of social networking and the role of online technologies in society, it is not a question that is being addressed in any significant way. Our social web and fediverse "just happens", emerging from this chaotic cauldron of mostly technical discussions about which features to put in apps, how to connect one app to the next, and which social web technology or app is better than others.

Ben makes an appeal for creating good protocols, where the real value is, but only if we can share ownership of them. I 100% agree with the points in the article.

But how do we get there? What is this ownership? How do we achieve it, and subsequently retain it? I wrote down some some thoughts in a blog post.

https://coding.social/blog/shared-ownership/

#SX #SocialCoding #SocialWeb #fediverse #ActivityPub

Social coding commons

Shared responsible social web ownership

We strive for an inclusive social web that is by the people and for the people. But how do we guarantee equity and shared ownership?

agnez

@agnez@post.lurk.org · 2 days ago

Hi @smallcircles
Thanks for your article.

"From a pure technological perspective we can imagine technologies that aren’t attractive and useful to Big Tech and other corporate exploitative actors. Build systems that aren’t profitable enough, and do not align with their hyperscale business models which are based on surveillance capitalism,[...]"

Isn't the Fediverse trying to do so? Do you have concrete proposals for better a approach?

"[...] our Social web is maturing, gaining resiliency all the time[...]"
I'd like that too, but do you really see it happen?

"Igniting our commons is the point where our Social web allows people to truly blossom and society to bloom" Here I'm lost ...

🫧 socialcoding..

@smallcircles@social.coop · 2 days ago

@agnez

> Isn't the Fediverse trying to do so?

The way fedi evolves is app-centric, is not so different than Web 2.0 and, should a big player join the fray, there's nothing them back from dominance in ways we don't want. It's just not attractive enough rn, plus the method by which fedi installed base grows isn't sustainable by how we methodically introduce protocol decay. I've been tooting a lot on this the past days.

> Do you have concrete proposals for better a approach?

Yes, I have. I think it warrants another blog post once I have time. But before we get there major challenges need to be overcome.

> I'd like that too, but do you really see it happen?

Right now it is just the chaos and rough edges that provide friction to corporate takeover. Challenges are foremost social in nature, to introduce better practices and improve sustainability. Set pre-conditions for healthy evolution.

> Here I'm lost ...

That's a whole story too 😃 but you may start here:

https://coding.social/blog/reimagine-social/

Social coding commons

How We Reimagine the Social Web

We find novel ways to collaborate and create value together.

🫧 socialcoding..

@smallcircles@social.coop · 2 days ago

@agnez

Oh, I forgot to add this link (and was out of chars too). The notes on the forum were taken 4 years ago, but are just as relevant today. The Social coding commons exists because of them, as before I was active at SocialHub and being confronted and studying the social dynamics that hamper collaboration.

https://discuss.coding.social/t/major-challenges-for-the-fediverse/67

🫧 socialcoding..

@smallcircles@social.coop · 4 days ago

Btw, this is a good opportunity to once more thank @nlnet for their years-long hard work and support of the social web, and the fediverse in particular. I counted 86 fine social web R&D projects who have received @NGIZero and other @ngi support from the #EU over the past couple of years.

At the bottom of the article I mention the urgent #FOSDEM talk and call-to-action by @michiel and also the 2019 keynote given by @darius at the #ActivityPub Conference in Prague on "How to play and win our own game" independent of #BigTech and corporate hypercapitalist shenanigans.

@ben

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