https://arewedecentralizedyet.online/ has been switched over to new datasources for the social networks, coming from my own #fediverse crawler and #atprotocol observer. Improvements include better heuristics for fediverse user counts and real monthly active user stats for #bluesky/#atproto . I'm also making more raw data available, both for the most recent counts and historical data at https://arewedecentralizedyet.online/data/

Overall, doesn't change the conclusions much, but I'm very happy with these new datasources.

https://arewedecentralizedyet.online/ has been switched over to new datasources for the social networks, coming from my own #fediverse crawler and #atprotocol observer. Improvements include better heuristics for fediverse user counts and real monthly active user stats for #bluesky/#atproto . I'm also making more raw data available, both for the most recent counts and historical data at https://arewedecentralizedyet.online/data/

Overall, doesn't change the conclusions much, but I'm very happy with these new datasources.

If I try to view a post on Bluesky web-based app, while being logged in, I see the following age-gate (in the attached screen-shots) — and am prevented from seeing the post.

If I try to view the post without being logged in, I don't get the age-gate, and can just see the post.

#ATProto #ATProtocol #Bluesky #bsky #Privacy

The Bluesky Android mobile app is telling me I cannot use Bluesky unless I provide my date of birth.

(I haven't looked at Bluesky in a while — so, this might not be a new thing.)

I wonder if you can get around this by just installing an alternative (3rd party) Bluesky mobile app.

#ATProto #ATProtocol #Bluesky #bsky #Privacy

Eurosky dawns: Building Infrastructure for Sovereign Social Media – Open Future

Not sure how to take this: Mastodon already exists, it’s a European project and it’s struggling to take off.

I don’t think that the problem with Mastodon’s lack of adoption is the ActivityPub protocol. What advantages does the ATProtocol have that will lead to wider adoption?

developing alternative social media infrastructure that is not controlled by Big Tech or venture capital-backed US corporations, anchored within EU jurisdiction, and designed to foster a more pluralistic information ecosystem.

Source: Eurosky dawns: Building Infrastructure for Sovereign Social Media – Open Future

Eurosky dawns: Building Infrastructure for Sovereign Social Media – Open Future

Not sure how to take this: Mastodon already exists, it’s a European project and it’s struggling to take off.

I don’t think that the problem with Mastodon’s lack of adoption is the ActivityPub protocol. What advantages does the ATProtocol have that will lead to wider adoption?

developing alternative social media infrastructure that is not controlled by Big Tech or venture capital-backed US corporations, anchored within EU jurisdiction, and designed to foster a more pluralistic information ecosystem.

Source: Eurosky dawns: Building Infrastructure for Sovereign Social Media – Open Future

What will happen to the actual #Fediverse if Bluesky really succeeds as the mainstream federated social media platform with other interoperable apps?

#ATProtocol #ActivityPub #SocialMedia #BlueSky

What will happen to the actual #Fediverse if Bluesky really succeeds as the mainstream federated social media platform with other interoperable apps?

#ATProtocol #ActivityPub #SocialMedia #BlueSky

There is a #Wikipedia draft for #Blacksky over at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Blacksky

It could use some love from someone who actually understands what it is and how the #ATprotocol and #bluesky work (which would not be me).

Pretty much any additions appreciated, but please don't remove sources, since that's an existential threat to a wikipedia article.

There is a #Wikipedia draft for #Blacksky over at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Blacksky

It could use some love from someone who actually understands what it is and how the #ATprotocol and #bluesky work (which would not be me).

Pretty much any additions appreciated, but please don't remove sources, since that's an existential threat to a wikipedia article.

@FinchHaven "...standardizing parts of #ATProtocol in an effort to establish long-term governance for the protocol."

"parts"?

OSI failed because every vendor wanted their existing, non-interoperable implementations to all somehow magically work by having a non-functional subset of all those vendors' implementations as required but anything they didn't want to change as option. result. the same non-interoperability.

the IETF and TCP/IP are ubiquitous now because they didn't try to avoid actual interoperability in the name of some useless "protocol compliance" of a subset.

color me skeptical that this will be a useful exercise.

Recently there has been a lot of discourse about ActivityPub and AT Protocol which has been quite dividing and heated.

Yesterday at the Social Web CG meeting (the group that maintains the ActivityPub and related specifications), I proposed releasing a statement that counters the narrative that one of these protocols must win, when both protocols can co-exist and have a lot to learn from each other.

The statement has been co-signed by various members of both Social Web CG, SocialCG, and the AT Protocol community.

“We do not win by tearing each other down, which only emboldens and empowers those who do not want either protocol to succeed.”

“Arguing between us only emboldens those that seek to derail and destroy efforts to build an open social web.”

You can read the full statement here:
https://writings.thisismissem.social/statement-on-discourse-about-activitypub-and-at-protocol/

This was originally in the swicg/general repository, and you can learn about that here:
https://github.com/swicg/general/blob/master/statements/2025-09-05-activitypub-and-atproto-discourse.md

#activitypub #atprotocol #atproto #SocialWeb