I'm happy that I'll be part of two meetings this month in front of the EU Commission talking about decentralized social networks and the work we've done https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/t/ec-ngi0-liaison-webinars-and-workshop-april-2021/1539
I believe this conversation is an important one to have, and I'd like to expand on why below.
You've probably noticed that governance bodies all across the world (including the US, and in the EU but definitely elsewhere as well) are taking note about the shape of social networks.
Here's some early draft legislation from the EU. It says "gatekeepers" 16 times in 6 pages:
There's good reason to be concerned about gatekeepers to our communication, so 16 times in 6 pages isn't so surprising.
Yet, we've *built* alternatives to gatekeeping social networks across ActivityPub and other fediverse projects... how many times are those mentioned? Not once.
There's another way to look at this situation: as my friend Randy Farmer said to me: "Society is interpreting centralization of communication as a pathogen. What we're seeing right now is an immune response."
Having an immune system is important to keeping a human body, or a society, healthy.
However, immune systems can misfire. What we've seen in the COVID-19 pandemic is that what's killing people *is* the immune system response.
But regarding centralization: we have a cure.
The federated social web community has been at this work for over a decade. I'm proud to have been part of the ActivityPub standard: https://www.w3.org/TR/activitypub/
There's also further research happening for the next generation of this work in @spritelyproject.
But...
Centralized social systems are playing a losing game: there's no way to make everyone happy. But the immune response we're seeing could also misfire, resulting in only the creepiest social network possible being allowed to play.
This would be bad. But we have an alternative.
I think for the most part, legislators aren't even aware there's another option.
But recently, @jack@twitter.com did mention an alternative option in front of a congressional hearing, that we can build protocols as an alternative to centralization: https://twitter.com/jack/status/1375126820383645697
Whether you're optimistic about an organization like Twitter launching an alternative or not, it's important to start getting that message out there. This is a good first step to counter an immune response misfire.
You can see what was actually said here: https://youtu.be/u7ijNBTDUcM?t=169
We need to make ourselves visible, show a real effort for a system that empowers and delivers agency to our citizens.
Legislators should know that this is a viable path, otherwise they'll write legislation that assumes gatekeepers-only, because gatekeepers is all they know.
I said before that centralized social networks are currently playing a losing game: there's no way to make all political parties happy.
But a top-down solution which *assumes* gatekeepers will *codify* a losing game for the citizens legislators are *intending* to protect.
There is a path out. Instead we should have governing bodies rally around & *demanding* people-empowering decentralized solutions. Solutions which give agency to all citizens. Solutions without centralized gatekeepers, but which also empower communities to self-govern & moderate.
There is also much to be done in the centralization space; this is why after ActivityPub was released, I decided to turn my work to fill in the remaining pieces with @spritelyproject.
I'm optimistic we can build a better future and get it out there.
Let's do so together.
Well this one was meant to say "much work to be done in the *de*centralization space" but to be honest with you: I think @spritelyproject is going in some powerful directions that even the centralized space hasn't yet explored.
@cwebber I am so happy to see you being part of these meetings! Good luck.
@rysiek Thank you! And thanks for all the work you've done to push things in the right direction here. :)
@cwebber we're all in this together. 👍
Yes, there's huge potential in what we are building here together. In addition to the inspiring toots of @cwebber a call to action. I'd like to point you to #SocialHub, the community of technologists that is dedicated to evolving the #fediverse and build further on the great foundations we already have.
Your participation and our concerted efforts are vital to go next-level: Towards #SocialMediaReimagined all across the board.
Not necessarily in size. That's irrelevant. In vision and humanity!
Check out the topics that interest you on the SocialHub forum, and join the fun.
This is a good start, but it's not enough. It should be clear from watching the video that most people in congress had never even heard of such a direction before... certainly didn't know this work has been ongoing for over a decade.