An essay outlining the author's vision for a new architecture of social media, designed to be free from oligarchic control and manipulation, focusing on principles like open source, community ownership, human management, and a multi-threaded conversation topology.
Lee Felsenstein's post outlines his vision for a next-generation social media system designed to counter the negative influences of current platforms, particularly those controlled by oligarchs and used for manipulation. He argues that control of information channels is key to politics, and a healthy "commons of information" is vital for a civilized society.
His proposed system, "Commons of Information – NextGen," is built on principles of open source code, community ownership, human management, local cooperative economics, multi-threaded conversations, restriction to public communications, and a lack of profit motive.
Key features include a book-like conversation topology (avoiding "topic drift"), a micropayment system for content moderation and services, and a legal structure designed to resist takeover by powerful interests. Felsenstein emphasizes the need for ongoing discussion and collaboration to realize this vision, framing it as a crucial step towards a more democratic and informed future. He positions this work as a response to the current political climate and the dangers of authoritarianism and misinformation.
Lee Felsenstein's post outlines his vision for a next-generation social media system designed to counter the negative influences of current platforms, particularly those controlled by oligarchs and used for manipulation. He argues that control of information channels is key to politics, and a healthy "commons of information" is vital for a civilized society.
His proposed system, "Commons of Information – NextGen," is built on principles of open source code, community ownership, human management, local cooperative economics, multi-threaded conversations, restriction to public communications, and a lack of profit motive.
Key features include a book-like conversation topology (avoiding "topic drift"), a micropayment system for content moderation and services, and a legal structure designed to resist takeover by powerful interests. Felsenstein emphasizes the need for ongoing discussion and collaboration to realize this vision, framing it as a crucial step towards a more democratic and informed future. He positions this work as a response to the current political climate and the dangers of authoritarianism and misinformation.
ATProto is evolving with additions like OAuth support for easier logins, the ability to publish data schemas (lexicons), plans for private data handling and end-to-end encryption using MLS, improved relay scalability, and better account migration options.
A Lesson on How to Kill Your App, exploring the competition between Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) in the realm of social media platforms, focusing on user experience, decentralization, and platform governance.
Justin Garrison demonstrates how to use a Raspberry Pi or other single-board computer to run a local Personal Data Server (PDS) for the microblogging platform Bluesky, allowing users to store and manage their own data.
"Subcultures are commodified to maintain the status quo. In his influential book Subculture: Meaning and Style, Dick Hebdige explained how capitalism and dominant ideologies do this to dismantle subcultural rebellion, outlining two tactics of doing so: firstly, by converting subcultural symbols (fashion, music, etc) into mass-produced objects, and secondly by dominant groups (eg the media or government) labelling and redefining ‘deviant’ behaviour to make it acceptable enough to be integrated into the mainstream (eg by making something ‘cool’)."
The article discusses the surge in popularity of Bluesky and Threads, social media platforms that have gained significant user growth, especially as users move away from X (formerly Twitter). The piece explores the implications of this shift towards decentralized social media services and how it might lead to a more fragmented, specialized future for social networking.
OpenAI claims that using ChatGPT to create fake social media posts has made it easier to detect cyber threats from bad actors, as seen in their recent report.
A look at the social aspects of the Incompatible Timesharing (ITS) operating system, focusing on its lack of security and how that facilitated collaboration and a sense of community among users. The author argues that ITS was a forerunner to modern social media.
Michel Foucault died in 1984, but his philosophy still speaks to a world saturated with social mediaFour decades after his death, the French philosopher's ideas continue to resonate in contemporary discussions around social media, power, and identity.
The philosophy of Michel Foucault, who died in 1984, is still relevant in today's world saturated with social media. His work emphasizes the importance of understanding the self and the power dynamics at play in knowledge acquisition. In the current digital age, social media platforms have become central in shaping the self, as individuals compete to be knowledgeable and powerful through their online personas. A key aspect of Foucault's work is the need to recognize the power dynamics at play, as well as the importance of self-awareness and resistance to prefabricated identities. His viral philosophy has made him an influential figure in the contemporary world, even if his work sometimes appears tedious or infuriating.
The philosophy of Michel Foucault, who died in 1984, is still relevant in today's world saturated with social media. His work emphasizes the importance of understanding the self and the power dynamics at play in knowledge acquisition. In the current digital age, social media platforms have become central in shaping the self, as individuals compete to be knowledgeable and powerful through their online personas. A key aspect of Foucault's work is the need to recognize the power dynamics at play, as well as the importance of self-awareness and resistance to prefabricated identities. His viral philosophy has made him an influential figure in the contemporary world, even if his work sometimes appears tedious or infuriating.
In an interview with TechCrunch, Signal CEO Meredith Whittaker criticizes the media's obsession with AI-driven deepfakes, the encroaching surveillance state, and the concentration of power in the five main social media platforms. She also discusses the company's recent war of words with Elon Musk, Telegram's Pavel Durov, and OpenAI's leadership.
