Decentered S1E3: Ryan Barrett Has a Bridge to Sell Us
Jan 31, 2024
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Ryan Barrett, who has explored decentralized social protocols, discusses the evolution of Bridgy Fed, advancements and challenges in the Fedverse, the need for standardization in social networks, a bug report on 'no bot' hashtag interpretation, thoughts on the Solid protocol and activity pods, and the functionality of Bridgy Fed in making networks comprehensive.
Interoperability among different Fediverse protocols is a key focus for Bridgy Fed and the developer community.
Challenges in communication and consistency between Fediverse servers need further improvement.
Consent-based federation in the Fediverse promotes user control, trust, and a sense of community.
Deep dives
Ryan Barrett's Background and Journey
Ryan Barrett has a background in Silicon Valley engineering and has worked at big tech companies and startups for the past 20 years. He co-founded Google App Engine and has experience in bioinformatics, health tech, and climate tech. Alongside his professional work, Ryan has been exploring social network and web development on the side, leading him to create Bridgy and Bridgy Fed, which allow websites and blogs to be more integrated into the Fediverse.
The Evolution of Bridgy Fed
The initial version of Bridgy focused on bridging the gap between traditional centralized social networks and the IndieWeb. Later, with the rise of Fediverse protocols like ActivityPub and Mastodon, Ryan developed Bridgy Fed to enable websites and blogs to become first-class citizens of the Fediverse. Bridgy Fed allows these websites to have their own Fediverse accounts and participate in the federated networking. Ryan is passionate about seeing diversity in approaches and the potential for interoperability among different protocols.
Challenges of Interoperability and Protocol Differences
Interoperability between Fediverse servers can be challenging due to the flexibility and different interpretations of protocols like ActivityPub and ActivityStreams. Different servers may have their own extensions or interpretations, making it difficult to ensure smooth communication and consistency. Authentication and authorization are also areas that require further development. Despite these challenges, the Fediverse developer community is actively working to improve interoperability and find common ground.
The Concept of Consent-Based Federation
The concept of consent-based federation is an emerging idea in the Fediverse. It focuses on allowing users and communities to have more control over who they choose to interact with and federate with. Instead of opting out of federation by blocking specific instances, consent-based federation starts with a smaller circle of trusted connections and gradually expands it based on user preferences. This approach aims to enhance user comfort and prevent unwanted interactions while fostering a sense of trust and community.
Future Directions for Bridgy Fed and Scaling Challenges
Ryan envisions Bridgy Fed scaling to serve more users and networks, allowing for increased functionality and interoperability. Scaling challenges are seen as exciting opportunities for technical development, while user-focused decisions and addressing moderation challenges remain important aspects of future development. Bridgy Fed aims to provide comprehensive support for various networks, bridging the gap between different protocols and allowing users to seamlessly interact and share content across platforms.
