Dot Social

In this thought-provoking discussion, Cory Doctorow, a blogger, journalist, and digital rights activist, dives into the concept of 'enshittification,' revealing how corporate greed erodes our online experiences. He highlights the dangers of platform monopolies and the urgent need for regulatory reforms to reclaim user agency. Doctorow also champions the benefits of RSS feeds over centralized platforms, explores behavioral economics through the Ulysses Pact, and shares insights from his upcoming book, 'Picks and Shovels,' focused on the tech landscape and its challenges.

From the outside, Bluesky may seem like a Twitter clone. But anyone who’s close to the technology — and the team — knows that they’re building something much deeper: they’re rethinking the internet’s architecture to create a more flexible, user-centric web.Bluesky’s CTO Paul Frazee is the perfect person to explain all this, as he’s fantastic at tying technical concepts to their practical application and wider impact. In this interview with Mike McCue, recorded live at the Fediverse House at SXSW 2025, Frazee unpacks Bluesky’s first principles, what makes AT Protocol different from ActivityPub, why identity portability is a radical shift, and how decentralization could lead to more humane social spaces.Other highlights include:Bluesky's growth spike and architecture first principlesThe challenges of bridging between federated networksWhat it means to build for composabilityHow stackable moderation worksPaul's take on full federation Why this is a greenfield moment for developers Bridging cultural echo chambersMentioned in this episode:Beaker Browser post-mortem🔎 You can find Paul on Bluesky @pfrazee.com. ✚ You can connect with Mike McCue all across the social web, including on Bluesky @mmccue.bsky.social.🌊 Catch the wave! Surf the social web and create your own custom feeds at surf.social, a new beta from the people at Flipboard: https://about.surf.social/

n 2007, the hashtag was a simple, yet revolutionary, idea that changed the way we organize and amplify content. Today, it is either endangered or more useful than ever, depending on whom you talk to. On the open social web, hashtags are an important unifying mechanism — not just for content but for people too. Why is that? How did we get here? What’s next for this small but mighty feature and for the web at large? Here to tell us is Chris Messina, the inventor of the hashtag, the creator of the DiSo Project, and the No. 1 hunter on Product Hunt. In this episode, Messina goes wide to explain where this next 20-year cycle of the internet is taking us. From the community-pulling power of the hashtag to decentralization and the massive shifts ignited by AI, he threads the needle on it all.Addressing Elon Musk’s disparaging comment about hashtagsThe history of the hashtagUnder-appreciated elements of the hashtagGrappling with identity and reputation in a decentralized worldAlignment between ActivityPub and LLMsMentioned in this episode and/or acronyms for clarity:bitly.com/tagchannels - original hashtag specDID stands for “decentralized identifier” and is a self-owned, verifiable digital identity that operates without a central authorityPGP is an encryption standard used for securing communication, data integrity, and authentication 🔎 Learn more about Chris at his website, ChrisMessina.me, or find him on Bluesky @chrismessina.me, Mastodon @chrismessina@mastodon.xyz, and Threads @chris.✚ You can connect with Mike McCue all across the social web, including on Bluesky @mmccue.bsky.social, Mastodon @mike@flipboard.social and Threads @mmccue.🌊 Catch the wave! Surf the social web and create your own custom feeds at surf.social, a new beta from the people at Flipboard. https://about.surf.social/

When you’re building an open source community you’re a part of a collective effort with a common goal. In the fediverse, there are early adopters doing a lot of the heavy lifting now. They’re the voices you want to follow to make sense of the place. One such person is Chris Trottier. Chris describes himself as a “fediverse enthusiast” (he’s also passionate about video games). He’s a sage presence who makes smart observations and has a 10,000-foot view of all the innovation happening on the open social web — not to mention a few ideas of his own. Highlights of this conversation:Why he’s rallied around ActivityPubThe promise of social and the promise of the fediverseSelf-hosting an instanceInteresting apps and products built on top of ActivityPubAdopting a survivability mindset (as VCs, developers)Services mentioned in this episode include:Friendica - https://friendi.ca/ - a decentralized social networkMisskey - https://misskey-hub.net/en/ - a microblogging platformAkkoma - https://akkoma.social/ - “sorta like the child of Twitter and email”Macstodon - https://github.com/smallsco/macstodon - a Mastodon client for Classic Mac OSDOStodon - https://github.com/SuperIlu/DOStodon - a Mastodon client for MS-DOSAmidon - https://github.com/BlitterStudio/amidon - a Mastodon client for Amiga computersSora - https://mszpro.com/sorasns - a futuristic iOS app for Mastodon, Bluesky, Misskey; uses local machine learning to rank posts and feature contents to youBluesky Firehose - https://firesky.tv/ - republishes every new post/reply from the Bluesky firehose in real-timeCastling Club -  https://castling.club/ - chess game built on top of ActivityPub🔎 You can find Chris in the fediverse at @atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org✚ You can connect with Mike McCue on Mastodon at @mike@flipboard.social or via his Flipboard federated account, where you can see what he’s curating on Flipboard in the fediverse, at @mike@flipboard.com💰 Mastodon is a non-profit that runs on donations from the community. You can help Mastodon succeed by supporting the organization via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mastodon

Erin Kissane is a writer and researcher focused on the fediverse, while Darius Kazemi is a senior engineer at Harvard's Applied Social Media Lab. They discuss the challenges of decentralized governance and the potential impact of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election on network building. The conversation touches on user migration to platforms like Bluesky and the importance of interoperability. They explore sustainable business models for these networks and advocate for user-centric approaches to data safety, emphasizing collaboration in enhancing the fediverse's ecosystem.

Jason Koebler, co-founder of 404 Media and a passionate journalist advocating for audience connections, joins Ben Werdmuller, Senior Director of Technology at ProPublica, to discuss the challenges facing modern publishers. They delve into the potential of decentralized social media to enhance discoverability. The duo explores how platforms like Mastodon can empower journalists against the backdrop of AI-generated content. They also assess innovative subscription models and the future of advertising as it shifts towards genuine connections.

Jay Graber, founder and CEO of Bluesky, dives into the exciting journey of transforming social media from a Twitter offshoot to a game-changing independent platform. She discusses the urgent need for decentralization in today's social media landscape, emphasizing user empowerment and innovation. Graber tackles the intricacies of digital identity and the push for standardized decentralized IDs. The podcast also explores custom feeds, bridging social protocols, and reclaiming user control, all aimed at fostering a more open and integrated online experience.

Samantha Lai, a senior research analyst at the Carnegie Endowment, and Jaz-Michael King, executive director of IFTAS, dive into the fascinating world of the fediverse. They discuss the challenges and innovations in community moderation, emphasizing collective responsibility over centralized control. Their collaboration helps illuminate the role of AI tools in managing toxicity while maintaining human oversight. With a focus on privacy and community norms, they highlight how decentralized platforms can empower users to create safer online spaces.

Founder and CEO of Ghost, John O'Nolan, discusses decentralizing technology, integrating ActivityPub, and empowering creators. They explore open-source publishing, micropayments, digital sovereignty, and challenging algorithm-driven platforms for a more equitable internet future.

Cryptocurrency critic Molly White discusses the evolving web, highlighting optimism, blogging for all, digital ownership changes, and the POSSE model for content sharing. She explores identity frameworks, creator relationships, and sustainable funding models for online content.