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diff --git a/ap_debian/transcriptish.rst b/ap_debian/transcriptish.rst index e1510d2..b9ae7f4 100644 --- a/ap_debian/transcriptish.rst +++ b/ap_debian/transcriptish.rst @@ -3,27 +3,38 @@ =============================================== I believe a lot of people here care about Free Software, and I guess -that a number of those also care about the related issues of freedom in -computing, that nowadays involve more and more things that aren't -running on computers we can control. +that a number of those also care about freedom in general computing, +which nowadays involves more and more things running on computers that +we can't control. -There are many of those, and the one I'm talking about today starts with -the consideration that a lot of computer-ish time is being spent on -social networks, providing valuable data to companies that have proven -multiple times they can't be trusted with those. +Today I'm talking about one of those things: social networks. -Data breaches happen +They are a pretty useful thing, enabling an egalitarian access to +communication, and by stretching a bit the definition to include email +one can claim that they are involved in enabling the existence of +projects like debian itself. -Doing without social networks can be an option for somebody, but it -doesn't have to be the only way to +They are also, sadly, a great way to attract people to one's platform in +order to squeeze every bit of sellable personal data out of them. -This problem has been known for a long time, and at least since 2008 -with StatusNet and 2010 with Friendica and Diaspora there have been -the will to develop an ecosystem of alternative platforms, of course -based on Free Software, to allow people to have the advantages of social -networks while keeping control of their data and experience by having -networks of federated servers all talking with each other, like email, -except designed in the current millenium. +If this was about showing ads to make people choose between two +equivalent brands of, say, pasta, it wouldn't be a big deal, but that +data has already been used to manipulate elections and it has been +leaked multiple times and made available to criminals. + +On the topic of why social networks as a business model are toxic and +a cost on society, I'd recommend reading Cory Doctorow's article “Zuck’s +Empire of Oily Rags”, which is much better written than I could do. + +Free Software has been offering technical tools to solve this for a long +time, by developing federated, self-hostable server software to allow +people to have the advantages of social networks while keeping control +of their data and experience; like email, except designed in the current +millenium. + +The first such projects I know of were StatusNet in 2008, Friendica and +Diaspora in 2010, so federated social networks have been available for +more than 10 years. When I say networks, plural, of course I mean that there were a few incompatible protocols, none of the platforms were completely mature, @@ -33,5 +44,4 @@ in talking about federated social networks. I was there, I was happy with it, but I'd be the first to admit that something like that wasn't going to help more than a tiny minority of people. -With time, a pornapocalypse or two to attract more users and an effort -towards standardization, today the federated networks are +Since then, things have improved. |