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 ActivityPub and the federated social networks
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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.

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.

Data breaches happen 

Doing without social networks can be an option for somebody, but it
doesn't have to be the only way to 

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.

When I say networks, plural, of course I mean that there were a few
incompatible protocols, none of the platforms were completely mature,
and the kind of community they attracted meant that the federated social
networks back then were a great place to find people who were interested
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