Considering how popular the fediverse already is with at least some of the public institutions in Europe, this is a puzzling move.
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@stefan @Lockpro The issue never was anonymity, but lack of accountability. Both for platforms and users.
If you post something vile, your account is suspended and it's a hassle to re-register you'll think twice before doing it again. But the current socal media standard¹ is you can post something vile with your full name and employer visible and still continue as if there's no problem.
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¹ As per numerous examples on Facebook and x/TwitterRE: https://mastodon.social/@aslakr/115933140926774633
@Mabande @stefan @Lockpro And W Social seem to think that the only way to have accountability is to use «real names»
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Considering how popular the fediverse already is with at least some of the public institutions in Europe, this is a puzzling move.
"European organizations are about to launch their own social media platform, W, amid rising tensions with the United States."
@stefan it's not "European organizations", it's one rich Swiss techbro trying to capitalize on the situation and get rich off of harvesting people's data herself instead of having American companies do it
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@stefan it's not "European organizations", it's one rich Swiss techbro trying to capitalize on the situation and get rich off of harvesting people's data herself instead of having American companies do it
@hazelnot Yes, the article really isn't doing a great job of explaining this initiative, appreciate everyone adding context in the replies!
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R AodeRelay shared this topic
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Considering how popular the fediverse already is with at least some of the public institutions in Europe, this is a puzzling move.
"European organizations are about to launch their own social media platform, W, amid rising tensions with the United States."
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@stefan I hope it will at least be an independent deployment! What a bullshit… They could use real standards…
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well, it is a puzzling move but only for a very short time
If it would be ATProto it would not be an "European Alternative" it would just be an app built in Europe.
Crazy enough but maybe better to build diverse hosted European fedi instances
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Wondered what protocol/software stack might be underneath 'W'
So, #ATProto eh?
This is all I have collected of any interest. The Issue is still open on Github, and dates to "opened on Aug 12, 2023"
qazmlp on Jun 12, 2024 · edited by qazmlp
"Please excuse the harsh wording, but ATProto is genuinely a "privacy-last" specification where the concept of follower-approval and post privacy aren't meaningful, aside from temporarily deactivating an account entirely.
(Adding a locked account feature to apps isn't entirely impossible of course, but doing so with privacy would require at the least a parallel network with distinct architecture and protocol.)
That's not to say there wouldn't be any value in an appview- and app-side mechanism to limit exposure though, as long as it's made clear that it's trivial to circumvent with an alternative client. That may at least turn away the brunt of the harassment in such situations."
Here: https://github.com/bluesky-social/social-app/issues/1155#issuecomment-2163556647
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Wondered what protocol/software stack might be underneath 'W'
So, #ATProto eh?
This is all I have collected of any interest. The Issue is still open on Github, and dates to "opened on Aug 12, 2023"
qazmlp on Jun 12, 2024 · edited by qazmlp
"Please excuse the harsh wording, but ATProto is genuinely a "privacy-last" specification where the concept of follower-approval and post privacy aren't meaningful, aside from temporarily deactivating an account entirely.
(Adding a locked account feature to apps isn't entirely impossible of course, but doing so with privacy would require at the least a parallel network with distinct architecture and protocol.)
That's not to say there wouldn't be any value in an appview- and app-side mechanism to limit exposure though, as long as it's made clear that it's trivial to circumvent with an alternative client. That may at least turn away the brunt of the harassment in such situations."
Here: https://github.com/bluesky-social/social-app/issues/1155#issuecomment-2163556647
Also:
Nekkowe on Oct 21, 2024
"Thanks a lot for the answer, I was thinking about it and that maybe at-proto would be the 'guilty' for not getting this feature. What you said gave a new perspective of the issue.
Mind you, the AT Protocol is also developed by Bluesky PBC https://github.com/bluesky-social/atproto/tree/main?tab=readme-ov-file#about-at-protocol "
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Considering how popular the fediverse already is with at least some of the public institutions in Europe, this is a puzzling move.
"European organizations are about to launch their own social media platform, W, amid rising tensions with the United States."
@stefan @briankrebs maybe it‘s a mastodon instance?
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@stefan @briankrebs maybe it‘s a mastodon instance?
@jmovs Funny that you mention that, I just posted this:
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Also:
Nekkowe on Oct 21, 2024
"Thanks a lot for the answer, I was thinking about it and that maybe at-proto would be the 'guilty' for not getting this feature. What you said gave a new perspective of the issue.
Mind you, the AT Protocol is also developed by Bluesky PBC https://github.com/bluesky-social/atproto/tree/main?tab=readme-ov-file#about-at-protocol "
@FinchHaven Well this still seems to be just a guess, so we'll see. But regardless, I don't find this W project all that interesting, regardless of the protocol they use.
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well, it is a puzzling move but only for a very short time
If it would be ATProto it would not be an "European Alternative" it would just be an app built in Europe.
Crazy enough but maybe better to build diverse hosted European fedi instances@sl007 Well they would presumably build the full infrastructure, the PDS, the appview, etc.
Much like Blacksky has managed to do so recently, if you've been following the project:
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@FinchHaven Well this still seems to be just a guess, so we'll see. But regardless, I don't find this W project all that interesting, regardless of the protocol they use.
Yeah I see it mostly as vaporware, speaking of software stacks...
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@FinchHaven Well this still seems to be just a guess, so we'll see. But regardless, I don't find this W project all that interesting, regardless of the protocol they use.
@stefan @FinchHaven seems to be basically confirmed now that they are at least using Bluesky/ATproto code because they have things like a PDS and a W-branded version of Bluesky's web app running out in the open:
https://stage.wsocial.eu/
https://pds-stage.wsocial.eu/Whether or not this means an entirely separate network or not is another question ofc...
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@sl007 Well they would presumably build the full infrastructure, the PDS, the appview, etc.
Much like Blacksky has managed to do so recently, if you've been following the project:
No, I stopped following these non-real standard projects. I do also doubt some actors.
I am very disappointed - there are more and more such projects where volunteers are involved …
https://digitalcourage.social/@sl007/115934447986369998
cc @bjoernsta @leonido (shame on you) -
@sl007 Well they would presumably build the full infrastructure, the PDS, the appview, etc.
Much like Blacksky has managed to do so recently, if you've been following the project:
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@stefan Strange. Why wouldn't they choose ActivityPub instead?
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Considering how popular the fediverse already is with at least some of the public institutions in Europe, this is a puzzling move.
"European organizations are about to launch their own social media platform, W, amid rising tensions with the United States."
@stefan It could just be their own masto instances? Please tell me it's just their own masto instances?
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@Lockpro There are good reasons for wanting to be anonymous online, though:
https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/why-online-anonymity-matters
And there are many who post some truly vile stuff with their full name and photo attached, so, I don't know.
what anonymity do you have when creating a website? you have the same ability to post hate and misinfo that way. the only difference with decentralized social media is the boost. it's just a faster and easier way to spread that stuff than email or linking to it in your blog.
the problem is the bad shit plus the corporate algorithm. that it quickly figures out what vile stuff is triggering people and is able to push it out to millions and the profit incentive demands it.
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@stefan Strange. Why wouldn't they choose ActivityPub instead?
@GrahamDowns @stefan They do have their own servers here already, might be diversifying (and yeah, the intrusive verification).
