@the_wub @0xabad1dea
Without giving it too much thought… yes.

…after a couple seconds of thought, I’m thinking of a fun but balkanized ecosystem of apps built around the open protocol, and later someone coming uo with a very polished and elegant client app that becomes very popular, and then the developer“embracing and extending” the protocol to create yet another walled garden fueled by VC and insatiable greed.

Which brings me back to, how do we prevent this cycle from repeating?

@crowfea
That normal user will care in a few years when the platform is bought out by a sociopathic billionaire and everyone has to start all over from scratch.

@katarjin.bsky.social
The basic concept is fine. The user interface is a mess.

@the_wub @0xabad1dea
Respectfully, this mindset of infinite customization will drive away all but the most dedicated enthusiasts.

I think a priority should be to have a small team of talented UI/UX designers create a likable, aesthetic, and intuitive interface that doesn’t feel like it was designed by an alien species tripping on acid.

@sotolf @only_ohm @aral @Element @LukefromDC
It's alarming how much data infrastructure is controlled by Bezos. Europeans should be looking to create their own competing infrastructures instead of wasting money on the AI boondoggle.

@mpsi @aral @element
True but Taiwan seems to have some American tendencies treating capitalism almost like a state religion, with unsurprising consequences in wealth inequality and affordability.

That is at odds with the Chinese government’s objectives so the tensions are understandable.

And China is forging mutually beneficial relationships with other countries very much unlike the US and western Europe.

@mpsi @aral @element
I think China has generally benefitted from what is effectively a somewhat benign and competent dictatorship that hasn’t revolved around the personal interests of the dictator.

The national government also doesn’t seem to micromanage local affairs.

But we all know that is not a sustainable long term solution. What happens when conditions change or their ruler dies?

@mpsi @MisuseCase @aral @element
No argument there.

@sotolf @LukefromDC @aral @element
Can you recommend alternatives to Signal that are more trustworthy?

@kravietz @aral @element
I don’t recall insulting you, unless perhaps you self-identify as a fascist.

@mpsi @aral @element
Something they should be commended for. I don’t support any degree of authoritarianism or suppression of civil liberties, but the Chinese people seem to have enjoyed enormous improvements to their standard of living and quality of life. And I don’t recall China employing gunboat diplomacy like the US.

@sotolf @LukefromDC @aral @element
I don’t recall using the word “trust”. I’m inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt given the apparent ideology of their founder and the company’s track record for security and privacy.

I would readily change my stance in the face of evidence to the contrary. I certainly don’t support their branching out into AI.

@mpsi @MisuseCase @aral @element
One’s intentions can be noble while still adopting the wrong strategies to achieve them.

I used to use Western Europe as a good example of the many ways we could be better but now that example is fading.

@MisuseCase @mpsi @aral @element
Well that’s a case of the tail wagging the dog because the US is merely the modern day iteration of the British empire. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

@mpsi @aral @element
Can you cite some larger countries where that isn’t the case? And can we agree that capital can become controlled by either oligarchs or an authoritarian government?

@sotolf @LukefromDC @aral @element
I’m not qualified to answer that question, but given the organization’s philosophical roots, I suspect they made infrastructure decisions based on risk analysis assumptions that may no longer be valid.

If that’s the case, perhaps they’re already considering ways to adapt to the changjng political environment.

@mpsi @MisuseCase @aral @element
One would hope, but I’ve seen little evidence of that so far. Europe is still more scared of China than the US and I think that’s a critical mistake.

@sotolf @LukefromDC @aral @element
I’ve followed them for many years and their motivations, at least, seem to be sound.

@mpsi @aral @element
Don’t they? The Chinese government follows the doctrine of “socialism with Chinese characteristics” and that clearly involves embracing some elements of capitalism including the presence of a financial elite even though that elite remains subordinate to the people’s government.

@sotolf @LukefromDC @aral @element
Is that an intentional choice? Could they change that?