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W3C SocialWeb CG +

Credentials CG meeting

https://www.w3.org/community/socialcg/ �https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks/ �https://codeberg.org/fediverse/fep

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SocialWeb WG/CG History

Jul 2014 - Feb 2018 - Social Web Working Group

  • Multiple TRs: ActivityPub, ActivityStreams2 data model, Linked Data Notifications, WebSub, Webmention, Micropub, etc.
  • Mastodon (and other in-progress decentralized social web networks) adopt ActivityPub protocol
  • At charter expiration, the WG handed stewardship of specs to the CG (SWICG)

2018 - 2022 - "sleeping" CG

  • But lots of activity on SocialHub forum, F.E.P. community (Fediverse Enhancement Protocols)
  • Elon Musk acquires Twitter
  • Various waves of Twitter exodus, Mastodon-powered Fediverse gains even more momentum
  • Lots of new AP/AS2 implementations beyond Mastodon!

Nov 2022 - now - SocialWeb CG "reboot" (mailing list activated, ~monthly calls started)

  • ActivityPub errata work
  • Discussion about possible chartering of a new WG
  • Twitter gets renamed to X
  • Reddit API controversies, rise of Lemmy and other Fedi-powered Reddit alternatives
  • Meta's Threads announcement (Threads to implement ActivityPub)
  • CG Task Forces:
    • ActivityPub Testing TF, Data Portability TF, AP + Webfinger report, AP + Http Signatures report

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SocialWeb Challenges and Opportunities

  • Open source community, general public, press, more aware of the pressing need for non-hypercentralized social media
  • (as always) Social web specs (AP etc) need more documentation, dev onboarding, tutorials, etc.
  • Need to integrate lessons learned since 2018, need living specs
  • Bluesky, Threads, and other new social media projects, galvanizing (and polarizing) the community
  • Authentication, identity, authorization still challenging (using 2016-era tools)
    • However, we now have DIDs, Data Integrity, Capabilities, etc, to experiment with
  • Moderation, and Account (and content) portability are key issues

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Why isn't everyone on the Fediverse (yet)?

  • Still relatively new / unknown
  • Follower discovery / empty village -- how do people discover you after you move?
  • Initial choice of home server is high-friction and daunting to those unfamiliar with, e.g. FOSS distro choices (still bound to domains called “instances”)
    • Choice of “Servers” (implementations of the protocol) even more advanced-topics
  • Access control ("friends-only" threads, etc)
  • MODERATION. Extra relevant due to CSAM legislation.
  • Cross-instance #hashtags and Search
  • Migrating to different providers (taking your account, followers, content with you) challenging

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Intersection with the CCG

  • DIDs a very promising direction in social web identity
  • Hey, what about credentials?
    • also very useful for profiles, combating disinformation, etc�
  • Need to sign everything (posts, profiles, social graphs)
  • Need better access control tech
    • zCap-LD, UCANs, synthesis of?�
  • Portable and/or translatable identifiers for content needed
    • else NxN translation of paths and URI schemes

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Join the Conversation!

  • Join the SocialWeb CG!
    • Especially sign up for the Mailing List�
  • Follow the conversation on SocialHub forum�
  • Follow the F.E.P. repo, join the decentralized spec work�
  • Get a Fediverse account! :)
  • Join the CG Task Forces!
    • Testing, Portability, WebFinger+AP, HTTPSig + AP