#51: Protocols, not platforms

💎 Word gems

Protocols, Not Platforms: A Technological Approach to Free Speech (Knight First Institute at Columbia University / Mike Masnick)

This is a fantastic essay from 2019 arguing for more internet protocols (think email vs. a locked in platform like iMessage). I am a strong advocate of this line of thinking. I see the technical possibility, but still struggle with the challenge that there’s no strong economic incentive for creating a protocol, and moderation will still need to exist.

Historically, the internet moved more and more to a world of centralized platforms over decentralized protocols due, in part, to the incentive structure under the old internet. Protocols were difficult to monetize. Because of that, it was difficult to keep them updated and to provide new features in a compelling way. Companies often came in and “took over,” creating a more centralized platform, adding on their own features (and incorporating their own business models). They were able to put more resources toward those platforms (and business models), creating a virtuous cycle (and some number of locked-in users) for the platform.

Abuse and harassment on the blockchain (Molly White)

This piece squarely critiques blockchain, but it serves as a relevant follow-up to the article above about protocols. If you imagine blockchain as another internet protocol, it’s easy to see how the same moderation problems today still exist.

One commonly-touted feature of blockchains is their immutability: once data is written to the blockchain, it is there forever. While this can have useful applications, such as when storing straightforward transaction records, it is a nightmare when you think about its implications for user-created data, particularly when considered through the lens of abuse and harassment. If someone stores revenge porn or child sexual abuse material on a blockchain, it is there forever and cannot be removed. Individual platforms built on the blockchain can choose not to display it, but the data is still there and can be accessed by anyone, either directly or by just choosing to use a different platform built on the same chain.

The Atlantic spent two years studying what readers and listeners need. Here’s what they found (Nieman Lab / Emily Goligoski)

I love this piece. It shows how The Atlantic extrapolated their user research into five user need statements, that shapes all of their journalism.

Let me take a meaningful break. “I want to find a meaningful distraction,” one reader told us in a 2020 interview, echoing hundreds of thousands of others who sought a respite from seemingly endless doomscrolling. Amid unprecedented pandemic, political, and climate events, readers who “do the work” (in one subscriber’s words, describing people who dedicate time and attention to making sense of complex topics) needed a change. We heard that readers know where to go for schlock and “guilty habit” reads. When they come to us, they’re not looking to zone out. They’re looking for novel approaches into big picture topics.

💩 Cool shit

Brutalita Sans - A font you can edit entirely in your browser.

Burds - A simple, whimsical site.

Physics Simulations - Ignore the interface. This is filled with incredible interactive physics simulators.

This Idea Does Not Exist - In the vein of every AI “this ____ does not exist” site. Some of these ideas certainly do exist though.

Low Earth Orbit Visualization - A globe showing everything moving in low-earth orbit. It reminds me of the scene in Wall-e when they burst through the layer of space junk to leave Earth.

Sixteen Journal - The way you navigate in 3D space to explore photos is really unique.

Corrupt My File - This would have been more useful before everything became a shareable cloud-based document. But, if you’re in need of emailing an offline file and you’re late, this could be useful.

Share this email with a friend because We have an important message for you.