At the Core of Bluesky’s Philosophy: Subsidiarity and Local Control
At the heart of Bluesky’s approach to social media governance is the concept of subsidiarity. This principle, first proposed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Elinor Ostrom, suggests that problems are best solved at the most local level possible. In the context of content moderation, this means that certain decisions can be made by individual users or communities, while others require the expertise of trained professionals.
The Challenges Ahead
While Bluesky has many elements in place to usher in a new era of social media, challenges remain. Critics have noted that the platform is currently running on venture capital, the same model that led to the creation of Facebook, Twitter, and other dominant social media companies. This raises concerns about the potential for enshittification, a process in which a company’s priorities shift from serving its users to serving its shareholders.
Securing the Foundation of a Digital Future
To prevent enshittification, we need to act now to secure the foundation of this digital future. That’s why a new project, Free Our Feeds, has been launched to create a nonprofit foundation to govern and protect the AT Protocol, outside of Bluesky the company. The project also aims to build redundant servers, allowing users to leave with their data and build anything they want, regardless of policies set by Bluesky.
A New Ecosystem
The ultimate goal of Free Our Feeds is to spur the development of a whole ecosystem built on this technology, with seed money and expertise. This will enable us to reclaim our social lives from companies and their billionaires, bringing more independence, innovation, and local control to our online conversations.
Conclusion
We can build the "Wikipedia of social media," or whatever we want, but we need to act. The future of the internet can’t depend on whether one of the richest men on Earth wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. We must reclaim our online conversations and create a more inclusive, decentralized, and community-driven social media ecosystem.
FAQs
- What is the AT Protocol?
The AT Protocol is a decentralized, open-source technology that enables users to own their data and communicate freely online. - What is Free Our Feeds?
Free Our Feeds is a new project aimed at creating a nonprofit foundation to govern and protect the AT Protocol, building redundant servers, and spurring the development of a whole ecosystem built on this technology. - Is this a hostile takeover of Bluesky?
No, this is not a hostile takeover. Bluesky and its CEO, Jay Graber, recognize the importance of this effort and have signaled their approval. - What is the goal of this project?
The goal is to create a more inclusive, decentralized, and community-driven social media ecosystem, giving users more control over their online conversations and data.
