A World Without Caesars: Atproto & Decentralizing the Web

The AT Protocol Gathering: Beyond Bluesky

The initial in-person conference for those developing with the AT Protocol (ATProto) – the technology underpinning Bluesky’s social network of over 33 million users – recently took place in Seattle. Developers, engineers, founders, and Bluesky team members, including CEO Jay Graber, participated in the event. For many, it represented the first opportunity to connect face-to-face after primarily interacting online.

Focus on the Protocol, Not Just the Platform

Despite Bluesky being the most prominent application built on ATProto currently, the conference’s primary emphasis wasn’t the social network itself. Bluesky functioned as another developer within the ecosystem, leveraging its role as steward of ATProto, a protocol designed for building decentralized social networks.

The core objective of the conference was to explore the protocol’s potential, extending beyond social apps to encompass communities and a unified sign-in experience across applications and web services using the OAuth authentication standard.

Reclaiming Control of Data and Experience

A central theme was empowering users with greater control over their data, algorithms, and overall online experience. The attendees, numbering over 150 in person and many more virtually, are actively working towards rebuilding the web by shifting power back to its users.

This effort inherently involves challenging the dominance of major technology companies – often referred to as “Caesars,” as highlighted by Graber’s viral T-shirt referencing Mark Zuckerberg – who currently control significant aspects of our digital lives.

A Diverse Community with Shared Ideals

It’s unsurprising that the conference attracted individuals identifying as anarchists, proponents of mutual aid, and advocates for open-source technologies. However, the group also included those who had previously witnessed the failures of similar initiatives, like Twitter and earlier decentralized applications.

This time, the aim is to incorporate lessons learned from past experiences.

Learning from Past Mistakes

Blaine Cook, co-author of the OAuth standard and the WebFinger protocol, and a former lead developer at Twitter, opened the event. He recounted his time at Twitter, where he coined the term “tweet” and designed the reply function, before observing its evolution into a platform “corrupted by capital and a lack of imagination.” Despite this, he still considers Twitter a landmark achievement in public communication.

Having been pushed out of Twitter for advocating decentralization, Cook likened the current decentralized social web – including Bluesky – to a jungle, functional for its inhabitants but appearing chaotic to outsiders. He acknowledged the existence of multiple protocols, such as ActivityPub (used by Mastodon and Threads), Nostr, and Farcaster, alongside Tim Berners-Lee’s decentralized technology efforts.

“I’ve known for decades that a more free social system was both possible and inevitable,” Cook stated, emphasizing the enduring nature of this belief.

The Promise and Peril of a Decentralized Future

Cook’s address established a tone of acknowledging past shortcomings while maintaining optimism for the future. Later, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber discussed the initial promise of the web and her subsequent disillusionment as it transformed into a tool for surveillance and control.

“We have built a civilization of the mind in cyberspace, but we’ve ended up giving over our lives to large, centralized platforms whose CEOs have styled themselves as self-made monarchs of the kingdoms that we’ve built for them with our data and our time,” Graber explained.

“We have to remember where the power really lies because we gave them that power and we can take it back.” Her speech concluded to resounding applause.

Projects and Challenges in Building a New Web

Presenters showcased their projects, detailed aspects of the ATProto technology, and discussed future directions. Solutions to current challenges were also proposed, including experimentation with running Bluesky on a Raspberry Pi.

BlackSky founder Rudy Fraser shared a poignant account of using ATProto to build communities, offering moderation and support to create a safer online space for Black users, particularly those migrating from Black Twitter. BlackSky aims to eventually operate on its own ATProto infrastructure and offer a dedicated client application.

Attendees were reminded that technology alone isn’t sufficient; a robust ecosystem of support and funding is also crucial.

Addressing Vulnerabilities and Ensuring Safety

Technologist Ændra Rininsland highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by the trans community, even on open social platforms. She emphasized the burden placed on moderation service providers, like Bluesky labelers, who often experience burnout.

Despite these difficulties, Rininsland expressed optimism, pointing to projects like Northsky Social, which leverages ATProto to create a safer social media experience for the LGBTQIA+ community.

“They’re ambitious goals, but we’re trying,” Rininsland said. “Trans people won’t be silenced by this or any other administration. And if it means we have set up an entire parallel infrastructure, our entire damn social network, then you bet your asses we’ll do that.”

Prioritizing Safety and Inclusivity

The ATProto community aims to proactively mitigate the potential harms of new technologies, seeking guidance from experts. Erin Kissane, a content and editorial strategist, joined remotely to share her insights on building safer online communities, drawing from her extensive work, including a 40,000-word essay on Facebook’s role in the Myanmar genocide.

Kissane advised builders to actively seek input from the most vulnerable groups during development and rollout phases. “If you can keep the most vulnerable people safe, you can keep everyone safe,” she stated.

A Movement Taking Shape

As the conference concluded, attendees immediately began collaborating on projects and forging new connections. An active Discord chat facilitated continued communication. Tessa Brown, co-founder of Germ Network, contrasted the event with typical San Francisco tech gatherings, noting a greater emphasis on learning from the past.

“Everyone here is just so thoughtful about how we got to this moment … It feels very different,” Brown remarked.

TechCrunch reported from the ATmosphere Conference in Seattle, Washington.