Diaspora Preview: The Open Source Facebook Alternative

Diaspora: An Open-Source Social Network

Diaspora emerged as a project with significant initial support, securing $10,000 in funding within its first twelve days. This early success foreshadowed the substantial financial backing it would ultimately receive, eventually totaling $200,641.

Notably, the project attracted donations from prominent figures, including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, who characterized the concept as "cool." This level of attention amplified the anticipation surrounding this open-source social networking initiative.

The Meaning Behind the Name

The term diaspora has its roots in ancient Greek, originally signifying "a scattering of seeds." This etymology proves fitting for a decentralized social network platform.

Currently, diaspora denotes a group migration. However, the question remains whether enhanced security features and an open-source philosophy will be sufficient to draw users away from established social media platforms like Facebook and MySpace.

Will Users Migrate?

• Security Concerns: Diaspora aims to address privacy issues prevalent on centralized networks.
• Open-Source Advantage: The open-source nature allows for community contributions and transparency.
• Competition: The challenge lies in competing with the established user bases of giants like Facebook.

The success of Diaspora hinges on its ability to deliver on its promises of improved privacy and user control. It must effectively demonstrate the benefits of a decentralized, open-source approach to social networking.

Ultimately, whether users choose to migrate will depend on their individual priorities and perceptions of value. Diaspora presents a compelling alternative, but faces a significant hurdle in overcoming the network effects of existing platforms.

The Genesis of Diaspora

Diaspora originated from the impetus of students at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Science. Their inspiration stemmed from a presentation concerning online freedom and privacy.

During this presentation, Columbia University law professor Eben Moglen characterized centralized social networks as inherently involved in surveillance, stating they essentially allow "spying for free." This critique directly motivated the creation of Diaspora.

Initial Funding and Goals

The project was publicly launched on April 24, 2010, via the Kickstarter platform. Rapidly, the development team secured several hundred thousand dollars in funding.

This financial backing provided a clear objective and garnered support from the open-source community.

Core Principles and Design

The developers envisioned Diaspora as a distinct alternative to existing social networks. A key feature is the user’s ability to select the location for data storage, rather than being restricted to a centralized server.

Furthermore, a significant design goal is the separation of professional and personal life, ensuring that an individual’s employer remains unaware of their off-duty activities.

Diaspora and the Competitive Landscape

The primary competitor to Diaspora is, without question, Facebook. Facebook has repeatedly faced scrutiny regarding security vulnerabilities and privacy concerns.

Even if Diaspora does not achieve widespread adoption, its emphasis on privacy and data security is expected to prompt improvements in these areas from Facebook and similar platforms.

Understanding the Functionality of Diaspora

Users have the capability to establish their own servers, referred to as "seeds," for data storage. These seeds can then communicate with each other, facilitating the sharing of photos, status updates, and other common internet content.

It isn't necessary for every individual to operate a seed. However, the existence of these independent "hubs" allows users to select the location where their data is hosted, avoiding direct placement on another entity's servers.

Data control is a key feature; your information remains on the seed you designate, and you retain authority over its usage.

Data Portability and Seed Migration

The developers have prioritized data migration. Diaspora is designed to enable a smooth transition of data between seeds, ensuring continued functionality after the move.

The Business Model Behind Diaspora

Despite its open-source nature, Diaspora operates with a business component similar to platforms like Facebook. Upon official launch, the developers intend to provide paid hosting services for seeds, inclusive of technical support.

Users with existing Ruby-compatible hosting solutions may find this offering unnecessary.

Interface and User Experience

The core Diaspora interface bears a resemblance to Facebook. However, the current iteration is still under development and lacks the full range of features and user-friendliness found in more established social networks.