Friendly reminder #ActivityPub protocol development will go back behind permissioned closed doors (unless you pay w3c or are deemed an invited expert) doors at w3c in the near future.

Friendly reminder #ActivityPub protocol development will go back behind permissioned closed doors (unless you pay w3c or are deemed an invited expert) doors at w3c in the near future. RIP 2018-2025 open ActivityPub governance in SWICG.

@bengo thanks for the warning. Where can I learn more?

@bhaugen unfortunately I don’t have a great recommendation. but in two weeks I predict you will see plenty of self congratulation associated with an invite only, off-web, in-person meeting where the closed “open” social web work begins

@bengo that sucks. Any way to stop it?

@aburka I tried but nah it goes all the way to the top, and w3c staff send intimidation in response to dissent, so not worth it for most. The time to stop it was the last 2.5 years of discussion and conspicuous lack of consensus. that was all after w3c staff told insiders at TPAC 2023 off minutes “send me a charter and I’ll get the WG started right away”.

It’s not up to us or even AP editors, none of whom have supported this.
It’s up to the W3C CEO and board.

“Vote with your feet”

@aburka one more thing: I’m genuinely super excited about the near term readiness of social webs based on open protocols and architecture appropriate for 2026, not AP’s outdated arch from more than 15 years ago (eg AP had client side signatures in 2017, but the chairs of the old group cut it at the last minute so now your Mastodon instance can spoof you).

"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." – John Maynard Keynes.

@bengo @bhaugen All W3C work is invite-only and permissioned by design.

That's why we have #FEP

@bengo@mastodon.social info re: the re-charter is here.

Social Web Working Group Charter

(www.w3.org)

I'm confused about it, because the move to closed door meetings is concerning. It's not that I fear I won't be invited — I'm certain if I asked I would be — but that SocialCG meetings have been quite divorced from the actual developers, and this move cements this somewhat.

Of course this could also just be a formality as the group moves from CG to WG.

What of the task forces, do they continue? I've been working on a task force under the CG banner ...

Some lingering questions @evan@cosocial.ca @darius@friend.camp (whose name is on the new charter?)

@julian @bengo @darius task forces continue. We'll use a staging process; most work will continue in the CG. There was a great session in the last CG meeting about this.