Re: Rights Expression Language (REL) for Activity/Streams/Pub?

There are many use cases for read-only publishing of information. That is how the Web started. Replies and other user interactions (likes, dislikes, and so on) may be unwelcomed by the author of a specific message.

A few examples are:

Writing about the death of a loved one, announcing a gender transition, statements from an activist group, public apologies, providing a controversial product or service, offering assistance to undocumented workers, details for transportation to abortion clinics, journalists providing their contact information for whistleblowers, a hash posted as proof of possession of data, veiled warnings to citizens living under the boot of a regime.

In many of these cases, turning off replies is in the best interest of the people who might need the information so that users aren't unknowingly doxxed or exposed to risk of violence or repression.

Sometimes, though, authors just don't want to act as moderators (if they have such capability/permissions) or view the opinions of readers (which as we all know can be quite nasty) as a requirement for publishing.

Cheers,
- Sean


On March 6, 2023 9:09:02 PM UTC, Marcus Rohrmoser <me+swicg@mro.name> wrote:
>On 6 Mar 2023, at 20:50, Bob Wyman wrote:
>
>>    - Preventing replies to posts
>
>Easy - don't post. Zero replies guaranteed.
>
>Seriously, what use cases are there?
>
>This sounds like the fantasy of a naïve dictator. Totalitarian and encroaching.
>
>ActivityPub may promise the publisher too much control. And won't keep it.
>
>Marcus
>