Re: trsst microblogging

I read through this thread with interest.

Let me first explain very simply what we're proposing:

1. Extend RSS/Atom to support self-signed and/or self-encrypted entries.
2. Specify a convention for requesting and relaying RSS entries using plain-old HTTP(S).
3. There is no step 3.  

The interesting bit for this list is: 
- the globally unique identifier for an RSS feed is also its public key.  
- if that public key is a crypto-currency payment address, then all kinds of interesting things can happen with regard to content monetization.

Other projects (diaspora, pump.io, tent, et al.) are focused on new protocols and architectures.  That said, they can easily adopt RSS and HTTP conventions above.  That these other projects have not been successful is not an unfair criticism of Trsst.  We believe we are the maximizing the possibilities of adoption through embrace of existing standards. 

Importantly: the chicken-egg problem (who will use your social net if no one is using your social net?) is solved via RSS: all trsst users can immediately follow any RSS feed, and any RSS reader can follow any trsst user.  And as you can see, as diaspora has learned, an ancillary advantage to the Kickstarter platform is its ability to pre-generate and sustain interest in a way that the build-it-and-hope-they-will-come approach has not.

If you agree with our principles and approach, I ask you to consider supporting our project.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1904431672/trsst-a-distributed-secure-blog-platform-for-the-o

Funds are to be used for standardization of above (this is a w3 list, right?) and development of the reference implementation under as FOSS.  I'm happy to answer any questions here.

Best regards,

Michael Powers

http://trsst.com


> I read through this and then his (Michael Powers) "Trsst" Kickstarter 
> page.
> 
> 
> http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1904431672/trsst-a-distributed-secure-blog-platform-for-the-o
> 
> 
> I found it a comprehensive presentation, I admit to being excited 
> about the possibility: it seems it could bring the following things 
> together:
> --encryption of all our communications (no government/corporate snooping)
> --an open sourced Facebook/Twitter replacement (no corporate control 
> of social web)
> --Bitcoin integration into sales of blogs etc. (micropayment with Bitcoin)
> 
> That's a huge chunk, and would, as Michael says, change the world -- 
> if it worked. But of course we're dealing with a code-writing promise.
> 
> So I'd like at least some other people on this list, who know much 
> more about the technical problems, to look at this and give an opinion.
> 
> My main two questions then would be:
> 1. Is it feasible; and if so:
> 2. Should what the web-payments list is attempting be integrated into 
> it from the start?
> 
> I'm willing to put $ into the kickstarter if others think this is an 
> important idea and should be supported.
> 
> Steven Rowat

Received on Tuesday, 3 September 2013 21:19:41 UTC