SocialSpec Seems...Pointless
| 3 min read
I've seen a few people talking about SocialSpec which claims that "the future of social media is websites". Something I strongly agree with. However, I don't see the point of this fledgling spec on top of all the other IndieWeb complexity that's flying around.
From what I can gather, it's 3 files that you upload to /.well-known which provide a bio, a means of contact, and what blogs you follow. Step one is to have an RSS feed, actually, but everyone should have an RSS feed anyway. But aside from this, I already have a bio, a means of contact, and a list of blogs I follow. So what is SocialSpec trying to achieve?
Again, from what I can gather from the site, you publish these 3 files on your site and you're magically enrolled in the new website social network. Where you can peruse a timeline of posts from fellow bloggers, based on who you follow in your OPML file.
Fuck yeah! Win for the open web. Sign me up!
But hang on a second. This open spec, based on open protocols, for the open web doesn't even have a web app. Nope. The only client that actually uses it is sitting behind a fucking iOS app.
Now I'm sure other apps will come with time, but if this were truly a platform for the open web, wouldn't a website that supports a PWA have been a better solution initially? I think so.
What does it solve?
Even if someone takes the time to publish and maintain these files, what does SocialSpec offer over an RSS feed reader, and a couple of pages on your site?
Nothing.
I like how people are thinking of ways to interconnect sites in this way, but I don't think this is the right approach. It's trying to solve a problem that doesn't really exist in my opinion. The only issue it may fix is discoverability. But I still think it's flawed as the service would need a decent user base to make discoverability viable.
Sites like Bubbles, PowRSS, and Bear Discover are far better than this solution as they're easier to use and have no barrier for entry.
Maybe I'm being a curmudgeon here, but I really don't get it. This is a solved problem, and has been for decades.
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