De-nuct-ifying the world
I've had a strange experience over the past year, and it's getting more
common. As a developer, I used to be the one recommending software/tech things to my
friends. Now all my non-technical friends have started recommending things
to me that they have discovered on the intar-web. The trouble is, they're
almost all closed systems - apparently free, but under the control of one
group.
It started with
Skype. Then
xanga. And most recently it's been
facebook. The speed with which facebook
has spread amongst various of our friends is impressive. Some things about it
are really good too - they're beginning to understand the sorts of things you
can do with the Web.
But it's hard to explain that these sorts of things are the point of the Web
as a Whole, rather than being a neat idea that can only work on a particular
site. No-one understands the negative effects of a closed network. Or even
more, the potential positive effects they're missing. Part of the problem is
vocabulary - if you don't even have words to encapsulate the concepts to
communicate, it's hard to argue for something. Open and closed networks are
clear concepts to me but it's nice to embellish them somewhat.
So here's my attempt: A closed network utility under the control of one group
that doesn't let you federate is called a
nuct (a
Network
Utility
Control
Trap - don't let them innuct you into
it). If you encounter one, you need a way of interacting with it that doesn't
suck you in. The point of closed systems is of course, to prevent this.
But no-one seems to be doing the work required to break these things open
We need a
nuct-cracker suite (drum roll)
A simple start on easy ways to start breaking things open:
- open APIs to access data locked up in closed networks
- a suite for different kinds of apps
- social networks - same API to different ones
- plugins to open source open standards programs to interoperate with those
networks
- e.g. plugin to Gaim to control Skype
- open source servers with open APIs to replace the closed networks
- deploy and let the network effect take place
The trouble with tech pseudo-values: they're not the
gospel.
So on the one hand there comes a limit to avoiding things that would help good
friendships because I think they could be done better. But more simply, I
don't have enough time to actually create the online world the way I want it
to be...
Is anyone doing something like this?