git ssb

%hQMXHkZBPgO5x8HqiCeHxZKJWFferucYm00Hew9DHEU=.sha256

{
  "previous": "%XMerwh7QoerzydCWsDlzgaLU/FD1vIjroHKYaf84B3c=.sha256",
  "author": "@EMovhfIrFk4NihAKnRNhrfRaqIhBv1Wj8pTxJNgvCCY=.ed25519",
  "sequence": 3738,
  "timestamp": 1470606124573,
  "hash": "sha256",
  "content": {
    "type": "post",
    "root": "%LxBje0T5skvckC8g/y1gPVtMBZRhNQtWLuwfCfA3gis=.sha256",
    "branch": [
      "%4PGJ6WvviIpij3gAaASFxVrMjm1XDv4VYVxOfoV/AS0=.sha256",
      "%d5/u4JGqNgFfNon9erWTo5ygxHj9gvO7yJYkBthFOH0=.sha256"
    ],
    "text": "It's true, developers do have a lot of power, and users have very little. \"user\" is another of these words which are problematic in this context. In terms of political empowerment, the implications of \"user\" is a lot like \"pleb\". Developers are like the landed gentry.\n\nBut, there is a _natural right_ that users always have: they can choose whether or not to run a given piece of software. Developers often act to hamper this right, for example, when you use a website your browser always \"installs\" the latest version. If you download a program and run it, you can at least, keep running the old version, if there isn't an automatic update mechanism (which empowers developers again). There used to be a lot of 3rd party twitter clients, but they stopped that when they introduced advertising, having a centralized system gave them the power to do this easily. The user still has the option to quit facebook, etc, but they must either take it or leave it. It's an ultimatum.\n\nBut since secure scuttlebutt is a _protocol_, I can never stop someone from implementing, or choosing to use different software to interpret it. That is why I call it a \"natural right\" it's just there, basically a part of the universe, and you can act to hamper it, but you can never truly take it away.\n\nBut what happens if you instead act to enhance that natural right?\nIf you make it easier for users to choose their interpretation of reality, and harder for developers to impose ultimatums?\n\nDevelopers get their power from users choosing their software, so if users have more freedom to choose, it will force developers to make _better software_. To create software that helps users live better lives, instead of herding them like cattle into advertising-milking sheds.\n\nBut of course, to do that, we actually have to rethink a bunch of stuff.\n\nUltimately, the question is, if we make a better system, will it win?",
    "mentions": []
  },
  "signature": "4mDpmxzgOzkTa+Hp6JHaCw6Fslf6rMtwMnWD8PSWFfvtdSRxg2dXaUhAzAfxKgEqF6cPB20TZiyP1ZSwy4yCAA==.sig.ed25519"
}