Presentation on the Appleseed Open Source, Distributed Social Networking Framework for FSCONS 2010.

1. • Started in 2004
• Open sourced in 2005
• Federated by 2007
• Summer 2010 refactoring
Brief History
Overview

2. • LAMP
• Shared hosts
• No root access required
Commodity platform
Overview

3. • Familiar interface
• Adhere to existing social networking paradigms
• Build a foundation for new ideas
Evolutionary approach
Overview

4. • MVC component-based framework
• Client-side apps planned (that means Farmville, sorry)
• Many hooks and event triggers for extensibility
• REST API for apps and mobile
• Protocol agnostic (uses QuickSocial internally)
More Than An App, A Social
Framework
Overview

5. • Working now with almost 100 test nodes
• Official beta test site has ~ 400 users
• Federated news feeds
• Sender-Stores mail system
• Remote logins/Identity server
• Groups, photos, journals, 1-click server upgrades,
and more
• Email invite@appleseedproject.org
Available Now
Overview

6. • The ability to determine and withdraw access
• "There are very few things I don't want anyone to
know, but plenty I don't want everyone to know."
• Identity means, “Are you who you say you are?”
• Identity does not determine Trust
• Categorizing friends allows determining access
based on social relationships
Privacy
Social Theory

7. • Technology is limited in it's ability to solve social
problems
• Cannot predict when trust will be violated after
access is granted
• Tools can help you determine how to trust, not
who to trust
• Social problems need social solutions
Technology & Privacy
Social Theory

8. • Current issues are representative of the struggle
between institutions (service providers) and citizens
(users).
• Monopolies don't willingly give up their position
unless forced.
• Competition changes the nature of the institution.
• Without lock-in, service providers cannot ignore
user concerns.
Institutions vs. Citizens
Social Theory

9. • UI/UX in social applications must be a primary concern.
• The UI acts as a teaching tool.
• The protocol, engine, and architecture are meaningless
to the end user.
• A perfectly secure, encrypted system is useless if
nobody uses it.
• Open Source must be competitive in the user space
the way it has been for server and development tools.
The Importance of UI/UX
Social Theory

10. • Competition is a multi-billion dollar corporation
that hires the top engineers, marketers,
anthropologists and sociologists.
• Step up our game
• Break out the big guns
• Take it to the next level.
Conclusion
Social Theory