[kwlug-disc] Quit Facebook Day..

[Insurance Squared Inc.]

As has been noted, it's not just the facebook platform that needs to be 
OSS.  it's the behind the scenes data collection that's the problem with 
facebook.

So what todo about that?  I vote KwLug takes up the mantle of creating 
such a system.  And I'm only halfway non-serious :).

what do we need?  The idea:
- a social media site that uses OSS software, AND has privacy as it's 
main tenant, while not precluding cashflow.
- Use a wikipedia model.  OSS the platform, but make the main software 
site the primary location for users to interact.
- Allow for advertising, and maybe even data collection to target 
advertising - but start with that off and give users full flexibility on 
turning various features on or off.  Prove that an open platform can 
make money while giving users the choice.
- Allow developers to provide addons.  Allow users to customize like 
crazy.  Make the developers a community in itself.(Leveraging the 
developer community is probalby the best way to get this off the ground).
- Allow for an apple-like open marketplace where developers can sell 
stuff, others can buy it, and the site takes a cut.  Don't preclude 
others from creating other marketplaces.
- take the money, plow it back into OSS software or variations on that - 
linux/oss advocacy promotion places.
- Do this in Canada, where our privacy laws are already restrictive.

Needed to implement:
- developers.  This list is full of them :).
- designers.  Gotta be some here. Software and graphic.
- bandwidth.  I bet around here we could get someone to cough up some 
space.  There's enough big tech companies around we could beg off of.  I 
don't think that it's outside the realm of possibility that one could 
get Google to Yahoo! to cough up some infrastructure on something like 
this.  There's some big companies out there that would like the 
opportunity to promote a facebook killer.
- a freaky privacy policy, so a lawyer is needed.  Maybe none on the 
list, but folks know folks that know this stuff. I know that.

The only way the privacy issues in facebook will be eliminated is if 
something like the lug takes up the mantle and does it.  And the 
internet and social sites like this are still young enough that the tide 
can be turned.


g.


On 31/05/10 02:15 PM, Darcy Casselman wrote:
> On Mon, May 31, 2010 at 12:59 PM, Oksana Goertzen<ogoertzen at gmail.com>  wrote:
>    
>> So what are the alternatives to Facebook?
>> What do other people like? Anyone using an open source alternative?
>>      
> http://identi.ca
>
> Bob's set up a KWLUG group and everything: http://identi.ca/group/kwlug
>
> I'm waiting for a federated, open source social network system where
> you can limit access to content (Facebook's killer feature as I see
> it, even if they don't).  Nothing exists yet.  Diaspora has that as
> its design goal, but that's pure vapourware right now.  I'll believe
> it when it's code.
>
> Darcy.
>
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>    

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