blueskyArchitecture/BlueskyArchitecture.org

#+TITLE: Bluesky Architecture compared to other social media services

#+SUBTITLE: [[file:?print-pdf][Printable version]]

#+DATE: [2024-05-24 Fri]
#+AUTHOR: Éibhear Ó hAnluain
#+EMAIL: eibhear.geo@gmail.com
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#+OPTIONS: stat:nil tags:nil tasks:t tex:t timestamp:nil toc:1 todo:nil |:t
#+DESCRIPTION: A discussion of Bluesky's architecture as it relates to other social media services
#+LANGUAGE: en

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* Notes                                                            :noexport:

* Introduction
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  Boo!
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* General social media architectures
** Simplistic view 1/2 -- overview
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   file:structurizr-1-001-GenericSocial-01.png
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** Simplistic view 2/2 -- services
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   file:structurizr-1-002-GenericSocial-02.png
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   - Social media user access the app
   - The app interacts with the API
   - The API is the gateway for the database of posts, responses, likes, etc.
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** More realistic view 1/4 -- overview
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   file:structurizr-1-003-RealisticSocial-01.png
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** More realistic view 2/4 -- basic services
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   file:structurizr-1-004-RealisticSocial-02.png
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   - Social media user access the app
   - The app interacts with the API
   - The API is the gateway for the database of posts, responses, likes, etc.
   - The API also captures data for building profiles of users for targeting purposes
   - The algorithmic feed generator guides the API on what posts to place into the app's feed
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** More realistic view 3/4 -- the algorithm
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   file:structurizr-1-005-RealisticSocial-03.png
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   - Social media user access the app
   - The app interacts with the API
   - The API is the gateway for the database of posts, responses, likes, etc.
   - The API also captures data for building profiles of users for targeting purposes
   - The algorithmic feed generator guides the API on what posts to place into the app's feed
   - Algorithmic feeds are created by the service administrator, using an app only /they/ have access to
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** More realistic view 4/4 -- content moderation
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   file:structurizr-1-006-RealisticSocial-04.png
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   - Social media user access the app
   - The app interacts with the API
   - The API is the gateway for the database of posts, responses, likes, etc.
   - The API also captures data for building profiles of users for targeting purposes
   - The algorithmic feed generator guides the API on what posts to place into the app's feed
   - Algorithmic feeds are created by the service administrator, using an app only /they/ have access to
   - Moderation is also performed by a member of the service's staff, using a dedicate app and services the the user doesn't have access to
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* Federated social media services
** Federated services 1/8 -- overview
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   file:structurizr-1-007-FederatedSocial-01.png
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** Federated services 2/8 -- internal, administration and content moderation services
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   file:structurizr-1-008-FederatedSocial-02.png
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   - Same as before, the user access the service through an App that uses an API
   - As federated services are small, the administrator and the moderator are the one person
   - No algorithmic feeds, though
     + not popular in the fediverse community
     + difficult to implement in a federated environment.
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** Federated services 3/8 -- federation 1
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   file:structurizr-1-009-FederatedSocial-03.png
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   - Same as before, the user access the service through an App that uses an API
   - As federated services are small, the administrator and the moderator are the one person
   - No algorithmic feeds, though
     + not popular in the fediverse community
     + difficult to implement in a federated environment.
   - Federation service to push activity out to the federated network
   - Federation API to take in activity from other nodes
   - A logical database of inbound federated posts
   - Federation using ActivityPub standard
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** Federated services 4/8 -- federation 2
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   file:structurizr-1-010-FederatedSocial-04.png
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** Federated services 5/8 -- federation 3
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   file:structurizr-1-011-FederatedSocial-05.png
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** Federated services 6/8 -- federation 4
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   file:structurizr-1-012-FederatedSocial-06.png
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** Federated services 7/8 -- federation 5
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   file:structurizr-1-013-FederatedSocial-07.png
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** Federated services 8/8 -- federation 6
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   file:structurizr-1-014-FederatedSocial-08.png
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* Bluesky
** Basic Bluesky 1/2
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   file:structurizr-1-015-BlueskyBasic-01.png
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** Basic Bluesky 2/2
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   file:structurizr-1-016-BlueskyBasic-02.png
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   - User interfaces with an app hosted by the /AppView/
   - The /AppView/ includes an API (allowing for bot-like interactions)
   - The /AppView/ stores and reads data from the /Personal Data Server/ (PDS)
   - Bluesky resolved user identities using "DIDs" (Distributed IDs)
   - The Bluesky admin uses a separate service for preparing algorithmic feeds
   - The Bluesky moderator applies labels and actions to posts for trust and safety through a dedicated service
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* Bluesky -- Identities
** Bluesky Identities 1/4
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   file:structurizr-1-017-BlueskyIdentity-01.png
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   - User's typical Bluesky ID is =@<user-handle>.bsky.social=
     + e.g. =@theauldsthretch.bsky.social=
   - Users can set up their own handle, =@<user-handle>.<domain>=. E.g. (and these are all real IDs) ...
     + =@astrokatie.com= -- a cosmologist
     + =@eibhear.gibiris.org= -- the author
     + =@wyden.senate.gov= -- a U.S. Senator
   - User must control the domain or be a legitimate member of the domain's community
   - Domain-based handle resolves to a DID, either by DNS or =.well-known=:
     #+BEGIN_SRC shell
       $ dig _atproto.eibhear.gibiris.org TXT
       ...
       ;; ANSWER SECTION:
       _atproto.eibhear.gibiris.org. 3600 IN	TXT	"did=did:plc:23mysztmt7dh3l5lzhinzafi"

       $ curl https://theauldsthretch.bsky.social/.well-known/atproto-did
       did:plc:avzdf5esd7xpbgsgh7lx4kzq
     #+END_SRC
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** Bluesky Identities 2/4
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   file:structurizr-1-018-BlueskyIdentity-02.png
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** Bluesky Identities 3/4
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   file:structurizr-1-019-BlueskyIdentity-03.png
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** Bluesky Identities 3/4
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   file:structurizr-1-020-BlueskyIdentity-04.png
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