Free Network Services

Will free software + open standards and data get us to free network services?

Advantages to free network services -- the advantages of the right thing

Structure, using examples of identi.ca and laconica

Be pragmatic, do it now not perfect

Use a hub and spoke architecture

Use the web

Use the FNS-savvy license (AGPLv3)

Build in licensing -- use a free culture license by default, but let users pick their own.

Use DNS and URLs for identity -- email addresses, XMPP, blogs, OpenID URLs

Build in federation early -- all software has a social aspect. OpeID for authentication, OAuth for authorization.

Support open standards -- FOAF, Atom/RSS, RDF.

Be semantic

Be SEM savvy -- think about how your software looks to search engines. Doing so makes your software easier for 3rd party tools to use.

Build 0.x protocols. OpenMicroBlogging 0.1.

Support a range of usage -- download, host, major service

Build to scale.

Data dumps. All public data, and each user's private data.

Data feeds by default, and push those to aggregators and archivers.

Support other free network services. OpenStreetMaps, GeoNames, Wikia -- work faster if we work together.

Engage with proprietary services. Find users where they are -- but as we fill out the free network service world this becomes less necessary.

Provide a remote API -- mashups, mobile clients, 3rd party development.

Provide a plugin system. Stimulates contribution, integration.

Support themes/skins -- site owners like to be able to do this. Through CSS and through template engines.

Be international. Use wikis for documentation, Use our translation resources.

Make it easy. Installation should be really simple.

Use PHP/MySQL. Build a healthy community. Easy hosting options are a concern here.

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