On The Fediverse, WordPress, And Activity Pub With Matthias Pfefferle — Post Status Draft 135

Matthias Pfefferle is head of WordPress development at a hosting company in Europe and the creator of Activity Pub, a WordPress plugin. He joins Cory Miller to discuss the rising need for decentralization in social networking, the current movement, and the future potential available within WordPress.

Estimated reading time: 37 minutes

Transcript ↓

In this episode, Cory Miller talks with Matthias Pfefferle, creator of Activity Pub, about the growing potential for decentralization through innovation within WordPress. Current social networks have stripped creators of agency and power. The threat has been more acutely felt with the recent transitions within Twitter. Recognizing what is at stake and moving towards innovation could not only create needed solutions but could also propel the future of WordPress.

Top Takeaways:

Decentralization: So much of the power of WordPress is rooted in decentralization. The silos created by social media platforms leave users without agency. The potential and appetite for decentralization is increasing along with the tools to make it a reality via the Fediverse, Activity Pub, and more.
Portable Social Networks: If you are blocked or banned from a major social network, you lose your content and contacts. The need to create portable social networks so you can move your audience and retain your content if you opt to or are forced to switch platforms or hosts is crucial.
Alternative Walled Gardens: The need for alternative social platforms where users have agency and ownership continues to increase. The Twitter debacle has been a huge catalyst for users to transition to other platforms like Mastodon, but the potential for WordPress to solve identifier issues and more could create the largest platform overnight. How can we create tools and empower people to be a part of social networks and retain ownership of all they create? How can WordPress build on the current momentum to create future relevance?

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