Shaping the Future of Social Media with Middleware
Fuente:
arXiv
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| Autori principali: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Natura: | Preprint |
| Pubblicazione: |
2024
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| _version_ | 1866912155029209088 |
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| author | Hogg, Luke DiResta, Renée Fukuyama, Francis Reisman, Richard Keller, Daphne Ovadya, Aviv Thorburn, Luke Stray, Jonathan Mathur, Shubhi |
| author_facet | Hogg, Luke DiResta, Renée Fukuyama, Francis Reisman, Richard Keller, Daphne Ovadya, Aviv Thorburn, Luke Stray, Jonathan Mathur, Shubhi |
| contents | Middleware, third-party software intermediaries between users and platforms, has been broached as a means to decentralize the power of social media platforms and enhance user agency. Middleware may enable a more user-centric and democratic approach to shaping digital experiences, offering a flexible architecture as an alternative to both centrally controlled, opaque platforms and an unmoderated, uncurated internet. The widespread adoption of open middleware has long hinged on the cooperation of established major platforms; however, the recent growth of federated platforms, such as Mastodon and Bluesky, has led to increased offerings and user awareness. In this report we consider the potential of middleware as a means of enabling greater user control over curation and moderation - two aspects of the social media experience that are often mired in controversy. We evaluate the trade-offs and negative externalities it might create, and discuss the technological, regulatory, and market dynamics that could either support or hinder its implementation. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_10283 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Shaping the Future of Social Media with Middleware Hogg, Luke DiResta, Renée Fukuyama, Francis Reisman, Richard Keller, Daphne Ovadya, Aviv Thorburn, Luke Stray, Jonathan Mathur, Shubhi Computers and Society Middleware, third-party software intermediaries between users and platforms, has been broached as a means to decentralize the power of social media platforms and enhance user agency. Middleware may enable a more user-centric and democratic approach to shaping digital experiences, offering a flexible architecture as an alternative to both centrally controlled, opaque platforms and an unmoderated, uncurated internet. The widespread adoption of open middleware has long hinged on the cooperation of established major platforms; however, the recent growth of federated platforms, such as Mastodon and Bluesky, has led to increased offerings and user awareness. In this report we consider the potential of middleware as a means of enabling greater user control over curation and moderation - two aspects of the social media experience that are often mired in controversy. We evaluate the trade-offs and negative externalities it might create, and discuss the technological, regulatory, and market dynamics that could either support or hinder its implementation. |
| title | Shaping the Future of Social Media with Middleware |
| topic | Computers and Society |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.10283 |