Protocol vs Platform Framework

A discussion on the fundamental difference between social media platforms being owned by companies versus operating as open protocols, sparked by Punk6529's commentary on Twitter's acquisition.

Key Concepts of Protocol vs Platform

• Social media currently operates as centralized platforms owned by companies
• Email serves as model example of successful protocol
  • No single company owns email
  • Multiple companies can build email clients/services

Benefits of Protocol Approach

• User Choice
  • Users could choose different client interfaces
  • Could select preferred content algorithms
  • Could filter content based on personal preferences
• Innovation Freedom
  • Multiple companies could build on top of the protocol
  • More competition and innovation in the space
  • Not limited by single company's decisions

Current Challenges

• Twitter's Current State
  • Owned by single company controlling the protocol
  • Limited user choice in how to interact with platform
  • Growth has plateaued (300-340M monthly active users)
  • Issues with hate speech and scams persist

Potential Solutions

• Blue Sky Project
  • Jack Dorsey's initiative to decentralize Twitter
  • Aims to turn Twitter into protocol
  • Timeline and feasibility unclear
• New Platform Creation
  • Extremely difficult to build new social platforms
  • Very few successful examples (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube)
  • Most attempts fail despite many trying

Reality Check

• Converting existing platforms to protocols is logistically challenging
• Easier to build new platforms as protocols from the start
• Success in social media space is rare and difficult to achieve