It has been an unbelievable nine years since I launched the Kickstarter for Micro.blog. Even after I finally published the book online, a few things still nagged at me about the structure and text. I had hoped in the last couple of years to address them.
Actually running Micro.blog and improving it is my priority, though. We deploy changes multiple times a week, fixing bugs and adding features. Maintaining the apps across iOS, Android, and Mac.
Over the holidays and the new year, I went back to the book draft and gave it a fresh look. I updated a bunch of things, improving the flow of a few sections, adding a new chapter about Bluesky and the AT Protocol, fixing typos and diagrams.
The book clearly grew out of control, filled with my thoughts and essays, at times losing focus. I could never decide if it was a history of the open web, a technical write-up of new protocols, or a call to action, so it is all three. In some sections, I think it works well. In others, it takes too long to get to the point, detouring into my own feelings.
As much as I wish I could continue to rework several parts of the book, I have to call it. I don’t plan on making any more text changes. You can read it online or download the latest ePub. It’s as done as it can be with the time I have.
Thank you. I hope the book is a unique snapshot of where we are with blogging and social media. Many of the threads of the open social web that began years ago have been followed to a stopping point. Now we get to see what comes next.
