(2011-01-13) Future Proofing Social Software

This past fall got thinking a lot about the need for P2P software because of WikiLeaks, plus earlier John Robb Dark Net thinking - 2010-09-04-HostingAndFutureProofingP2pApp.

But given that I'm unlikely to be doing anything that will result in BigGov lockdown, I think a more pragmatic approach is necessary. The closing of Del.icio.us is a more relevant harbinger.

So I think the proper Framing now is Long Lived Social Software - things that fit into Collaboration Roadmap, for Free Agent to use for PIM use and possibly Group Forming for the Network Economy.

The majority of people don't want to run their own Home Server, much less a Web Server getting hit by the outside world. (Personal Network Architecture)

• plus you have to worry about your ISP shutting you down for whatever reason

Free services seem particularly risky.

But even a paid ASP is risky - businesses can close, or radically change product designs, and it's not like you get to turn down the upgrade.

So running code on a Hosted Server seems like what you're stuck with.

(Hybrid case: ASP hosting software like Word Press (could also be commercial, like MsExchange EcoSystem). This can work with relatively large-user-scale applications, but not for new/niche products.)

The key scenario to plan for is the shuttering of your Hosted Server's operation. How fast will you be able to move to a replacement?

• and maybe Host in a foreign country that you trust? (hrm which would that be? SeaLand?)
• and use a domain from that country to avoid ICANN control of DNS?