Apr 9, 2025 3 min read event

Seattle Node Gathering (Feb, 2025)

On the 28th of February, we co-organized the first Seattle Node Gathering of 2025. In this post, you'll have a chance to catch up on what was discussed there.

How many computers does it take to run a hybrid DWeb meeting?

What better way to bootstrap this blog than by covering a DWeb event we co-hosted?

On the 28th of February, Will and I partnered with the INTDEV team to host the first Seattle Node Gathering of 2025. In past node meetings, a group of us identified an opportunity to start conversations about the usability and user experience of DWeb software and services. Investing in UX is one of the most crucial steps to creating software and services that promote human agency and collective benefits. Hence, we proposed the general topic "UX Challenges for DWeb systems" for our usually intimate and friendly gathering.

This time around, we were able to host a hybrid event with two remote and two in-person talks, a setup that allowed many participants to join remotely. In the rest of this post, you can find more information about these talks, including the recordings. We hope you like it! ;)

Our co-organizer, Will, kicked it off with his thoughts on "UX for the DWeb," considering his work on collaborative editing software, especially regarding the software he helps create at DXOS.

Then, we got Johaness sharing his insights around "Identity in the Open Social Web," a knowledge he has been shaping for a couple of decades working as a builder and organizer.

Following a quick break, Ana presented her ideas on "Un-breaking our social networks," which is part of her work at SocialRoots. Here, she explores how the concept of "Intimacy Gradients" has inspired the creation of a whole online platform to facilitate coordination across a network of institutional collaborators.

To close the talks part of the event, Brooke enlightened us about the nuances of authorization on the DWeb in a talk she called "Who Authorizes the Authorizers? Advances in data and identity ownership." Brooke has been working for a while on the Auth world and is contributing to the encryption layers for the local-first software developed by Ink & Switch.

Finally, because TGIF, we moved into our social Q&A and mingling part of the event, all supported by great food and drinks. And that was it, or a summary of it!

Can't wait for our next gathering? Don't risk missing it: subscribe to the DWeb Seattle Node events. Want to keep an eye on the DWeb space? Subscribe to the DWeb Observer posts using the button below.

See ya!