If you're coming from Bluesky and you know what a PDS is, this text might not teach you new concepts, but it's still interesting and contains free links, so stick around anyway! For all of you that don't, whether you have followed Tempo since our CENTECH days or not, we wanted to explain what is this AT Protocol thing we started talking about at one point and why we believe that adopting it was one of the most important decisions we've made.
Back when smartphones were a new thing, downloading apps was exciting. We'd browse app stores and download random apps just to see what they do. Nowadays? Not so much. And don't even get us started on having to create a new account each time you install a new app. Services like "Sign-In with [pick your poison]" have made the UX more inviting, but haven't truly circumvented some of the underlying issues that come with trusting many separate companies with your data. On top of it, the internet has matured enough for many of us to have experienced the rise end fall of many platforms, taking with them the years of effort and dedication that users put into the curation of their experiences.
From the start, we knew that Tempo Music had to be different. The disgruntlement caused by the never-ending enshittification of music and social platforms motivates our raison d'être, after all. We've seen The Great Hack as well as its prequel Terms and conditions may apply. We read The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. We wanted to make clear our commitment to transparency in our actions and to privacy for our users. Some of the early decisions we took in that regard were:
No ads, ever. A lesson that Meta's services have taught us all is that a memorable user experience and a positive contribution to the social fabric are diametrically opposed to "milking" your customer's behaviour for ad targeting.
Clear and easy to read privacy policy and terms of service. No gotchas, no hidden additions.
Primum non nocere - First, do no harm.
It was only logic that, amidst our search for new technologies that could reduce our development time, we came across the AT Protocol.
For the uninitiated, here is how Bluesky defines the AT Protocol:
It’s a way for servers to communicate with each other — like email. Instead of one site running the network, you can have many sites. It means you get a choice of provider, and individuals and businesses can self-host if they want.
For those looking for the details, I highly recommend reading the full article as well as these other articles about the topic.
Adopting the AT Proto (we're on a nickname basis now, even though we're still unsure about casing, it's a process) became a no-brainer for us at Tempo. By giving our users the ability to take their data with them anywhere they want, we cement our commitment to delivering the best experience we can, with no ulterior motives. Think of it as self-governance or insurance against enshittification. It doesn't hurt either that this choice in tech opens the door to a vibrant and growing ecosystem of talented people building what, in our eyes, is the most exciting corner of the internet at the moment. It's called the ATmosphere.
For you, our user, it means you get to have more choice. Also, you get to use one account for many different apps. Starting with Tempo? Not a problem, sign up for a .tempomusic.fan account! You will be able to use it throughout the ATmosphere. Coming from Bluesky, Blacksky or Eurosky? Just login with your existing handle, we're happy to have you.
We hope you can appreciate how we strive do to things differently. We will not get everything right, certainly not the first try, but hopefully you will join us soon to shape Tempo Music into the community we all want and deserve.
@rob.tempomusic.fan, Chief Idea Guy
@nackko.ludos.city, Chief Software Crafter