RSDS: A Decentralized Syndication Protocol to Fix the Internet's Missing Piece?

2025-01-11
RSDS: A Decentralized Syndication Protocol to Fix the Internet's Missing Piece?

Author Tautvilas Mečinskas proposes a new protocol called RSDS (Really Simple Decentralized Syndication) to address the challenges of content discovery and aggregation on the internet. The article reviews the rise and fall of RSS and the shortcomings of attempts like Bluesky, highlighting how RSDS uses lightweight data structures, decentralized domain name IDs, and Bitcoin blockchain-based timestamps to significantly reduce costs and complexity. It also features spam prevention, support for content licensing, and enables the creation of truly decentralized social networks. The core of RSDS lies in its low barrier to entry—everyone can host content—while also allowing for the development of commercial applications.