ATProto: It's Not What You Think

This post explores the decentralized social protocol ATProto and its application Bluesky. The author recounts their evolving perspective, explaining that ATProto isn't fully decentralized but achieves data decentralization through Personal Data Servers (PDSes). While most apps built on ATProto are centralized, the PDS ensures users own and control their data, even if an app shuts down. Bluesky's mainstream adoption boosts ATProto's reach, but its centralization remains debated. The post also discusses identity verification, the need for more PDS providers, and concerns about the centralized PLC directory. Despite shortcomings, the author believes ATProto represents significant progress in data ownership and openness, with further potential yet to be explored.