I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. However, I had no clarity on how to address this concern. So, I started to save interesting takes on this subject. I found a few philosophies and some interesting thoughts.
This is a shorter version of the blog. Originally published on Substack on 23 Mar 2024.
TLDR;
Proprietary formats and cloud platforms limit our freedom. I advocate for open file formats and self-hosting to give users full control over their data.
High commissions and restrictions in app marketplaces suffocate innovation. Hoping for an open, interoperable ecosystem where creators can move their work freely without being locked into specific tools or platforms.
The issue
I knew that something was bugging me with the software (design tools specifically) and its way of evolution. When I realized that I could publish a design with Framer, it was like a totally different experience for me. I went all into the platform, but after a point, I started to lose interest and temporarily stopped because I had this feeling that, I did not own that site or its code, even if I paid.
I mean, I can see, create, and modify. But at the end of the day, I have nothing. Everything is connected to an account. I’m not owning that creation. I can't export and migrate to somewhere else easily.
That felt different, What if this platform (or any platform) stops its service tomorrow? Or change their pricing? Or terminate our account for some reason? Or what if we found a better platform that we want to migrate? Even if they're well-funded, these questions have been bugging me for a long time now. Recent experience is from Skiff. I don't want to get stuck when a shutting down, transition or an acquisition happens.
I think it is time to start rooting for open development.
Cloud storage or peer-to-peer file synchronization?
Now come to the storage mode. I’ll clear one thing up first. I don't want to face data loss ever again. The incident is mentioned in this blog.
Storing data on the cloud raises valid concerns about privacy, security, and service reliability. Addressing these issues is crucial.
There will be privacy-invasive trackers in the platform’s own cloud storage system. Constantly monitoring a file! If a file is in an open format, third-party storage providers might train AI in this file and its data. Remember the fuss over Dropbox’s default AI toggle? I’m not saying this is the case, but it is a chance.
Service providers shouldn't learn from our work, without consent. We pay for tools and support, so data control should remain with us by default. Users deserve the freedom to choose how their information is handled, maintaining privacy and ownership.
I only used Obsidian on a single device in the beginning. But when I needed multi-device syncing, I looked at their pricing, but it was more than I could afford and there was no country-based pricing.
So I looked for alternative methods. That’s when I heard about Synthing.
“Syncthing is a continuous file synchronization program. It synchronizes files between two or more computers in real-time, safely protected from prying eyes. Your data is your data alone and you deserve to choose where it is stored, whether it is shared with some third party, and how it’s transmitted over the internet.”
Synthing is Open Source. All source code is available on GitHub. Starred by almost 58.8k people as of Mar 22, 2024.
Interesting, right?
Our work files and ideas belong to us and we deserve complete privacy. That's why our data should be stored on our preferred services, inaccessible to the tool provider.
Marketplace lock
Now this is another serious concern rising in these times. As companies try to make more profit each quarter, they tend to lock something up and introduce new methods. Slowly some of them will become a monopoly.
Marketplace commission makes all apps and digital goods more expensive. It goes on top of the price we pay to developers. We pay more for every app/plugin/add-on, even though we already bought a phone, a system, or even an app. In short, we keep paying even after we have paid.
- Big tech takes a 20-30% cut of the app store money earned by most independent makers. The cut makes many potentially profitable apps unsustainable, reducing app innovation. Billions in developer revenue taken away that could have improved app quality.
- There might be other policies that will block an app’s growth.
- A monopoly abuses its market dominance at the expense of millions of users who are trying to monetize their own content.
- Ability to disable paid content monetization efforts on their platforms if creators don't pay the 20-30% commission.
- Apps can’t function outside of big tech's guidelines.
- Obscure and lengthy "review processes" that delay getting new app versions distributed, creating a closed nature.
- Developers must support both iOS and Android to be socially relevant, and can't avoid the duopoly (A well-polished PWA is the solution here).
- Meanwhile Android allows sideloading and competing app stores, unlike iOS.
- Some apps might not be available due to censorship, and other country-based restrictions.
- We need to have an account to use a marketplace and every action is tied to this creating a lack of privacy and making us an easier target to track and show ads.
- I acknowledge that the commission allows marketplaces to maintain the store, but ~30 is too much, don't you think?
From a creator and developer point of view, marketplace lock is a burden.
Yes, I understand that it provides safety and security. I also understand that regular users may be attacked by scammers and fraudsters if there is no middleman to regulate, however, there shouldn't be a monopoly that decides how things run and it's essential to find a middle ground that allows for a secure and open app ecosystem.
The ideal app distribution
With Windows, we can download apps from any website, choose whether to create an account or not, and opt for premium features if needed. This flexibility gives us control over our app experience.
Before the world switched from desktop to mobile, app developers already had many thousands of users and paid zero commission to desktop OS creators.
Now for another example, I like Telegram's and Obsidian’s way of app distribution from their own site. It just works seamlessly and no delay in anything.
I wish more trustworthy platforms chose this way to distribute their apps.
Expanding Obsidian's concept to PDF, EPUB, DOC, etc formats would transform the way we interact with a document. We don't have to worry about any shutdown news or an out-of-the-sense subscription price hike.
Conclusion
The software helps us to turn our ideas into reality. Essentially, they're tools that make achieving our goals and expressing our creativity easier and more accessible. So we shouldn't be locked into some proprietary format.
I’m familiar with the quote “A bad workman blames his tools”. But I’m not blaming tools here, I just want to clarify that.
What I’m saying is that digital tools should be open, highly customizable, and extensible. The whole point of being familiar with tools is to shape them to our unique needs, right?
It's time to ditch proprietary formats and cloud platforms that hold our work hostage. Build an open, interoperable ecosystem where our ideas can flow freely between tools and platforms, ensuring longevity and portability.
I also believe this should be a collective movement.