Welcome back to the deep dive where we take the complicated and well try and make
it concise
Insightful and honestly a lot of fun. I think we succeed most of the time. I hope
so
Today we're strapping in for a deep dive that really addresses a question
I think we all grapple with who actually owns the stuff you create and post online,
right?
It's a huge question and we're gonna be moving beyond those, you know, the
traditional social media silos
We're exploring a platform that's designed specifically to put true content
ownership back in your hands
That's it. Exactly. Our mission today is to give you a really beginner-friendly
Accessible entry point into understanding decentralized publishing and we're doing
that by looking at a specific tool, right?
We are it's an open source tool called known and it's more than just software
really
It's a social publishing platform that actively tries to deliver on that old
promise of the open web the one we all hope for
yeah flexible user controlled and
Completely sovereign. We want to make sure you walk away with a crystal-clear idea
of not just what it is
But why it matters and before we dive into the you know, the fundamental
architecture of this open web challenger
We do want to acknowledge the support that makes this deep dive possible
Absolutely, this whole exploration of digital sovereignty and content ownership is
supported by safe server
They focus on hosting and supporting your digital transformation, which is I mean a
perfect fit for today's topic
It really is they make sure you have the robust infrastructure you need to truly
own your space online
They're a dedicated host for software just like known
So if you're looking to take control of your digital future, you can find out more
at
www.safeserver.de
great
Fantastic. Okay, let's untack this our sources today are
drawn straight from the platform's official documentation and feature lists right
from the horse's mouth exactly the true DNA of the project
Which gives us a clear picture of what known is designed to do and how it actually
works for an everyday person
Okay, let's start at the top the philosophy right the documentation calls known and
open publishing platform and a social
Publishing platform and then it makes this bold almost revolutionary statement. It
says this is really how the web should be
It's a huge claim and it immediately sets up a conflict doesn't it does because we
associate social with you know
Facebook or Instagram where the company owns the feed the algorithm everything it
absolutely does and the core identity here is
Bridging that gap between convenience and sovereignty. We're always told we have to
choose
You can have the easy sharing of a walled garden like X or you can have the
technical headache of self-hosting
Exactly and known basically says no you can have the ease of use and control your
data
The platform is designed to do all those everyday social things sharing photos
notes updates stuff
We do now all of it, but because you own the installation you own the
infrastructure
So the source is really really lean into the simplicity angle. It's built for
simple publishing
It lets users create and share photos notes stories songs and more
For someone who might be a little wary of self-hosting how does known make sure
that interface is truly friendly and not I don't know
Not like you're managing a database and that's a crucial distinction. It's a real
fear people have known tackles that perceived
Complexity with accessibility just baked right into the design. Okay, the interface
is fully responsive
Which means it works fluidly on any device. The goal is to make managing your
content feel, you know
Instantaneous regardless of where you are that accessibility is crucial, but let's
be realistic
I mean responsive design is pretty standard now true
What specifically makes knowns mobile experience feel less constrained than say
trying to manage a full-scale WordPress blog from your phone?
Yeah, which can be a nightmare. It can be the key is what you could call context-aware
publishing is designed around
Microformats these small specific content types. So like if I post a photo it knows
I'm posting a photo
Exactly, when you post a photo it knows you want photo metadata when you post a
note
It knows you just need a simple text field
this is why you can view edit and post whether you are sharing a sunset picture
from the beach or
Blogging from the road. I see the system is built to eliminate those location or
device constraints that you get with traditional web publishing
It gives you the same flexibility as a dedicated mobile app, but without handing
over the keys to your data
That's the punchline. That makes perfect sense. The simplicity is about reducing
the
The cognitive load on the user
Yeah
The platform helps you more easily organize all your digital info in one place
because everything is structured from the moment you hit publish
Precisely the key insight for you. The learner is that knowns design philosophy
Let's you regain ownership without sacrificing that immediacy and accessibility you've
come to expect from social media
Okay, here's where it gets really interesting for me
Let's dive into the essential features because this is where known directly
challenges the functionality
We rely on every day in those big social silos, right?
What are the tools that actually make it usable exactly what makes it simple and
fast enough to genuinely compete with a dedicated app?
Okay, let's start with reducing friction. They offer a simple but really powerful
tool called the bookmark lit a bookmark lit
Okay, it's a small browser tool. Basically a piece of JavaScript
You just drag to your bookmarks bar that lets you easily post links save content
and even respond to comments from any page on the web
Oh, wow
So you don't have to navigate back to your known site to share something you just
found not at all
It removes that step completely that immediately addresses the ease of use factor
for curating content and for organization
I see you can use hashtag tags just like we're used to yep
hashtags with any content to categorize and organize what you publish and
That organization ties directly back into control how so well for content creation
itself
Known acknowledges that users have different needs you have a choice
You can handcraft your posts in HTML if you want absolute pixel perfect control for
the power users for the power users
Or you can opt for maximum convenience with the wise. I we G editor the
What you see is what you get rich text editor. So it's that duality again
It's a microcosm of knowns philosophy. Mm-hmm control when you wanted simplicity
when you need it and this flexibility
Extends pretty significantly into ownership, which again is the whole point of this
deep dive
Let's talk about the features that define that sovereignty the custom URL
That has to be the foundation, right? Absolutely when you're on a centralized
service
You're essentially just renting space right if that service disappears or if it
changes its terms your content is at risk
Known explicitly gives you the power to bring your own URL and really own your site
with a custom domain
So you are the landlord not the tenant. That's the perfect analogy
It's the single greatest assurance against archival risk and you know changing
terms of service and beyond just the domain control also means control
Over who sees what you post correct privacy is paramount and known builds that
granularity right into the system
You have the ability to keep your entire site private
Which would be perfect for what personal thoughts or a private group discussion as
the docs say?
Exactly, you can use it as a digital diary that no one else sees or as a secure
communication hub for a small team
And what if you were building something bigger like a community project or a
collaborative blog?
Then the multi-author feature scales your sovereignty
You can invite an unlimited number of collaborators to a multi-user site, but you
still own the root
URL you still own it, but you allow others to contribute seamlessly
This shows known is built not just for the individual but for these small self-governing
communities
Okay. Finally, let's talk about the feedback loop. We are so used to instant
notifications on apps
How does known make sure you don't miss out on interaction when your content is
decentralized?
It ensures robust connectivity through comprehensive feed formats. Your content is
accessible via RSS XML
JSON or KML. Okay. Those are a lot of acronyms. They are
But they're just different ways machines and services can consume your data
RSS and XML are great for traditional readers, but JSON is super fast and efficient
for machine-to-machine updates
But wait a second. Why would a social publishing platform need KML specifically?
That's usually for geographical data for maps. That is a fascinating detail in the
source documentation, isn't it?
It is. Yeah. What does that tell us about their broader ambition? Well, KML stands
for keyhole markup language
And it's used for encoding location data for programs like Google Earth. Its
inclusion suggests that known is
Anticipating and supporting location-based posts. Like that sunset picture from the
beach. Exactly.
And ensuring that location data is also owned, organized, and available for
consumption by specialized mapping services
Rather than being locked into some proprietary systems location tag.
It just expands the definition of what content actually means. You really don't.
That attention to detail is pretty insightful plus
I see they still support email notifications, so you get updated when someone
responds. You still get that familiar
immediate feedback loop. So at the end of the day you have the flexibility of an
app, the
customization of a blog, and the ownership of your own server. Let's transition now
to the foundational element that makes known truly unique.
What's fascinating here is its connection to the decentralized IndieWeb movement.
Now for a beginner, that term sounds like a massive technical hurdle, but at its
heart, it's really just a protocol for
polite digital conversation, isn't it? That's a great way to put it. It is a
philosophical leap that requires technical support,
but we can simplify the core idea. Please do. If we connect this to the bigger
picture,
the IndieWeb is about breaking down the silos.
Think of it like email.
You can send a message from Gmail and I can read it on Outlook or a private server.
And it just works.
The communication is federated. Exactly.
It doesn't need a single intermediary to function. And the current social web is
the total opposite of that. If I post a photo on Instagram,
it lives and dies on Instagram. Exactly. Your platform acts as a gatekeeper.
The IndieWeb philosophy, which NONE is built on, is that sites running these
compatible platforms can respond to each other,
bookmark each other's content, and leave comments on each other's posts directly.
So instead of logging into five different corporate platforms to interact, my
personal site becomes the hub.
Your personal site is the hub, communicating directly with other people's personal
sites.
It is true peer-to-peer social interaction. It sounds like taking the best parts of
early
conversational blogging and injecting modern social connectivity, all while cutting
out the corporate middleman.
That's the perfect summary. It decentralizes the social graph, making sure that the
relationships between users are maintained by the users themselves.
Okay, so if someone listening is inspired by this movement and wants to get started,
the technology can sometimes be intimidating?
It can be, yeah.
Are there beginner-friendly installation paths, or is this strictly for people who
enjoy writing code on weekends?
The good news is, getting started isn't nearly as hard as it sounds, which is a
major victory for the platform.
The sources outline a very clear path for beginners, emphasizing one-click sites.
One-click sites.
Yep.
Known to work seamlessly on hosts like Reclaim Hosting and Dream Host, which often
include these pre-packaged one-click installation features.
So the technical barrier basically disappears?
For most people, yes. You install it the way you'd install a basic app on your
phone.
Okay, that removes the setup nightmare.
But for those who are curious, or who might be considering self-hosting for maximum
control, what are the basic technical requirements, just for context?
Right, for the self-hosters among you, it's important to know.
Known is under active development, so it needs a modern server environment.
Which means?
It requires PHP 8.1 or newer, with a few extensions, along with a supported
database like MySQL.
And importantly, if you're managing dependencies like installing new features or
updating the platform, you'll be using a tool called Composer.
What exactly is Composer in this context?
Composer is the standard package and dependency manager in the PHP world.
It's what tells the known installation what other pieces of software it needs to
function.
Mentioning it just shows that this is a professional modern project.
And because this is an open source project, licensed under the Apache Software License
2.0,
that ability to collaborate is open to everyone, right?
Absolutely.
The Apache License means it's fully open source, you can use it, modify it,
distribute your own modifications.
And this active community is key to its development.
You can see that through the open support channels.
You can.
Things like the known dev mailing list and the IRC channel, hashtag knownchat on
freenode.
This isn't some abandoned project.
It's a vibrant community pushing the platform forward.
And even for users who are already up and running, there's still room for advanced
customization.
The sources mention custom JavaScript and CSS.
I assume that's how you can fundamentally change the site's look and feel.
Precisely.
Or add your own analytics trackers without asking for permission.
Gives you maximum flexibility to tailor the experience.
You are not bound by themes or templates imposed by the platform.
You control the front end entirely.
And to connect this back to the bigger picture.
Known has over a thousand stars on GitHub.
It has continuous releases.
It reflects a vibrant, sustained community.
It's a serious player in the decentralized web movement.
So what does this all mean for you, the learner?
We've covered the philosophy, the features, and the technical backbone.
That's a lot.
It is.
But Known is a powerful, flexible, open source tool for anyone who's serious about
owning their content.
It offers simple, responsive publishing alongside deep control.
That control comes from custom URLs, granular privacy settings,
and the ability to seamlessly integrate into that broader decentralized Indie web.
It means that the choice you face today isn't between a slick platform and a clumsy
one?
No, not anymore.
It's between a platform that owns your data and one that gives you the tools to
host and own it yourself.
Known is a working example of a movement that says your thoughts, photos, and
stories belong to you.
Not to a corporation's server farm.
Exactly.
And that ownership doesn't have to mean technical paralysis.
And as we wrap up this deep dive, that raises a really important question for you
to consider.
If the web should be fully open and tools like Known exist to make that possible
without being
a programming genius, what future advancements or feature conveniences would it
take for the
majority of users to abandon the ease of the walled garden and commit to content
ownership?
That's the million dollar question.
Is the convenience of that corporate lease agreement truly worth forfeiting control
over
your entire digital archive?
Something certainly to mull over as you browse your favorite social feeds today?
Definitely.
This deep dive into open publishing and content ownership was brought to you by
Safe Server.
They help with hosting and digital transformation, so find out more about how they
can support your
shift to digital ownership at www.safeserver.de.
Thank you for joining us for the deep dive.
We'll see you next time.