In 2007, the hashtag was a simple, yet revolutionary, idea that changed the way we organize and amplify content. Today, it is either endangered or more useful than ever, depending on whom you talk to. On the open social web, hashtags are an important unifying mechanism — not just for content but for people too. 

Why is that? How did we get here? What’s next for this small but mighty feature and for the web at large? Here to tell us is Chris Messina, the inventor of the hashtag, the creator of the DiSo Project, and the No. 1 hunter on Product Hunt. In this episode, Messina goes wide to explain where this next 20-year cycle of the internet is taking us. From the community-pulling power of the hashtag to decentralization and the massive shifts ignited by AI, he threads the needle on it all in this episode of Dot Social.

Highlights include:

• Addressing Elon’s disparaging comment about hashtags
• The history of the hashtag
• Under-appreciated elements of the hashtag
• Grappling with identity and reputation in a decentralized world
• Alignment between ActivityPub and LLMs

We invite you to watch the podcast on Flipboard’s PeerTube instance: 

Please follow us on PeerTube if you aren’t already. When you do, the videos become available via any other platform connected by ActivityPub. (It’s basically like having your YouTube, X and Instagram feeds and comments in one central, interoperable home feed. This is the beauty and the power of decentralized social media!)

You can also find Dot Social on Flipboard, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and anywhere else you might listen to podcasts.

We will continue to bring you new episodes with fascinating leaders as we record them. The best way to never miss an episode is to subscribe to the show. Please also rate, review, comment and share, especially if you like what you hear. 

See you in the fediverse!