ByMia Quagliarello

Molly White is a leading cryptocurrency critic, but get to know her and you’ll see she’s anything but cynical. In fact, this researcher, writer and software engineer cares so deeply about free and open access to high-quality information that she’s been a Wikipedia editor since she was a teenager. 

Now Molly is the force behind the Citation Needed newsletter and the Web3IsGoingGreat site, and frequently speaks to journalists and makes media appearances. Despite tracking and writing about crypto’s shames, she is actually hopeful about how the internet is evolving in ways that are more open, collaborative, and in the user’s control. 

In this Dot Social podcast interview, Molly shares her thoughts on how the social web is transforming our lives, why everyone should be a blogger, and how the concept of digital ownership is changing before our eyes. She also explains the POSSE model — Publish [on your] Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere — which has the potential to revolutionize how we share digital content and think about our online identities. 

Highlights of this conversation:

  • Why Molly is optimistic about the future of the web
  • “Everyone is a blogger”
  • POSSE — Post on Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere
  • New framework for identity on the web
  • Digital ownership and sovereignty
  • Enabling creators to build relationships that transcend platforms
  • Business models and public funding

We invite you to watch the podcast on Flipboard’s PeerTube instance at flipboard.video: 

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 find Dot Social on Flipboard, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, YouTube, anywhere else you might listen to podcasts.

We will continue to bring you new episodes with fascinating fediverse 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!

— Mia Quagliarello, head of creator community, is also writing content for Fedi Curious