The Seven Ideals
Coined by Martin Kleppmann and colleagues, the Local-First manifesto outlines a path away from cloud dependency:
- No Spinner: Apps work instantly, offline.
- Your Data is Yours: You have the files on your disk. You can back them up, copy them, or delete them.
- Sync is Optional: The app helps you sync to other devices, but doesn't require a server to function.
- Longevity: If the developer disappears, your software keeps working effectively forever.
Why It Matters for Archaeobytology
Cloud software (SaaS) is ephemeral; when the subscription stops, the tool vanishes. Local-First software is an artifact. It can be archived, emulated, and preserved. It respects the long-term Provenance of user creativity.
Field Notes
The "Notion Problem": Tools like Notion are powerful, but if their servers die, your "second brain" dies with them. Local-first tools like Obsidian or Logseq store data as plain text files on your drive. They are future-proof by design.