The Transition Strategy
Moving to this future requires a multi-decade transition:
- Phase 1 (Now-5 Years) - Build Alternatives: Prove that federated systems (Mastodon, Bluesky) can scale to millions.
- Phase 2 (5-10 Years) - Policy Wins: Enact Interoperability Mandates (forcing giants to open their walls) and the Right to Archive.
- Phase 3 (10-20 Years) - Cultural Shift: Digital sovereignty becomes a professional expectation. Not owning a domain is seen as "digital homelessness."
- Phase 4 (20-30 Years) - Infrastructure Maturity: Public institutions (libraries) run the backbone nodes. The Third Way becomes the default.
Why Optimism is Necessary
We build this future not because it is guaranteed, but because the alternative (permanent feudalism) is unacceptable. Archaeobytology exists to make this future possible.
Field Notes
The "Smokestack" Moment: We are currently in the "industrial smokestack" era of the internet—polluted, dangerous, and unregulated. The Post-Platform Future is like the environmental movement: a long, slow fight to clean up the ecosystem and make it livable for future generations.