StreetPass is a cool new browser extension that uses Mastodon’s verification system in a clever way.

Mastodon users verify themselves by adding a custom link to their personal site. StreetPass lets you know when you’ve found one of these links, and adds them to your list. As you browse the web, StreetPass will build a list of Mastodon users that belong to the websites you visit.

I spoke with the creater @tvler about the project, 🧵 below.

Visit https://streetpass.social to try it yourself!

My take on that is that ==tech cos and software development are a pop culture that does things because they are fashionable.== SPAs were en vogue, therefore they were the default. There was no malice because tech is driven by fashion, not outcomes or cost – @[email protected]

I’ve written about this pop culture a couple of times:

“Programming is a Pop Culture” baldurbjarnason.com/2022/progr…

“Tech Companies Are Irrational Pop Cultures” softwarecrisis.dev/letters/tec…

The idea that tech is a pop culture comes from Alan Kay :

youtube.com/watch?v=YyIQKBzIuB… (great talk)

link.springer.com/content/pdf/… (good interview)

Although he is less fond of pop culture in general than I am. – @[email protected]