[GNU/consensus] GNU Consensus Manifesto -- Comments

[Melvin Carvalho]

The hyperlink 'OStatus Protocols' does not point to Ostatus Protocols.  I can not easily locate the specification, for example.  

The community group that is referenced has had 18 posts in the last year, and mostly about webfinger rather than, ostatus.  Typically active communities have 100s or even 1000s.  The community group that I participate in, the read write web group has had over 2000 posts discussing researching and improving how protocols can work with the social web.

"The GNU Consensus considers OStatus the best current protocol
   for federating social network services"

I find this statement problematic.  Who exactly is 'The GNU Consensus' and by what criteria do you judge 'best'?

People bet big on OStatus two years ago, but the track record has not lived up to the expectations.  If OStatus achieves 0.1% adoption on the web it would be an epic win, but that's unlikely to happen, imho.  Indeed the poster child for the protocol is winding down.  It's not a standard, has not had a serious peer review, and not shown evidence of interoperating with anything other than itself.  Wheras royalty free non proprietary standards have been evolving over the social web for 12 years plus and is now getting at least basic adoption from about 25%, some say more.  

I can understand why a maniefesto may include such a statement two years ago, but perhaps it's time to re evaluate and have more meaningful and transparent metrics as to how to pick winners and losers.