About CrosscloudOur goal is to make it so building open/decentralized software is not prohibitively more difficult than building closed/centralized systems. For example, in today's world if someone wanted to create a way for people to play chess online (via mobile apps, websites, etc) nearly all developers would do it in a closed/centralized way. If crosscloud technology were prevalent, a developer might quite reasonably build a decentralized system, knowing it would be comparatively easy to build and maintain...There are social, legal, and business aspects of this goal, but as our expertise is computer science, we are primarily concerned with technical considerations. Of course, we hope over time people with all the necessary expertise will come forward and help address all aspects of the challenge.The Challenge -- Around the world, as people increasingly use computer applications not just in their jobs but to automate and connect more and more elements of their lives, they are discovering that along with the benefits come considerable risk and frustration. As people move their lives online, the limitations of their software become limitations in their lives, yet the prevailing software architecture renders them unable to find or create other options. These limitations have broad impacts across the world, as technology solutions increasingly move toward venture capital and solutions which are easy to monetize, instead of directly providing what people want or need.Our goal with Crosscloud is to create a world where people have better options...CrosscloudCC4_3fb39dc6-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae33Crosscloud TeamAshraf AboulnagaQCRI Research Director, Distributed SystemsTim Berners-LeeMIT ProfessorSarven CapadisliMIT Visting PhD Student, from University of BonnAbdurrahman GhanemQCRI Software EngineerNicola GrecoMIT PhD StudentAmy GuyMIT Visiting PhD Student, from University of EdinburghSandro HawkeMIT, Technical StaffLalana KagalMIT Principal Research ScientistEssam MansourQCRI Senior Software EngineerAndrei SambraMIT Postdoctoral AssociateDmitri ZagidulinMIT Technical StaffMaged Zereba QCRI Senior Software EngineerCrosscloud SponsorsWe are grateful for financial support in partnership with these foward-thinking organizations.Knight FoundationNational Science FoundationMacArthur FoundationQatar Computing Research InstituteLocated in Doha, Qatar, QCRI is an emerging leader in computing research, with over 100 experts from more than 25 countries. The distributed system group has openings for software developers and computer scientists eager to take on the challenges of this project.MasterCardComputer Science and Artificial Intelligence LaboratoryLocated near Boston, Massachusetts, MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) is a global pioneer in computing.Pod OwnersA pod's "owner" is the person (or organization) who the pod operates on behalf of and who generally owns the data on the pod.Pod ProvidersA pod "provider" is someone who keeps the pod functioning properly and may own the hardware the pod runs on (but there may be a IaaS provider who owns the hardware). Pod owner and provider are similar to tenant and landlord.githubWe've active on github, especially near the solid/solid repo. Raising and helping close issues is a great way to give us feedback and let us know you care.Some of our older projects are at https://github.com/linkeddata.gitterChat -- Mostly these days we're available for online discussion using gitter, on the channels associated with the active repos. For general discussion, use https://gitter.im/solid/chat.W3CWe're active in various W3C community groups and working groups, especially the Social Web Working Group.MIT StudentsStudents -- If you're an MIT student, or a prospective MIT student, please let us know about your interest in this project. UROP, UAP, MEng, and PhD RA opportunities are often available. Contact: crosscloud-jobs@csail.mit.edu.... a world where people have better options._3fb39ed4-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae33To make open systems technologically practical._3fb39ed5-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae33Low Switching CostToday, in a world of cloud-hosted software, every application is a kind of trap. Even if it lets you export your data in a form other systems can read, many of the best apps have social features. You can't switch because your friends or colleagues are still using the old site -- the new site will be a ghost town.CompetitionThis stifles competition, blocks innovation, and leaves users less happy with the systems they are using. While some developers might want to lock-in users, we trust that many value user happiness and would open their systems if it was technologically practical. Our goal is to make it practical.InnovationUser SatisfactionPracticalityOpennessThe features of an open/decentralized system:1. A user can switch to competing software painlessly (without losing any work or relationships)2. There are no inherent bottlenecks, single points of control, or single points of failure.3. Systems can change and improve over time, not subject to anyone’s control, agreement, or coordinationDecentralizationResearchTechnical Approach -- While there remains much research to be done, we are relatively confident in this approach:StatelessnessCrosscloud apps are stateless software, using separate data repositories ("pods", from "personal online data”), which might be remote across a network.Pods stand in for users, acting as their data storage agents. If a group of people are using some app, the app stores its data on the pods of those people.InteroperabilityData is stored by apps on pods in a form that supports interoperability, so that users can use different apps, developed independently, with the same data.IndependenceData IntegrationWe want individuals ... to be able to easily integrate data relevant to their health, whether it comes from their exercise tracker, the restaurants they visit, their bathroom scale, or a medical testing lab.Data SharingWe want them to be able to share this data with their doctor and other caregivers, and also to be able to run a variety of commercial and noncommercial analytic software, mining their own data, all without significant risk to their privacy.AnalysisData MiningPrivacyPersonal Data ManagementThe Crosscloud approach uses personal data management, but it has impacts far beyond personal subjects like health.ConnectionFor instance, we aim for small businesses to be able to connect with their customers based on mutually beneficial relationships, not subject to shifting winds in social media companies and search engines, but simply making use of data each is willing to share with each other.RelationshipsLocal ResourcesWe want emergency workers to be able to gather all available local resources and necessary data on survivors, even when the infrastructure is damaged, without opening the door to abuse in non-crisis times.Social TiesPerhaps most importantly, we want the software developer who has an idea which will help the world to be able to deploy it quickly and widely, not forcing people to break social ties or move entire communities at once just to try out a new system.Distributed BenefitsFundamentally, we want the "next Facebook" to be not another $100 billion company but a sea of different apps, from different creators, each well-suited to its users, serving its own market niche, all cooperating to provide an integrated user experience that empowers people around the world.CreativityCooperationIntegrationEmpowermentApplication Data Management_3fb39ed6-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae33Area 1Data DistributionDetermine how apps can read/write to appropriate pods._3fb39ed7-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae331.1How do apps read/write to appropriate pods?Currently: https, ldp, hierarchical containersAuthentication/AuthorizationAppropriately control which users can do what._3fb39ed8-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae331.2How to control which users can do what?Currently: webid-tls, wacData RepresentationIdentify models, formats, and vocabularies to be used to support interoperability._3fb39ed9-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae331.3What models / formats / vocabularies is used for interop?Currently: RDF, turtle, foaf, pim, webidApplication IntegrationShare data among apps._3fb39f2e-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae331.4How do apps share data with each other?Currently: they all access a shared filesystem-like structure and use same RDF vocabsQuery ScalingObtain necessary data from all relevant users._3fb3a014-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae331.5How do applications obtain necessary data from all relevant users?Currently: link-following SPARQLTrustworthy Computing_3fb3a118-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae33Area 2SecurityProtect users from harm._3fb3a1f4-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae332.1Protect users from harm due to their systems being compromised.Best PracticesUse web app best practices._3fb3a2da-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae332.1.1EncryptionUse encryption to reduce attack surface_3fb3a3ca-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae332.1.2PrivacyGive users control over information about themselves._3fb3a4c4-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae332.2Give users appropriate control over information about themselves.allow people to select pod providers largely on privacy policiesJailingLimit exposure to malicious or broken apps._3fb3a5aa-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae332.3How to limit the exposure to harm from malicious or broken apps.technologies include caja, cowl, iframes, web workers, sesProvenanceSort data by quality and accuracy._3fb3a6b8-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae332.4How to sort through data with various levels of quality and accuracy?needs support throughout infrastructure, plus UI conventionsInfrastructureSupport provenance throughout infrastructure._3fb3a79e-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae332.4.1UI ConventionsSupport provenance through UI conventions._3fb3a88e-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae332.4.2AvailabilityDesign for reliability for critical use._3fb3a97e-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae332.5How to design for sufficient reliability enough for critical use?Parallel ConfigurationAllow pods to be configured in parallel_3fb3aa64-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae332.5.1Sustainable Systems_3fb3ab5e-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae33Area 3App DevelopersAttract, engage, empower and retain application developers._3fb3ac62-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.1App DevelopersHow will app devs be attracted, engaged, empowered, and retained?SpecificationsProvide clear specs_3fb3ad48-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.1.1LibrariesProvide client libraries._3fb3ae38-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.1.2Reference ApplicationsProvide reference applications._3fb3af32-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.1.3Conversion EcosystemBridge between apps that use different vocabularies._3fb3b022-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.2How to bridge between apps that don’t want the same vocab?Rules / ShimsApply conversion rules/shims._3fb3b112-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.2.1Contributed conversion rules/shims, arranged on demand.Community IntegrationFacilitate participation by stakeholders._3fb3b2de-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.3githubW3CHow to allow full participation by all stakeholders?Participating in open processes on github and at W3CEconomicsDesign economic incentives to support Pod systems._3fb3b400-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.4How will each participant have suitable economic incentives, over time?AdvertisingShift away advertising._3fb3b50e-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.4.1shift business model away from mandatory targeted advertisingLegal / PolicyDetermine how legal structures can protect or threaten Pod systems._3fb3b626-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.5How can legal structures help protect or threaten these systems?End-User Experience (UX)Determine how people will be affected by Pod systems._3fb3b734-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.6How will people be consciously and unconsciously be affected?AdoptionKeep people flowing through the user-adoption funnel._3fb3b82e-08f9-11e6-a4b3-699f45c7ae333.7What will keep people flowing through each stage of a user-adoption funnel?2016-04-22http://crosscloud.org/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net