▼  1  Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud www.inkandswitch.com

Detailed Summary

1. You own your data, in spite of the cloud.
Section summary:
Local-fist software tries to solve the problem of ownership, agency and data lock-in present in cloud-based software, without compromising cross-collaboration and improving user control.

Section breakdown
§1: SaaS
Pros: Easy sync across devices, real-time collab Cons: loss of ownership and agency; loss of data is software is lost.

§2: Local-fist software

• Enables collaboration & ownership
• Offline cross-collaboration
• Improved security, privacy, long-term preservation & user control of data

§3 & §4: Article Methodology

• Survey of existing storage & sharing approaches and their trade-offs
• Conflict-free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs), natively multi-user
• Analysis of challenges of the data model as implemented at Ink & Switch
• Analysis of CRDT viability, UI
• Suggestion of next steps

2. Motivation: collaboration and ownership
Section summary:
The argument for cross-device, real-time collab PLUS personal ownership

Section breakdown
§1: Examples of online collabs
§2: SaaS increasingly critical, data increasingly valuable
§3: There are cons
§4: Deep emotional attachment to your data brings feeling of ownership, especially for creative expression
§5: SaaS require access to 3rd party server, limitation on what can be done. Cloud provider owns the data.
§6: SaaS: no service, no data. If service is shut down, you might manage to export data, but you may not be able to run your copy of the software.
§7: Old-fashioned apps were local-disk based (IDEs, git, CAD). You can archive, backup, access or do whatever with the data without 3rd party approval.
§8: Can we have collaboration AND ownership?
§9: Desire: cross-device, real-time collab PLUS personal ownership

3. Seven ideals for local-first software
Section breakdown
§1: Belief: data ownership & real-time collab are compatible
§2: Local-first software local storage & local networks are primary, server secondary
§3: SaaS: In the server, or it didn't happen. Local-first: local is authoritative, servers are for cross-device.

3.1.1 No spinners
SaaS feels slower because if requires round-trip to a server for data modification and some lookups. Lo-Fi doesn't have dependency on server, data sync happens on the background. This is no guarantee of fast software, but there's a potential for near-instant response.
3.1.2 Data not trapped on one device
Data sync will be discussed in another section. Server works as off-site backup. The issue of conflict will also be discussed later.
3.1.3 The network is optional
It's difficult to retrofit offline support to SaaS. Lo-Fi allows CRUD offline and data sync might not require the Internet: Bluetooth/local Wi-fi could be enough.
3.1.4 Seamless collabs
Conflicts can be tricky for complex file formats. Google Docs became de facto standard. This is the biggest challenge for Lo-Fi, but is believed to be possible. It's also expected that Lo-Fi supports multiple collab.

TBC