Beta Testing W-Social with W-Identity

W Social's Beta Is Live. The Problems Didn't Wait. - Ewan’s Blog

I am definitely not touching W.

Elena Rossini on GoToSocial ⁂ (@elena@aseachange.com)

How to create an account on #WSocial in 13 easy steps: 1️⃣ choose a username 2️⃣ choose a password 3️⃣ choose your interests 4️⃣ download the #WIdentity app to your phone (two options: Apple AppStore or Google Play Store) 5️⃣ scan a QR code 6️⃣ create a PIN code optional: enable biometrics; re-enter PIN 7️⃣ choose whether you simply want to verify that you're human or if you also want to verify your name 8️⃣ choose the verification method (automatic photo review, request a manual review or scan your passport chip) 9️⃣ scan your passport's picture page 1️⃣0️⃣ scan your passport's chip 1️⃣1️⃣ take a selfie 1️⃣2️⃣ scan a QR code to link the W Identity to your W Social account 1️⃣3️⃣ enter your PIN code Congratulations, you're verified*! (* for two years) Demonstration in all its simple glory here: 📺 : https://inv.nadeko.net/Vcq4MiabpEQ Please save this toot as reference if you ever hear somebody say that IT'S TOO COMPLICATED TO JOIN THE FEDIVERSE BECAUSE YOU NEED TO PICK A SERVER 🤡 #SocialMedia

Elena Rossini on GoToSocial ⁂ (@elena@aseachange.com)

[1 media attachment] Good morning Fedi friends. Is anybody curious about how the #WSocial experiment is going? You know, the private, for profit "European answer to X" endorsed by the European Commission, which is a fork of Bluesky and has quietly gone closed-source before its beta launch (à la #TruthSocial)? I've got numbers for you! Nearly two months in, W Social has almost the same number of accounts as #Eurosky... You know, the European fork of Bluesky that does NOT require government IDs to post. W Social: 23.5k accounts Eurosky: 24.8k accounts In order to post on W Social you need to provide your government ID and go through a 13-step verification process. So far 4.5k accounts are verified but only 2036 (as of this morning) have ever published a single post or reply. There is a handy website - https://pdsls.dev - that allows you to monitor the "firehose" of any ATproto-powered PDS. Inspired by @pallenberg and his awesome videos (example: https://mu.social/profile/palle.eurosky.social/post/3mskkqrrc522l) I have been comparing the live activities of the two networks. The difference is SHOCKING. W Social is largely a zombie, dormant network, with a high number of accounts that do not interact. Eurosky by contrast shows very lively activity. The screenshot I grabbed yesterday shows a side-by-side comparison of their firehose over a 27 minute period. W Social had a total of 240 events (follows, likes, posts...) whereas Eurosky registered 7596 events in the same time interval. A couple of days ago I downloaded their PDS and saw that 67,8% of their accounts have 0 follows, 0 followers and 0 posts. That's what I mean when I call it a "zombie network." W Social's CEO says they plan to start monetizing by introducing ads in 2027. WITH THESE NUMBERS?!? Sure Jan. I love how with the transparency of open data you can't really use the standard playbook of CEO hype and hubris. Because we can all see their numbers. And they are BAAAAD. I have been feeling…

IIW – Internet Identity Workshop

The Internet Identity Workshop — where the identity community meets to discuss and advance digital identity.

I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over.

I wanted a blue badge on LinkedIn. To get it, I gave a US company my passport, my face, and my biometric data. Then I read the fine print.

Elena Rossini 🌈 (@_elena@mastodon.social)

#WSocial posted a message on their official account talking about "temporary profile issues" for "some W users." Reality (exposed in my latest article): their network was BRICKED for ALL NEW USERS who joined starting on June 22 (some 3100+ accounts out of 5000) for 7+ days. An amateur reporter and self-hosting newbie (aka me) figured out the problem and the solution, bringing attention to this matter. I had to respond: https://mu.social/profile/elenarossini.com/post/3mpig4ggkpk2q hope others chime in 🤭

A New Form of Verification on Bluesky - Bluesky

We’re introducing a new layer of verification — a user-friendly, easily recognizable badge. Additionally, independent organizations can verify accounts directly through our Trusted Verifiers feature.