If you haven’t heard, there’s been a certain topic buzzing about in the tech world: “local-first software.” And let me tell you, it’s not dying down anytime soon. In a nutshell, this innovative approach emphasizes the importance of data ownership, privacy, and resilience. But what exactly does it entail, and why should you care? Let’s break down local first software and explore its potential impact with the help of experts Dr. Roland Kuhn of Actyx and local first software pioneer himself, Peter Van Hardenberg.
The Problem: Tech Woes We All Know Too Well
Imagine this: You’re hard at work, churning out code like a machine, but your Wi-Fi starts acting up. As the connection falters, your software does too. Or maybe you’ve been working on an important project for years, but you’re suddenly left helpless when your provider changes or gets rid of the service completely. And what about those dang subscription bills? Miss one, and you’re out of luck, my friend.
The Fix: Enter Local-first Software
Enter local-first software, a concept innovated by the likes of Peter Van Hardenberg of Ink & Switch. Van Hardenberg shared the seedlings of his progressive ideas with us back in 2020 during our virtual conference, and then again at JOTB 2022, which he tells us was the first time he spoke about it with a general software development audience. What an honor!
So what is local first software? Essentially, it’s software that puts you back in the driver’s seat, giving you control over your data and how you work with it. Van Hardenberg states its principles: “Always available, collaborative (but private), and responsive in the moment.” At its core, local-first software prioritizes user control, enabling seamless collaboration and data ownership while mitigating the risks associated with centralized cloud infrastructure.
“We’ve been working on developing the ideas of Local-First software for a long time,” says Van Hardenberg. “In the past five years, we’ve seen Local-First Software go from a vision inside of a research lab and a few friends to become a movement: there are tons of people, technologies, and companies founded now around local-first ideas.”
What Local-first Software Brings to the Table
Collaboration and Privacy: Ever felt like the Cloud was looming over your shoulder, peeking at your work? As it’s been heard, “There is no cloud - It’s just somebody else’s computer.” With local-first software, you get the benefits of collaboration without sacrificing your privacy.
Longevity: Say goodbye to those heart-stopping moments when your go-to service provider gets the boot. Local-first software offers stability and control, ensuring your work isn’t at the mercy of a fickle provider.
Availability: Dr. Roland Kuhn, of Actyx, emphasizes the independence local-first software affords users. “I pay for the device, I pay for the software, so I should be able to use it without needing anyone else’s permission or service.” This sentiment resonates with the core ethos of local-first software: empowering users with autonomy. “It’s all about having control over the tools we use,” he continues.
Is Local-first Software the Future?
So, is this the dawn of a new era in software? According to Van Hardenberg, we’re just getting started. “Today, early adopters are starting to really get the benefits [of local-first software] and the mainstream is still to come.”
He cites projects like Fission and Iroh, which will both be presenting at JOTB 2024, as early adopters “working to bridge the gap” to mainstream appeal that he’s very personal with and excited about. But those aren’t the only ones. “There’s lots of room for folks to join the party,” he adds, “I don’t think the future is decided yet.”
Local-first software represents more than just a tech trend; it embodies a shift towards empowering users and fostering resilience in the digital realm. Dr. Roland Kuhn asserts, “The human race has thrived in the long-term and the big picture because of its extreme resilience — every human is endowed with will and intelligence and can carry on in the face of adversity. It only makes sense to use computers in a similarly resilient fashion.”
Is local first software the end all solution?
When we talk about local-first software, it’s essential to understand the difference between centralized and decentralized systems.
While centralized systems excel in scenarios where a single entity controls access to a shared resource, such as purchasing concert tickets or conducting internet searches, the value proposition of local-first approaches becomes clearer in contexts where users are authors, actively creating and collaborating on content. Platforms like GitHub, Figma, and Google Docs exemplify this paradigm, where users benefit significantly from a local-first approach, fostering seamless collaboration while preserving privacy and data ownership. However, for tasks like ticket booking or web browsing, centralized systems may still hold sway due to the inefficiency of downloading vast amounts of data for sporadic use.
Local first software at JOTB 2024
And for those eager to delve deeper into the realm of local software possibilities, join us at this year’s JOTB conference, where experts like Dr. Roland Kuhn will continue the conversation with his workshop titled, “Building local-first cooperative swarm systems with Actyx”. This workshop will probe a practical demonstration using local first software. “The whole process and solution will develop within the workshop room, no outside network or computation will be used,” Dr. Kuhn states. “We’ll start out running the challenge locally on each computer, then connect the computers using the local wifi and work out how code on different laptops can interact via sending events from peer to peer. The goal then is to cooperatively perform some (virtual) task.”.
In addition to this, we’ll have two more speakers continuing the local first convo, including self-proclaimed “independent hacker” Rüdiger Klaehn and Fission Co-founder & CTO, Brooklyn Zelenka.
See you On The Beach!
