{"id":3650,"date":"2025-07-02T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada.wordcamp.org\/2025\/?p=3650"},"modified":"2025-10-07T23:23:40","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T03:23:40","slug":"wceh-keynote-evan-prodromou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada.wordcamp.org\/2025\/wceh-keynote-evan-prodromou\/","title":{"rendered":"WCEH Keynote: Evan Prodromou"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcoming Evan Prodromou to WordCamp Canada 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re thrilled to announce that Evan Prodromou<\/strong> will be joining us as a keynote speaker at WordCamp Canada 2025<\/strong> this October in Ottawa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based in Montr\u00e9al, Qu\u00e9bec<\/strong>, Evan has been at the heart of Canada\u2019s open tech ecosystem for more than two decades \u2014 and his latest work has exciting implications for the future of WordPress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the late 2000s, Evan co-founded the first federated microblogging platform. His groundbreaking work with microblog architecture set the stage for today\u2019s fediverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Fediverse isn’t about connecting software packages. It’s about connecting communities and people.”<\/p>Evan Prodromou<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Evan has been involved with the W3C’s Federated Social Web Community Group<\/a> (@socialcg@w3c.social<\/a>) and Social Web Working Group<\/a>, advocating for open standards in online interactions. He is a driving force behind ActivityPub<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 the W3C standard<\/a> powering federated social networks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curently, Evan is Director of Open Tech at the Open Earth Foundation<\/a> and Research Director at the Social Web Foundation<\/a>, which he founded in 2024 with Mallory Knodel<\/a><\/strong> and Tom Coates<\/a><\/strong>. The SWF is backed by Automattic<\/strong>, Fastly<\/strong>, Ghost<\/strong>, the Ford Foundation<\/strong>, Medium<\/strong>, Meta<\/strong>, Mastodon<\/strong>, and a variety of other federated platform organizations. Its mission is to support a growing, healthy, sustainable and multi-polar Fediverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ActivityPub standard can be implemented in WordPress thanks to an Automattic-sponsored community plugin called ActivityPub<\/a>. Dating back to 2018, development for the ActivityPub plugin continues to be led by Konstantin Obenland<\/a> and Matthias Pfefferle<\/a>, with many other contributors joining in on GitHub<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Father of the Fediverse<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Evan Prodromou’s name is closely tied to some of the most important movements toward decentralization on the internet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Evan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Evan
Evan Prodromou<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes called \u201cThe Father of the Fediverse,\u201d he founded Identi.ca<\/strong>, which launched in 2008 <\/a>as the world\u2019s first federated microblogging platform. Identi.ca was the driving force behind a series of early open alternatives to centralized social media, like StatusNet, that helped shape what would become the Fediverse<\/strong>, a network of independent platforms connected by open standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evan co-authored the OStatus specification<\/a> and the Activity Streams 2.0<\/a> data format, which then led to ActivityPub. ActivityPub evolved from Identica’s lineage and now powers decentralized services like Mastodon, PeerTube, Pixelfed, WriteFreely, and many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ActivityPub is becoming a cornerstone of the new worldwide web \u2014 a web closer to the one Tim Berners-Lee created and envisioned. It\u2019s not owned by any one company, but instead it’s made up of people and platforms working together. For example, Automattic’s Tumblr<\/strong> and Meta’s Threads<\/strong> are exploring or implementing ActivityPub support<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evan is bringing ActivityPub to WordPress \u2014 bridging two of the most powerful ideas in modern web development: open publishing<\/strong> and federated social networking<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today, ActivityPub in WordPress bridges two of the most powerful ideas in modern web development: open publishing<\/strong> and federated social networking<\/strong>. This work stands to dramatically expand the reach of WordPress, enabling seamless integration with platforms across the Fediverse while staying true to the values of openness and autonomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Innovation in the Canadian Context<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Throughout his career, Evan has championed Canadian innovation with a practical, inclusive, and collaborative spirit. He\u2019s advised international standards bodies, led startups, contributed to countless free software projects, and advocated for an internet that is more ethical, more human, and more free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evan\u2019s story is a great example of Canadian innovation in action<\/strong>. Grounded in practicality<\/strong>, inclusivity<\/strong>, and collaboration<\/strong>, his work reflects the very themes we\u2019re exploring at WordCamp Canada this year. Whether he\u2019s helping shape international web standards or mentoring local devs in Montreal, Evan\u2019s focus has always been on building sustainable, people-first technology that empowers users \u2014 not platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a time when artificial intelligence, platform monopolies, and algorithmic bias dominate headlines, Evan\u2019s voice is a reminder of what truly matters: open access, ethical technology, and human-centered design. As we ask ourselves what the future of WordPress looks like in a world increasingly shaped by AI and automation, Evan helps bring us back to the core principles of the open web.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join Us in Ottawa<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At WordCamp Canada 2025, we\u2019re gathering folks from across the country and around the world to reflect, connect, and build together. Whether you\u2019re a seasoned contributor, a first-time site owner, a plugin developer, or an advocate for digital rights, Evan will offer thoughtful insight \u2014 and practical inspiration\u2014for the path ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t wait to all get together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beyond Microblogging: WordPress Leads the Way in Long-form Text on the Social Web<\/a><\/blockquote>