Solid Application Compatibility Survey

1

Since Node Solid Server was first released, the Solid ecosystem has evolved with:

  • New and enhanced features included in the Solid specification.
  • The implementation of several new Solid Servers…with more to come.
  • New and improved developer libraries.
  • A vibrant developer community.
  • An increasing number of Solid applications, covering pod management, social, games, finance, health, geolocation, and many more.

While this is an exciting foretaste regarding the future of Solid, it does emphasize the need to maintain compatibility and interoperability across the different Solid servers. Although some of this complexity can be mitigated through the use of well designed and maintained developer libraries, it does require proactive maintenance of the applications.

We encourage Solid application developers to complete the Solid Application Compatibility Survey to aid with the current understanding of the state of application compatibility and interoperability within the Solid ecosystem. The results of the survey will be used to inform prioritization of product features, documentation, and other resources to better support the developer community.

6 Likes
2

Just a note that it is usually good practice to allow an anonymous response, i.e. without requiring naming the application.

While it’s nice to see Inrupt paying attention to its breaking changes, it’s surprising that it assumes this level of existing trust from respondents.

6 Likes
3

Yes, I agree, I was surprised and disappointed that we had to identify ourselves before even knowing what questions were going to be asked.

2 Likes
4

Hi @josephguillaume and @jeffz,

Thank you both for the feedback on the survey. The majority of the survey responses are optional, and there is no plan to release any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) provided in the responses. And the optional contact information will only be used if we need to contact the application developer directly to clarify responses and/or provide support.

For the application name specifically, there is no validation on the text field so although we would prefer the correct name to be entered, any name can be entered.

One of the goals of this survey is to understand obstacles Solid application developers are encountering due to advances in the Solid specification (e.g., improved authentication methods), and what support/resources they may need moving forward.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Kevin

5

Thank you for the survey responses we have received over the past month. We are planning to close the survey soon so we can analyse the responses to help understand the needs of the developer community. As such, if you would like your opinion included, please respond at Solid Application Compatibility Survey.

Thanks,

Kevin