dynamic updates between platforms

[simonLouvet]

The plan was to support dynamic updates between platforms. This can now be done with activitypub.
Currently, in the proto, the user must perform a manual refresh that fetches information from the source and refreshes the information in the proto.
Semapps (the foundation of the proto) provides mechanisms for replicating (mirroring) data based on activitypub, but we need to switch the current proto code, which is in the overlay, to the semapps service if we want to take advantage of it.

Is synchronisation between platforms a priority?

[RaggedStaff]

FDC are implementing Orders dynamically... when a customer order is placed on platform B for Products held on platform A, a secondary order is raised on platform A (with the retail hub from platform B as the customer). The order reserves stock until the end of the SalesSession (allowing updates to the order) then the order is finalised & moved to fulfilment.

We have agreed points of contact to ensure up to date Product & Inventory data is available for Platform B: this is all manually coded by the platforms currently. For example, we ask platforms to update all product data at the start of a SalesSession, and check stock levels when an item is added to a basket, when checkout starts and (as a failsafe) when checkout has completed (if that stock check fails, we raise an exception for the hub to resolve manually).

I believe ActivityPub would make this easier by allowing a mechanism for platforms to push updates in an abstracted way, and also (I think) potentially manage updates from multiple platforms in a graceful way... but I'm not sure I understand the full workings for ActivityPub. 😕

[RaggedStaff]

I'm curious @simonLouvet what you think about utilising ActivityPods ?

Could this give us SoLiD-OIDC & ActivityPub ? 🤔

[lecoqlibre]

Note that ActivityPods is not yet supporting Solid-OIDC, see https://activitypods.org/specs/solid/#solid-oidc- (DPoP support is missing).

Also the supported version of Solid-OIDC is not indicated.

[RaggedStaff]

Thanks @lecoqlibre, also noting that ActivityPods is using HTTP Sig in preference to DPOP (as ActivityPub does) and there is now a draft proposal to include that in the SOLID standard.

[lecoqlibre]

Section B1 from ActivityPub states:

Unfortunately at the time of standardization, there are no strongly agreed upon mechanisms for authentication. Some possible directions for authentication are laid out in the Social Web Community Group Authentication and Authorization best practices report.

So HTTP Sig is not standard in ActivityPub but a possibility.

Yes, there is a draft proposal to authenticate through HTTP sig, Henry Story presented it once at the Solid CG meeting. Sadly, Henry Story passed last year. I don't know who will maintain this proposal in the future.

I'm in favor to use Activity Pub but the DFC standard should not rely on a particular technology like ActivityPods. ActivityPods is not generic as it is not using quads but only triples. This is a strong limitation that we should avoid.

[simonLouvet]

we are ok using activitypub, http sig, user inbox/outbox and platform inbox/outbox (tech metting 11/03/2024)
have to be transform to an issu

[RachL]

@simonLouvet @lecoqlibre @RaggedStaff I've created an issue here datafoodconsortium/prototype#143 No rush, but if you think about other criterias we need to look at while building the example, please add them to the issue 🙏