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# solid.community
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## History
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# [solid.community](solid.community)
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https://gitlab.com/solid.community/support/-/wikis/Home/solid.community#history
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## [History](solid.community#history)
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The first solid reference implementation was written in Go. We had a pod (databox.me) where people could come and try out solid.
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Around about 5 years ago JavaScript and node were gaining popularity and a group of developers, lead by Nicola, decided to try to port solid to JavaScript and node-solid-server was born (originally called ldnode). Over time node/JavaScript became more popular with developers and it started to become more the reference implementation that people were using.
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However, there was a problem. The only way that anyone could try the lastest solid was to install their own pod, which is a high bar to become a user. After much persuasion, we were able at MIT to get solidtest.space a test server running, so that people could try out the node/JavaScript version of solid, which by then had gained developer mind share.
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But this was still not ideal, because the test server did not provide a permanent home for people wanting to create a WebID and storage. On the web, URIs gain a reputation over time, and there is enormous benefit from having a stable home for your URIs, stable data, and a stable server. Anyone that has moved a WebID from one place to another knows that it is almost impossible. I know very well from experience, moving my own WebID from http to https took several years, and still, today is not fully complete.
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As I had been collecting solid domains over time, one from my personal collection was solid.community. I felt this could be a great domain for users to create long-lived identifiers for people in the community. I ran the idea past timbl and he liked it, and after some persuasion, the solid.community pod was born. Eric and I ran it, I think on a box sitting in MIT at first, but then later on digital ocean, where it runs today. I think we should revisit hosting soon, with an aim to become self-sustaining. The pod predates inrupt, and when inrupt launched some inrupters kindly helped out with running and updating the software.
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## Present
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## [Present](solid.community#present)
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So, that's where we are today. Going forward, what I would like is for solid community to be run by the community, if that's possible. We've been going for two years and we'd like to go as long as possible. I created this repo to document some of these things and to provide support for users who were getting frustrated with being locked out of their pods
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