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Open on Bluesky →

Ronen Tamari @ronentk.me · 25/09/2026

New AT Proto architectural diagram just dropped 👀 arxiv.org/abs/2609.21608

Schematic diagram of the AT Protocol architecture, with modifiable components and data access
infrastructure highlighted. This representation is a simplified adaptation of the architecture presented in
the original paper [78]. We refer readers to that work for more comprehensive technical details.

Open Platform Field Experiments: Expanding the Design
Space of Experimental Research on Social Media
JORDI GUILLEM CONDOM-TIBAU∗, University of Pisa, Italy and Institute for Informatics and
Telematics, National Research Council (IIT-CNR), Italy
GIOVANNI PUCCETTI, Institute of Science and Technologies of Information “A. Faedo”, National
Research Council (ISTI-CNR), Italy
CLARA BACCIU, Institute for Informatics and Telematics, National Research Council (IIT-CNR), Italy
MATTEO ABRATE, Institute for Informatics and Telematics, National Research Council (IIT-CNR), Italy
STEFANO CRESCI, Institute for Informatics and Telematics, National Research Council (IIT-CNR), Italy
Despite a growing demand for causal evidence about social media, independent researchers remain severely
constrained in their ability to conduct experiments directly on online platforms. To cope, multiple method-
ological workarounds have emerged—from controlled surveys and simulations to client-side overlays and
platform partnerships—each requiring distinct trade-offs between desirable experimental properties. The
recent emergence of open social media platforms offers a qualitatively different methodological opportunity.
Here we propose a design space of social media experimentation and discuss Open Platform Field Experiments
(OPFEs). OPFEs represent a distinct class of experimental approaches that enable independent researchers
to directly intervene on functional platform components—such as clients, recommendation systems, and
moderation services—within live social media environments. Through a comparative analysis of experimental
archetypes, we show that OPFEs occupy a previously unexplored region of the design space. We then bridge
theory and practice by characterizing the architectural and governance elements that enable OPFEs, mapping
them onto Bluesky and the AT Protocol, and illustrating the end-to-end lifecycle of a complete OPFE design.
Overall, this work establishes OPFEs as a practical methodol…

Erlend Sogge Heggen @erlend.sh · 25/09/2026

oh I really like that. more distilled down / simplified than most of the diagrams I've seen prior; more comprehensible to the likes of me.