ATProto Vancouver
- Date
- 2025-04-30
- Location
- Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Host
- DWeb Vancouver (DWebYVR)
About this event
ATProto Vancouver is a local gathering for people who are curious about the open social web and want to talk about it in person. If you care about where social platforms are heading, how identity and communities work online, or what new protocols could make possible, this is a chance to meet others in Vancouver who are paying attention to the same shift. Whether you are already building with AT Protocol or just starting to explore it, this meetup is designed to be approachable, thoughtful, and social. You do not need to arrive as an expert to have a good conversation here. What Is This? ATProto Vancouver is an in-person community meetup centered on AT Protocol, the ideas around decentralized social networking, and the people interested in shaping what comes next. The focus is not just on the technology itself, but also on the communities, use cases, experiments, and questions that come with it. This event is best understood as a local room for conversation: part meetup, part networking space, and part community touchpoint. Some attendees may come from technical backgrounds, others from product, design, research, moderation, policy, community organizing, or simply personal interest. That mix is the point. Expect a format that supports both structured discussion and casual connection. The goal is to create enough shared context for good conversations, while leaving plenty of room for people to meet, compare notes, and find common ground. Because this is a community-oriented gathering, the value comes from the people in the room as much as any one topic. If you have been following AT Protocol online, this is a chance to turn that interest into real local relationships. What to Expect You can expect an evening meetup rhythm: arrivals, introductions, discussion, and open-ended conversation. The event starts on Tuesday, April 29 at 6:00 PM PDT, making it easy to drop in after the workday and spend time with others who share your interest. The exact flow may vary, but the experience will likely include a mix of: Time to meet other attendees and make introductions Discussion around AT Protocol, decentralized social systems, and emerging ideas Informal networking with people across technical and non-technical roles Space for questions, opinions, current projects, and practical lessons Some people will come to talk about what they are building. Others will come to better understand the ecosystem, hear what others are seeing, or connect with potential collaborators. The event works well for both, because the emphasis is on exchange rather than performance. You should also expect a social atmosphere, not a conference-style environment. That means conversations can be direct, exploratory, and grounded. If you have been wanting a place to ask smart beginner questions or have more nuanced discussions than social media usually allows, this setting is well suited to that. Why Attend If AT Protocol feels important but still abstract, attending in person helps make it concrete. Meeting people who are actively thinking about the protocol, its ecosystem, and its implications gives you a clearer sense of what is happening now and where things may be heading. This meetup is valuable because it brings together local context and broader internet questions. Vancouver has builders, researchers, community leaders, and curious early adopters; being in the same room lets you move faster from vague interest to useful understanding. You might attend to: Learn how others are thinking about AT Protocol in practice Find collaborators, peers, or future friends in the local community Get sharper on the opportunities and tradeoffs of decentralized social infrastructure Share your own perspective, even if you are still early in your learning Stay close to a fast-moving space without having to follow everything alone There is also simple value in being around people who care about the same questions you do. Good meetups create momentum. You leave with names, ideas, references, and follow-up conversations that are hard to get from reading online by yourself. Practical Details This is an in-person event in Vancouver, Canada. It is intended for local attendees and anyone nearby who wants to be part of an in-room community conversation rather than another online thread. The meetup takes place on Tuesday, April 29 at 6:00 PM PDT. Since it is an evening event, plan for a relaxed but engaged atmosphere, with time to settle in, meet people, and stay for conversation. A few useful things to keep in mind: You do not need deep prior knowledge to attend You will get more out of it if you are ready to introduce yourself and talk with new people If you have relevant work, questions, or experiments, come prepared to share them informally This is a community meetup, so curiosity and participation matter more than credentials If you have been waiting for a local reason to get more involved with AT Protocol, this is it. Come to listen, ask better questions, meet the people nearby who are paying attention, and become part of the conversation while the space is still taking shape.
Who should attend
This is for people who want to talk about AT Protocol with others in the same city, not just read about it online. - You have been following AT Protocol, Bluesky, or the broader open social ecosystem and want a clearer picture through real conversation. - You are a developer, designer, product thinker, researcher, or technically curious person who wants to meet others exploring decentralized social tools and infrastructure. - You care about online identity, moderation, interoperability, community ownership, or the future of social platforms and want to discuss those topics with people who take them seriously. - You are working on something adjacent to the space, or thinking about starting, and would benefit from local connections, feedback, and context. - You are new to AT Protocol but interested enough to show up, ask questions, and learn from people who are further along. - You simply want to meet thoughtful people in Vancouver who are curious about where the social internet is going next. If you like meetups where the conversation can move from approachable to nuanced without becoming exclusive, you will likely feel at home here.