The loyal client
Lessons from the past for the future of social media
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19489359 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Spencer Lane (0009-0000-8897-8123, Amherst College, corresponding author), Ethan Zuckerman (0000-0002-5970-9116, Amherst College) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-18 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-09 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Internet Histories (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2470-1475 • E-ISSN: 2470-1483 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/24701475.2026.2662718 |
| OpenAlex | W7160710353 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 8 |
The client that is used to connect to a server serves a function that is almost as important as the server itself. The client governs how a user is able to interact with a digital system, the actions they are able to take, what information they can view, and what information is being shared. This paper presents a vision of a Loyal Client, a client that is aligned with the preferences of the end user rather than those of the platform. This is an old idea from the early days of the internet which we feel should be modernised for social media. We argue that a loyal client is a key piece of a generative internet and introduce four principles by which to evaluate whether a client is loyal, arguing that a loyal client should be: protective, interoperable, customisable, and usable. We explore this concept using three historical case studies: Usenet, instant messaging, and web browsers, connecting each case back to these principles
Context (archaeology) · Government (linguistics) · Social media · The Internet · Digital Marketing and Social Media · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Web and Library Services
| Highly cited | No |
|---|