I wondered something similar when I clicked the link: "who is still using enough AT commands that a compressed representation would matter, and how would you even DO that?" But this is clearly something else.

Anyone who writes software that uses GSM modems for example. Like in embedded systems.

Oh, for sure - I've done some of that myself - but I would never associate the word "firehose" with such low-powered systems!

Iridium satellite modems too.

I’m shocked those things are still up there. That project tried to fail so many times.

"those things" meaning the all-new Iridium constellation, launched in the late 2010s?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_satellite_constellatio...

And then I had to look up CBOR too, which at least is a thing Wikipedia has heard of. I mostly use compressed wire protocols and ignore the flavor of the month binary representations.

The article kind of assumes you know what it is in order to be interested in it, but it's the protocol used by Bluesky instead of ActivityPub.

Which makes it a bad submission for HN. If you want exposure, prepare for it.

you sound like you're a blast to be around

You mean the Hayes AT command set? We didn't call it a protocol back in the say.

But it still is a protocol.

The Wikipedia article does a pretty good job at giving an overview for it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT_Protocol

Had same confusion. Wondered why it would need compression...

BlueSky is mentioned. The ATProto thing has been discussed often in relation to an opensource social media protocol and all of this started from Jack Dorsey and Twitter. If it helps, it's thoroughly documented on Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluesky

And the protocol is documented here:

https://atproto.com/

Hope this helps with the confusion.