Webnative is now ODD! Learn why we're renaming our SDK and what you can expect going forward.

Why The ODD Name?

We decided to rename Webnative to ODD for a couple of reasons. The first was we recognized that there was some confusion between Webnative, the platform, and the Webnative File System protocol. We wanted to distinguish the difference between the two more easily.

The second reason was that while our SDK is excellent for building web apps, you can also use it to build native apps distributed via an app store, Internet of Things devices...basically, anything communicating over a network with a user interface! ODD SDK is a "learn once, write everywhere" development platform, and potentially even one day, "write once, deploy everywhere." We felt a name change would allow us to share that story more easily.

We picked ODD for four reasons:

  • Memorable and Unique: ODD is concise, catchy, and sticks with you, making it easy for you to share with others.
  • Open Distributed Data: We love backronyms at Fission. The Open Distributed Data explanation fits perfectly as our tech stack fosters openness and collaboration, enabling you to harness the power of distributed data in your applications.
  • Embracing the Unconventional: Local-first edge computing challenges the status quo. While everyone else focuses on the cloud as the solution for serverless applications, we take the unexpected stand that decentralized tools and systems that inherently respect user privacy, grow with the developer's needs, and offer a credible exit are the answer.
  • Platform Agnostic: ODD's broad vision and platform-agnostic approach ensure our stack runs everywhere, adapting to the ever-changing tech landscape.

Distinguishing the SDK from the Underlying Protocols

It's important to us to distinguish the ODD SDK platform from the underlying protocols. Not everyone is comfortable working (or needs to work) at the protocol level. We wanted to clarify that when bundled in the SDK, you can access those protocols with additional implementations, templates, and libraries to assist you.  

ODD is a true local-first edge application development platform, empowering you to create innovative, resilient applications using open distributed data. Join us on this exciting journey as we embrace the ODD way and shape the future of software development together!