Explore serialization protocols for distributed systems in this 52-minute conference talk by Christian Uhl from Mathmatch GmbH. Delve into the evolution of systems and the challenges faced by software engineers. Examine various serialization methods, including Java Serializable, JSON, and XML, while addressing backwards compatibility and app version changes. Learn about Protocol Buffers (Protobuf), its compiler, and plugins for different programming languages. Discover the impact of Protobuf at Google and analyze sample code. Investigate alternative serialization protocols such as Rift, Thrift, Avro, and Cryo. Gain insights from "Effective Java" to enhance your understanding of serialization in distributed systems.