@benroyce

Unfortunately the obscure project you may be referring to is a public not for profit network with no promotional algorithm and as such is of no interest to those who aspire to power and fame.

@benroyce
In the last few months, many people basically "invent" mastodon (not as software but the concept) without knowing. They describe it to the public, but never name it, because they don't know. They say, someone should build something like this... Who tells them?

It's great that a few public german institutions switch to fedi.

@sirjofri @benroyce

Frankly, the fact that nobody is paying attention to us here might be the secret superpower of the platform.

@paninid
Maybe. I think about it in a few different ways:

1) fedi is decentralized. That means that you can get your own, very small bubble, with your own interests. That is a superpower in that way you describe, as in: nobody needs to pay attention to those smaller bubbles. Think of it as many smaller fediverses.

2) fedi is a single huge fediverse. Here, the superpower is not only decentralization (no single owner), but also the decentralized/distributed moderation. On huge networks like "X" (and X), there basically is no longer any moderation, because they'd have to hire hundreds or thousands of people to properly do that job. And they have to ask each other about specific moderation guidelines, etc. On fedi, each instance has its own moderator(s), often small teams of individuals, or even single persons. They don't have to discuss things, and if they need to, it's much faster and more dynamic. Furthermore, if I (the user) don't agree, I can just move to a different instance, so the mod team doesn't have to find "the perfect guidelines that work for everyone", they can just build guidelines as they want.

@benroyce

@paninid @sirjofri

sure, some of us find the bespoke bucolic quirky off-the-beaten-track of #mastodon to be a relief and a refuge

but then, others of us, like me, are like:

(🤭 😆 /s)

@benroyce @paninid @sirjofri Seems to me most people wherever they are want a clone of old Twitter, not just the pre-Musk Twitter, but pre-enshittified hell-site Twitter, which is why they go to Bluesky. Somehow the taint of Silicon Valley investment capital comforts them, like a security blanket. Mastodon is too quirky and "hard" (it takes a minute to figure it out), too scratchy and furry. I'm on both, enjoy both, but Mastodon is my social media home. Been here more than two years.

@tinydoctor @benroyce @paninid @sirjofri I have never been able to figure out...
... what makes people think Mastodon is hard!

@Nigel_Lake
1) they don't understand what the federation means.
2) they don't understand why there are multiple instances and why it matters (or doesn't matter).
3) they don't understand why fediverse has different platforms/software, even though it's the same network
4) it's hard to choose an instance.

On X (and "X"), it's much easier. There's only one instance, only one software, only one company who owns everything. Nothing to choose from.
@tinydoctor @benroyce @paninid

@Nigel_Lake
That said, it's much easier to just send someone a link to one instance and tell them to make an account there. But then, I want people to understand what they are doing.
@benroyce @paninid @tinydoctor

@sirjofri @benroyce @Nigel_Lake @paninid Nothing to choose from is solution and problem at the same time. Signing up to Bluesky, you don't have to think about it much, but then you're susceptible to being locked in for future enshittification for the profit of owners and investors. That's the part not thought about. Nor do people want that explained.

@sirjofri @benroyce @Nigel_Lake @paninid People seem to want to be the delicious tuna salad snuggled between two slices of whole wheat corporation dressed with crisp green VC dollars.

@sirjofri @benroyce @Nigel_Lake @paninid To mix my metaphors (anybody got a little paper umbrella and a slice of pineapple?) The monopolist corporate media is the water the user-fish swim in. The thought of giving up Google, Meta, Tik-whichever-Tok makes them start flopping around like, well, fish out of water. There are alternatives to these toxic seas, fresh rivers and lakes, some better than others, but when I try persuade people, they can't even hear me. It is hard for them.

@tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake @paninid

so we have to seduce them

you can't reason with them, as you've tried to do

it has to be emotional

so we simply have to beat #corporate #plutocrat #centralized at it's own game

make #decentralized #socialMedia so enticing they prefer it, emotionally

now i'm not saying that's easy

but that's what must be done

and it's not an impossible thing

@benroyce @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake @paninid

I guess what I wonder is if it gets LARGE, as in 20-50 million users, how does Mastodon not need to be monetized? And when money gets involved, how does it not become like the others?

I know nothing of how anything works.

@RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake @paninid

zero argument. and a serious problem

#mastodon is pretty much hobbyist mode. people contribute and donate, but yeah, that can't support growth to huge numbers

number one: fuck #ads. no ads, ever

beyond that, there has to be something

it can't be #capitalist, #corporate

that puts #mastodon in the same vise as #bluesky: the #vulturecapital #venturecapital, once it has that in, can take it over and send it the same way as #twitter

hmmm

@benroyce @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake @paninid I'm tired of people whining about the cost of things like this, when they can afford a fucking Latte every day, they can afford to pay the server 5 bucks a month for operating costs, at the very least. In other words, you get what you pay for.

@csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake @paninid

it's worthwhile to explore alternative funding methods, because here's the simple truth: people want social media to just work, for free

you can castigate that attitude all you want

but all that means is 99% of people go to centralized plutocrat social media, which we don't want. so we need a better approach than merely "you suck"

and to be clear, i agree with you. but the reality of the situation is not so simple, is my point

@benroyce @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake @paninid and this is a problem. If people just want something to work, and for free, then they'll have to wait a long time for that. The problem with "free" in this context is, and I know this is more preaching to the choir, YOU are the product. Your life, your information, your choices, your family and friends. All for sale. I have made my choice, and I am all but done with META. Just need to get contact for a few peeps and I'm out.

@csgraves @benroyce @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

Social media is where pamphleteering meets website management.

John Hancock got wealthy smuggling to avoid customs duties to the Crown.

He funneled that money back into underwriting a revolution.

A revolution that relied on pamphleteering and the printing presses of private individuals (see: Ben Franklin).

#DigitalPamphleteering

@paninid @csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

and the dude's signature was extraordinary. sitting out there so large and bold and classy 😆

@benroyce @csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

so that “the British ministry can read that name without spectacles” 🔥

@paninid @csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

today i learned! i had to search on your post

https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2019/09/12/john-hancock-and-his-signature/

🤣

@paninid @benroyce @csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

Is it not clear by now that the good guys actually lost the American Revolution?

@sendtherunners @benroyce @csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

@paninid @benroyce @csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

I often ask my history students here if they know how many people died in the Canadian War of Independence. It's a trick question--we just asked for it at the right time and then negotiated like gentlemen. Apparently none of the founders ever considered that option.

@sendtherunners @benroyce @csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

The #American ethos is - and has always been - to #BeUngovernable 🫡

@sendtherunners @paninid @csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

the usa exists because of the quebec act of 1774

british colonists were incensed at concessions made to french colonists to win their loyalty. the british govt didn't consider the loyalty of someone else

based on that observation, the fate of north america was decided in one hour on sept 13 1759:

@benroyce @sendtherunners @paninid @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake would if only the whole drama would have been stopped by the massacre of Columbus and his shock troops, sorry, "explorers."

I want independance from European values. Which means USA/Canada.

Yes, I'm a bit radical that way. It isn't likely to happen, but this continent should not be ruled by European mores at all.

Not even remotely one tiny bit.

@csgraves @benroyce @sendtherunners @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

The European #Enlightenment learned of #egalitarian values from the indigenous / First Nations people.

Not even the #Renaissance brought that about.

@csgraves @sendtherunners @paninid @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

eh. they killed Ferdinand Magellan in the philippines. but some other asshole came anyways

but they did get this amazing statue of Lapu Lapu, who killed Magellan

what needs to be done is to dynamite Mt. Rushmore and put up Sitting Bull

the real problem was disease. disease killed so many, it was hard to mount a successful resistance

@benroyce @csgraves @sendtherunners @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

Add John Brown to Rushmore.

@paninid @csgraves @sendtherunners @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

no

dynamite Stone Mountain in Georgia, with Confederate assholes on it

put John Brown there

@benroyce @csgraves @sendtherunners @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

“Don’t argue with folks John Brown would have shot.”

@paninid @csgraves @sendtherunners @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

nah, in bleeding kansas, brown and his sons preferred hacking pro-slavery assholes to death with broadswords

@benroyce @csgraves @sendtherunners @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

@paninid @csgraves @sendtherunners @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

we owe our Constitution (now being destroyed by orange turd) to the checks and balances govt system of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois)

who says? me?

no, Congress:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/100th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/331

@paninid @benroyce @sendtherunners @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake yes they did. And yet they learned nothing.

@paninid @benroyce @csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

An alternate version of that slogan would be "proudly barbaric."

Appreciate you, brother. This is all friendly banter before a high stakes hockey game tonight...

@sendtherunners @benroyce @csgraves @RoguePlayer @tinydoctor @sirjofri @Nigel_Lake

I mean, don’t get stuck sitting next to the truckers from the convoy 😉

@paninid
To actually put the second point in context: I think people should pay attention to the fediverse as a whole huge social network. They don't need to pay attention to every single instance of bubble, but to the network as a whole.
@benroyce

@sirjofri @paninid

mastodon's like real life social life, in that it's *social*: people are different. different standards of social interaction, different interests, and they form into groups

as opposed to plastic "social" monocultures of centralized corporate social media. which you would think people would break from, have an uneasy reaction to. instead, many conform themselves to the corporate product, become a corporate product. bizarre

@mastodonmigration sadly, Even a guy in a motorized wheelchair with Parkinson's Plus can spin up an instance and be linked to hundreds of thousands of active users without the reliance of venture capital.

@benroyce

@paul @mastodonmigration

at first i was like "what are you talking about?"

and i finally looked at the profile pic

that's you 😁

😤

@benroyce 😂 @mastodonmigration