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Shoq

We are at most, a few months away from apps with content and sharing mechanisms just not possible on Twitter or other centralized, closed-source platforms. That's when the momentum will really start to build for Activitypub and other protocols supporting federated networks. We have stop talking about it being a twitter "alternative" and start talking about is as an evolutionary step forward in global social networking. Because that's what it is.

8 Jan 2023 at 20:39 | Open on mastodon.social
48 comments
Shoq

When you can get content and engagement here that you cannot get there, that's when we'll shake things up and the old-school twitter model will start to feel stilted and dull.

8 Jan 2023 at 20:42 | Open on mastodon.social
ShredderFeeder

@shoq I think that because of people and organizations being able to curate their own local instances this will be a lot more common.

I can't wait to see if any momentum comes of the suggestion to allow people to follow another server's entire local timeline. I'd love to be able to follow *@nasa.social for instance.

8 Jan 2023 at 20:52 | Open on shredderfood.com
unusualplan

@ShredderFeeder
FYI following another server's local timeline is already possible in Fedilab (@apps) on Android. Works really well!
@shoq

9 Jan 2023 at 1:43 | Open on mastodon.online
Shoq
unusualplan

@shoq
I'm not sure I understand the question exactly. This is the workflow and final result in the app. Happy to answer any questions.
@ShredderFeeder @apps
9 Jan 2023 at 1:54 | Open on mastodon.online
Shoq

@unusualplan Do you have to belong to each instance you can see? I assume not, but just checking.

9 Jan 2023 at 1:58 | Open on mastodon.social
unusualplan

@shoq
No, you do not need to belong to those instances.

9 Jan 2023 at 1:59 | Open on mastodon.online
Shoq

@unusualplan Do you find yourself using it much? So many of the bigger instances are so general, I am not sure just what value it brings (except for the relatively small and topically focused communities)

9 Jan 2023 at 2:07 | Open on mastodon.social
unusualplan

@shoq
I use it in only two cases

1: a music band-specific instance with 350 members. It's mostly on topic or close enough, has members I know ex-Twitter. I read it regularly.

2. Journa.host. Only dip in occasionally, usually when there's a big news event and my regular timeline isn't keeping up with my new news addiction :-) I have used it also to find new journalists to follow in my Home.

In general, though, I agree with you that most local timelines aren't helpful to follow.

@shoq
I use it in only two cases

1: a music band-specific instance with 350 members. It's mostly on topic or close enough, has members I know ex-Twitter. I read it regularly.

2. Journa.host. Only dip in occasionally, usually when there's a big news event and my regular timeline isn't keeping up with my new news addiction :-) I have used it also to find new journalists to follow in my Home.

9 Jan 2023 at 3:34 | Open on mastodon.online
The Febrile Muse

@unusualplan
newsie.social also pretty good to follow.
@shoq

9 Jan 2023 at 3:57 | Open on masto.ai
Brewster Brownville replied to The Febrile Muse

@shoq @CMDoran @unusualplan is it possible to follow that with the Metatext app?

9 Jan 2023 at 4:02 | Open on toad.social
unusualplan replied to Brewster Brownville

@brewster
I don't know that app personally, as I'm on Android. There's a Google Sheet comparison of features across all platforms that I can't locate but has been posted here.
@shoq @CMDoran

9 Jan 2023 at 4:09 | Open on mastodon.online
The Febrile Muse replied to Brewster Brownville

@brewster
Idk abt metatext, but can in Fedilab. What it looks like:
@shoq @unusualplan
9 Jan 2023 at 4:12 | Open on masto.ai
ShredderFeeder

@unusualplan @apps @shoq I hate apps. I prefer the web-based experience.

9 Jan 2023 at 4:49 | Open on shredderfood.com
Kitchen Priestess (she/her)

@shoq I hope so. But it only stays free as long as enough people donate to the admins. How can we make sure that's happening?

8 Jan 2023 at 20:45 | Open on universeodon.com
lizzzzard

@ShekinahCanCook @shoq you pay either way. Either with your data, or you pitch in to pay the server costs.

9 Jan 2023 at 5:07 | Open on social.tchncs.de
Jonathan Glick

@shoq It is (maybe ironically) a step forward that could be plausibly dubbed ‘Web3.’

8 Jan 2023 at 20:46 | Open on mstdn.social
Levi Sauerbrei
@ShekinahCanCook I think a more important question is "How do we keep it at a grassroots level"? I can run my own instance for less than Twitter Blue would cost me. Ignoring the technical know-how required, I've been wondering why Twitter doesn't just set up their own instance, bridge the two services and effectively monopolize the #fediverse. Or why doesn't Disney? Or AT&T? Or any of the existing corporate monoliths? The Fediverse will always be free, in the way the internet itself has always been free. But corporations will eventually figure out how to drown out smaller voices. And then we start the battle over again.
@shoq @jeffjarvis
@ShekinahCanCook I think a more important question is "How do we keep it at a grassroots level"? I can run my own instance for less than Twitter Blue would cost me. Ignoring the technical know-how required, I've been wondering why Twitter doesn't just set up their own instance, bridge the two services and effectively monopolize the
8 Jan 2023 at 21:46 | Open on social.nerdbutler.com
Toot Suite, Rodney 💨

@shoq What's gonna happen to the jobs of all those lasses that man the switchboards?

8 Jan 2023 at 22:39 | Open on mastodon.social
Don Cooley

@shoq
Yes!
The bird app is a toy for exchanging cat & dog pictures & telling other kids you are at the mall.
That it ever got adopted as a tool for serious communication by governments, corporations, & politicians is absurd. Decent publishing tools for presenting information in an organized, instructive format got abandoned for 140 char sound bites. They added threading, increased message size but those were desperate attempts to be marginally serious in an otherwise sophisticated world.
#🐔💩

8 Jan 2023 at 22:57 | Open on mastodon.world
Cykonot

@shoq ActivityPub goes brrrrr

9 Jan 2023 at 0:09 | Open on mas.to
Mike 🍁

@shoq Are there any of those so far you know of?

9 Jan 2023 at 0:11 | Open on ottawa.place
Shoq

@ravensview Besides my 2, 1 other. But by conservative extrapolation, I figure that means dozens are out there. At least.

9 Jan 2023 at 0:19 | Open on mastodon.social
Mike 🍁

@shoq Will be interesting to hear about them when released.

9 Jan 2023 at 0:53 | Open on ottawa.place
MWT

@shoq I'll look forward to the moment when I can replace Facebook.

9 Jan 2023 at 0:54 | Open on mastodon.nz
Maureen Ogle
ElleDawgg (She/Her)

@shoq
This is perfectly said! This is different! We are building something new. The way the internet was supposed to be…..free from the whims of billionaires 🥰🥰🥰🥰

9 Jan 2023 at 2:33 | Open on universeodon.com
Ericka Simone

@shoq twitter could never do what this place is set up to on its best day.

9 Jan 2023 at 3:04 | Open on mastodon.social
Boomerporkchop
Paranoid Factoid

@shoq

Why is anyone using an app to access a #freesoftware project like #Mastodon that's free and doesn't track users or violate #privacy?

Wouldn't it make more sense to focus that effort on #mobileweb and let everyone use the same interface regardless of platform? The way the web intended.

9 Jan 2023 at 4:01 | Open on mastodon.social
Éamonn

@ParanoidFactoid @shoq The individual web UIs of the Mastodon servers will probably never be able to fix the cross-server follow/boost/like usability barriers that exist now, because of cross-server web/JavaScript security barriers.

Native third-party apps don't have these restrictions.

Though, as a compromise maybe third-party web apps like Pinafore or Elk, can also solve these problems.

9 Jan 2023 at 4:34 | Open on social.coop
Paranoid Factoid

@eob @shoq

I don't understand this argument. Are you speaking specifically to mobile browser implementations differing from desktop?

9 Jan 2023 at 4:44 | Open on mastodon.social
joeldebruijn

@ParanoidFactoid @eob @shoq
No is a browser thing in general.
If I click a profile on another instance I cant follow because I am not logged in there.

9 Jan 2023 at 5:24 | Open on fosstodon.org
Paranoid Factoid

@joeldebruijn @eob @shoq

Wait. I'm on Mastodon.social. if I load the url:

Https://Fosston.org/joeldebrui

I will not be logged in at Fosston.org and will be unable to follow. Correct?

But if I load:

Https://mastodon.social/@joeld

I will get your profile and I can follow from my home server.

What's the problem?

9 Jan 2023 at 5:36 | Open on mastodon.social
Paranoid Factoid

@joeldebruijn @eob @shoq

Also:

Kerberos single sign on, problem solved.

9 Jan 2023 at 5:37 | Open on mastodon.social
Éamonn

@ParanoidFactoid @shoq Both mobile and desktop browsers have the same restrictions. In general they store data for each web site separately in a way that makes it hard to write browser-only apps that seamlessly talk to multiple web sites.

Because each Mastodon server's built-in web UI is at a different web site, it is hard to create frictionless user flows that span across different Mastodon servers.

9 Jan 2023 at 5:41 | Open on social.coop
R Provost, PhD

@shoq
Will it meet the requirements of journalists? They join, try to operate here, struggle and then leave behind static accounts.

9 Jan 2023 at 4:11 | Open on sfba.social
Jared Schreiber :verified:

@shoq what sorts of fediverse apps would you like to see that don’t already exist?

9 Jan 2023 at 5:00 | Open on awscommunity.social
joeldebruijn

@jaredkschreiber @shoq
I would like apps to
- open links to other instances in the app instead of opening new browser tabs.
- retrieve whole threads after tapping a topic start.

9 Jan 2023 at 5:21 | Open on fosstodon.org
Flaming Cheeto
Brexton 🌹

@shoq A lot of people (myself included) don't want a new network, we want a Twitter replacement. Imo Twitter lasted so long because the formula was so good. Short messages, broadcast to everyone, allowing replies that are equal to posts (in terms of replying, retweeting, etc.).

I don't care about the future of social networking, I've only ever extensively used Twitter because it's better for me.

9 Jan 2023 at 5:03 | Open on mastodon.social
CaliCarol

@shoq I know very, very little about these matters. A very simple user of modern tech. But even I can feel that this is right. It's funny. The baddies thought that destroying Alderaan (twitter) was the end of it but the resistance has atomized. #fediverse

9 Jan 2023 at 5:12 | Open on mastodon.online
zeruch

@shoq I don't disagree, but that means some kind of "alternative" to the "Alternative to twitter" use case needs to start being broadcast. Something pithy that folks can grasp (read: tech journalism can't casually malign due to status quo relationships and more general audiences can wrap their heads around with a de minimus of effort).

Not impossible, but I'd argue still not facile.

9 Jan 2023 at 5:26 | Open on mastodon.social
oshy

@shoq What do you mean by sharing mechanisms?

9 Jan 2023 at 5:31 | Open on raru.re
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