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Top-level
 Answering more of the pushback: “I’m too tired to try something new.” We’re all tired—but Big Social depends on your fatigue to lock you into their services. “There’s no mobile app.” Turn the website into mobile app by adding it to your Home Screen. “It’s too hard to try other Fediverse apps.” That’s what people said about Mastodon, yet you’re here. “You shouldn’t shame people for not trying the rest of the Fediverse.” It’s not shame to let you know the risks of re-centralization. 39 comments
Addressing further pushback: “I only ever used Twitter for social media. Why would I use anything on the Fediverse besides Mastodon?” That’s not true. I guarantee you’ve sent notes, chatted, participated in events, shared images and videos—with family and friends. All of that is social media, all which can be improved with Fediverse technology. It’s time to think beyond Twitter-like services. “What’s the end game here?” To make social media that benefits all of us—not just billionaires. I know so many of you just came to the Fediverse to escape Elon Musk. But what if you could escape Mark Zuckerberg too? And not just Musk and Zuckerberg, but all the VCs that fund their shenanigans too? Let’s think bigger than Twitter. Let’s take down Big Social. Don’t just prune Big Social’s branches, pull it out by its roots. @atomicpoet I am dying for easier onboarding to convince the masses to leave walled gardens! I really do believe that continued support for Big Social inevitably helps create the conditions for Fascism. And that support for the Fediverse preserves democracy. I’ve got pushback for the notion. A lot of people don’t like idea their Twitter account assists the cause of Fascism. But what gives Elon Musk his power? Claims of reach. What diminishes his power? Reducing his reach. Stop using Twitter and thwart Fascism! As I said, though, it’s not enough to stop Elon Musk. We must stop predatory surveillance capitalism from exploiting our lives. “They” say personal data is the new oil. Think about it. Surveillance capitalists see you merely as a resource for profiteering. Or in Mark Zuckerberg’s words, they see us as “dumb f*cks”. I don’t know about you, but I refuse to be a dumb f*ck. Some people believe social media is silly and inconsequential. On the contrary, it’s the most serious and consequential technology of our generation. It can give opportunity or destroy it. It can preserve democracy or destroy it. It can save lives or destroy it. But it’s up to us to say, “I’m going to use social media for good, not evil.” Some nihilists continue to say, “But if you build the Fediverse, surveillance capitalists will just exploit it for themselves.” Maybe, but that’s not inevitable. And it’s only inevitable if you resign yourself to doom and gloom. Guess what? Doom and gloom doesn’t usually win. If that were true, the Internet itself would be some mega corporation’s proprietary technology. But it is not. A true digital commons can win.  @atomicpoet On twitter I became all doom and gloom. Here, I see so much possibility and my optimism is slowly returning. @atomicpoet Exactly, a true digital commons can and probably will win eventually. The fediverse can be the real town square that Elon Musk pretended he wanted Twitter to be. Truth is, no matter how well-meaning, a centralized social network owns your social life. They own your social graph, the posts and the experience. A new owner or changing business needs can and will break everything eventually. @atomicpoet @atomicpoet my main issue is who is excluded by social media. That'll be women, black and brown people, poor people, people with disabilities etc. So many people, myself included, quiet quit social media in the last few years, it felt increasing unsafe for me. My controversial solution would be to end anonymity online. @atomicpoet In case Folks don't know what Surveillance Capitalism is. https://youtu.be/hIXhnWUmMvw @atomicpoet  @atomicpoet the world is run by Disney villains, and so we can blame it all on Trump or Putin. Installing grapheneOS or using Linux is too much effort, so I'd rather throw the middle finger at capitalism on my iPhone and post it on Twitter. Yeah baby it's time for the revolution. Support Ukraine save the Uighurs I'm with her People who write books about social change for mutual good, but then only promote them on Twitter... ...only want to sell books... ...not change society for the mutual good.  @atomicpoet The problem with for-profit social media is that moderation is an added expense. Even Reddit with its thousands of volunteer moderators has to have administrators step in when things get out of hand. They have too often been slow to remove racist and misogynistic subreddits. Mastodon seems to work because any administrator can quickly choose to isolate misbehaving servers. And people will move to the moderation they are comfortable with. @atomicpoet Not I. I’ve been trying for 5+ years to find a happier / more communicative place than Faceboob & Instaglam. (None of the others counted in any useful ways over the last 15 years.) @atomicpoet one of the things I learned about coming to Mastodon last year, is that I didn’t need so many social networks. Deleted Twitter, Instagram, Whastapp and Facebook, LinkedIn. Then I learned I didn’t need replacements. I enjoy my family and friends in person. Talk to strangers here and take pictures for me at Pixelfed. The value I got from the Fediverse is not to try all the things, but been able to move somewhere else if Mastodon/Pixelfed or else stop being my thing.  @atomicpoet @atomicpoet @atomicpoet The problem is transitioning <<everybody>>, not just those for whom it's a no-brainer. @atomicpoet @atomicpoet I am so glad I never started using fb/meta. In the not too distant future I’ll retire and get rid of LinkedIn, and that leaves me with Mastodon and Discord.  “Turn the website into mobile app by adding it to your Home Screen.” This is how I use it. It’s not perfect but works for me. @atomicpoet Maybe you should write (or find, if you can) some nice how-to articles for getting on other fediverse platforms, with links/screenshots, clients, & some actual instances that can be joined (it's easy to find Mastodon instances & there are tons of how-to's for using it, but almost nothing for the rest of the fediverse. Then when you post all these threads urging people to use them, you can provide actual practical help. That would accomplish a lot more than just telling ppl to do it. @leadore I’ve done that. And you know what? Makes no difference. It’s a lot of work for nothing. |
Gregory's Server
@atomicpoet I just started a Pixelfed.art account, it’s nice, but very quiet. I think someone with a background in graphic design needs to make a landing page explainer for the #fediverse and show off the options, what they can do, and simple sign up instructions. I’m a firm believer in easy to understand documentation and right now the #fediverse relies mostly on word of mouth.