Very rough explanation:
An instance is just a single distinct computer (server) running the Lemmy software. You have a bunch of these separate computers running the Lemmy software. These computers - together - form the Lemmyverse. (I'm purposely leaving out Fediverse, activitypub).
Each user (no matter what computer/instance they signed up with) has the ability to comment on any post made within this system of cooperating computers (The Lemmyverse). We can also subscribed to each other's communities (ie; forums, subreddits).
That's basically it. The ability to share posts and to comment on each other's posts. You can't use your login details across Lemmyverse since each computer is distinct.
Some of these distinct computers may decide they don't want to be part of this Federation of cooperating computers. For the most part they can disengage from this Lemmyverse. For the most part... but the software is still on version (about) 0.18.2 and so complete (or temporary) disengagement from Lemmyverse is still in development (ie; coding, logic decisions, etc).
I can still remember running Windows 3.1 on my Windows 98 Pentium machine (booted into DOS 7.0). The sheer responsiveness... In a blink of an eye the system was ready, apps would open. The last time I felt this kind of responsive speed was running KolibriOS: http://www.kolibrios.org/en/
I've run plenty of low resource OSes/Distros on low-end hardware but... there's nothing sweeter than running low resource OSes on high end hardware - it feels like the future (the way it was suppose to be).
Google accomplished step 1 and they failed on step 2. So... no.
Facebook being the entrench monopoly and Google+ being the new competitor. Unlike Facebook, Google tried to bulldoze their way into a new market.
Instagram and Threads/Twitter have user bases of a similar mindset. Google never had a user base that was of a Facebook (social media) mindset - they have a ton of randos. They tried to convert these randos into real people (social media) by forcing the Real Name policy at the time (ie, bulldozing their way into a new market).
They think their failure with Google+ was because there was already a monopoly in place. Their failure was that they were trying to get one mindset interested in something completely different. Meta generally applies a similar formula - creating and cultivating the social media mindset. Each company (each new brand) adding to the whole. Their core users respond to the new companies because it's stuff they are already interested in. It worked like a charm with Threads.
The Metaverse was (too much) a departure from that mindset and we saw how badly that turned out (3 billion users or not). So Step 1, Step 2... sorry, no.
I think Google could follow this (meta) playbook and create new brand names (TikTok & On Demand Streaming) instead of hiding these services within the general Youtube brand. In the same way Meta just did with the Instagram to Threads conversion. I still think this was impressive and even moreso that they didn't let the Metaverse disaster make them timid (Like Google+ did with Google).
(edit: clarity)
Not a fan, at all, of Meta/Facebook but the way they rolled this out - by tying it to instagram - was/is impressive.
The other big tech firms are taking lots of notes - especially those that have big user bases. Because this is how you roll out a new competitor to an entrench monopoly.
the extension would be even more interesting if it could work on any link on the web:
A disqus replacement? Now that would be interesting indeed.
I don't think there's a single "main" computer anymore. My home computer is Linux Mint Cinnamon. My mobile computer (which I use nearly as much as my desktop OS) is Android.
My next smartphone is going to allow installing a privacy-respecting custom ROM (because Linux on mobile really isn't there yet). Once I do that, I'll focus on f-droid apps only. Something to look forward to.
Reddit used to be able to do two things. 1. Allow me to express myself and 2. Entertain. They really stopped entertaining me a long while ago. They also didn't engage me enough for me to want to express myself. I already had a foot out the door.
Point 1 is filled with Hacker News, Lemmy and tildes. They are all similar but different. With lemmy... you kind of take your shoes off and relax (respectfully). With HN and Tildes: you are the best version of yourself.
Point 2 is taken up by TikTok. I use TikTok on an older dedicated secondary tablet with a fake gmail account, no contacts. The tablet only does TikTok and nothing else in order to alleviate privacy issues, etc.
HN, Lemmy, tildes and TikTok provide an experience that far surpasses that of reddit.
I can't believe that with the API pricing the way it is, it's financially viable to continue developing this app. It only makes sense if Spez offered this (and some other developers) a backroom deal (complete with NDA).
Spez has shown himself to be a lying, vindictive douche. If he can make Christian Selig look bad (for exposing reddit and Spez himself for what he is), it's something he would appear to relish. The way Spez doubled-down on his vindictive and defamatory statements during the AMA just goes to show that there's no level he won't sink to.
Also, if the API pricing was lowered - it's a last minute sign of (quietly) back-tracking given the immense backlash it has caused.
The initial API pricing was meant to drive out all reddit clients. It seems to me that reddit clients still operating after July the 1st have received (much) lower API pricing (or are not being charged at all - in the case of RedReader). It's just too expensive otherwise.
Agreed. The only reason I found Liftoff was because of this post (List of lemmy apps): https://lemmy.ml/post/1466515
It still doesn't show up for me on when I'm on Google Play.
That, or Christian made a pretty expensive mistake...
I wouldn't put a lot pass /u/spez, including offering special deals on API pricing. Especially if he thinks it would make Christian Selig look bad.
It's precisely the kind of thing a lying, gaslighting and vindictive /u/spez would do.
I'm pretty sure it was 'Starship Troopers'.
My synopsis is that if any big corporations joined the Fediverse they would fracture it.
I'm not so sure. Facebook has an onion version that runs on the tor network. Big tech dominates the clear web but there's plenty of room for everyone else.
Ultimately you have user types. In a few more months, LemmyVerse could have a couple of million active users.
I'd bet the vast majority would scoff at a fediverse version of Facebook. It's just a different crowd - not unlike the tor network where Facebook (probably, maybe?) exists in nmae only.
The irony is that reddit is creating its own competition - when before there was nothing.
Back tracking a few years when digg began to self-destruct, reddit was, in fact, a viable competitor.
Reddit never had a competitor until reddit itself, through the sheer incompetence of its gaslighting CEO, forced the creation of multiple (now) viable competitors.
My sentiments exactly. I wonder what it's like for the reddit staff to work with such a gaslighting, condescending and deceitful boss.
We owe the Apollo dev a lot for shining a bright light at the leadership of reddit and specifically /u/spez.