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I am @humanetech at Mastodon, #FOSS and #Fediverse advocate, mod at SocialHub, and facilitator of Humane Tech Community.
I help fight tech harms and "Promote Solutions that Improve Wellbeing, Freedom and Society".
If you don't mind, I delete this post again. This is not a community for such tests, there may be a Lemmy-related one that's better suited.
Adding reference to HN submission of this article. Discussion thus far has 233 comments.
I maintain some lists too, PR's welcome:
Have a look at #flohmarkt, federated decentral classified ad software using #activitypub: https://codeberg.org/grindhold/flohmarkt By @[email protected]
Remember what happened with the Tower of Babel? Same type of deal.
![God Did the World a Favor by Destroying Twitter](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/f15fff3d-210b-4e7b-8bab-2983c9c93f11.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
Found via @[email protected]'s toot:
>My reaction reading the following quote from #Wired... > >"The #Fediverse apps are all built on a set of rules called the #ActivityPub standard, which is a little like HTML had sex with a calendar invite. It’s a content polycule. The questions it evokes are the same as with any polycule: What are the rules? How big can this get? Who will create the chore chart?"
Threads’ no-go in the EU shows the need for increased regulation, transparency, and protection of user data
![Why isn't Threads in the EU? The app tests the bloc's new privacy law](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/e2fa4820-bc24-4c62-a740-fddaabe82924.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
Found via @[email protected]:
>When Meta finally gets serious about entering the EU is the time they'll get serious about #ActivityPub. > >"The #EU’s #DigitalMarketsAct (DMA) is a 2022 legislation that regulates the digital market competition in the region. It prevents #TechGiants (#Meta, #Amazon, #Apple, and #Google) from cornering the market of a specific product or service, and allows smaller companies to compete against them." > >Why isn't #Threads in the EU? The app tests the bloc's new #PrivacyLaw
Oh, that kind is good. Constructive feedback is very valuable. But the fediverse is full of people dropping derogatory sarcastic comments or even reacting in rage, that aren't helpful in the slightest. I should've made that clearer in my first comment.
There's no responsibility at all. There's also full freedom to complain however you wish. If you do that on someone's free work with which they try to help others, it just doesn't look very good on you. That's all.
Dating-like apps come up in fedi discussions quite often. They have interesting aspects, for instance where obviously privacy is a big concern and where current generation of federated apps aren't adequate for dating. And how do communities / instances establish their trustworthiness? There are kinds of 'dating' were the requirements can be less severe. Like "Meet new Friends" kind of services where e.g. you seek folks for collaborative gameplay in some MMORPG or something.
One thing I don't get. Among the gazilion "Oh, it is sooo easy to do this better" complainers are countless developers and designers. This whole Mastodon thing is Free Software, where countless people spent some of their free time and energy to give you what there is today. Complainer devs and UX folks, are your PR's getting rejected?
David Revoy's take on Meta coming to fedi
Attaché : 1 image Meta: "MAY I JOIN YOU?" #meta #fediverse #MastoArt #krita #HumanMade
![David Revoy (@davidrevoy@framapiaf.org)](https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/5321fe9d-74d8-4a44-a77b-8f8cf3ffe5f4.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
Well, you are a Person too in this Peopleverse. If that's your preference, that's perfectly fine and a valid coice. Whatever enriches your life!
Towards a #Peopleverse
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/1230183
> Just gave my satyrical take on The Splinterverse. Grassroots movements adopt an implicit "Divided we will be conquered" approach, where big corporate newcomers can easily disrupt with Big Marketing™ followed by an Eternal September by their user influx to the Fediverse. The Muskening™ already gave a taste of that. > > Currently new channels are abuzz with the Reddit shenanigans, and there's potential for another influx. People are inventing names like "threadiverse" for forum-like federated apps. There's a broader vibe where people come to the realization that enshittification on proprietary walled garden platforms is inevitable, and that the old web is re-emerging with blogs and webrings. And the heterogenous Social Web with countless alternative federated/decentralized apps where there isn't a single gatekeeper. That opportunity certainly exists (as Meta likely know all too wel also). > > The common name that has stuck is "Fediverse", or affectionally spoken the "fedi". Many say it is a bad name, and maybe it is. It is a name you get used to, though, and it is not easy at all to introduce a new name in a grassroots movement. > > But that is NOT what I find important at all .. > > The Fediverse has slowly matured during many years. That slow growth has shaped an all-important aspect: A vibrant culture. This is what all growth-hacking enterpreneurial minds easily overlook. There have been a shit ton of social media launched.. and failed. The big ones we have have their solid position with FOMO and network effects. Those who say social media is easy have survivorship bias. > > "It is the culture that matters, stupid!" > > I love all the quirky aspects of the Fediverse. The diversity and inclusion. The weird angles. And also, weirdly enough.. the friction. Friction to get on the Fediverse has also served as a filter. We now have 'competitor' decentralized social networks with Nostr and Bluesky. "Nostr is developing way faster.. come to us!" --> This is a purely technical viewpoint. Wait till you see what culture that creates. Technical buzzwords like "encryption", "censorship-resistance", "micropayment", etc. that seem like features may see all the wrong types being attracted to those networks. > > What I feel is the biggest thing that is missing on the Fediverse is a shared vision, a common notion of where we are headed, where the potential of the Fediverse is, what we might achieve collectively. > > It is "App focus". App app app app app ... Apps are siloes! > > Related to "marketing against Meta" it was asked "Where is the Mastodon branding agency?" --> They branded an app, not an ecosystem / online environment. And them being successful means we have this big confusion now, where people "Join the Mastodon". We should get rid of app focus. > > The vision that appeals to me, and I am advocating for quite a while is that of a Peopleverse to emerge. > > - Fediverse (technical) --> Peopleverse (social) > > The Peopleverse is NOT a name.. it is an abstract idea, a vision of how things might be. The Peopleverse is where people find value online. Where they interact with others in a way that is enriching to their lives. It is where online and offline worlds are seamlessly intertwined. > > Considered like that means that this Peopleverse will also have implications for the technical perspective, when looking at the Fediverse technology landscape and ecosystem. It highlights the amount of socio-technological support that is needed. It highlights a technology vision that encompasses the Fediverse's full potential.
Towards a #Peopleverse
Just gave my satyrical take on The Splinterverse. Grassroots movements adopt an implicit "Divided we will be conquered" approach, where big corporate newcomers can easily disrupt with Big Marketing™ followed by an Eternal September by their user influx to the Fediverse. The Muskening™ already gave a taste of that.
Currently new channels are abuzz with the Reddit shenanigans, and there's potential for another influx. People are inventing names like "threadiverse" for forum-like federated apps. There's a broader vibe where people come to the realization that enshittification on proprietary walled garden platforms is inevitable, and that the old web is re-emerging with blogs and webrings. And the heterogenous Social Web with countless alternative federated/decentralized apps where there isn't a single gatekeeper. That opportunity certainly exists (as Meta likely know all too wel also).
The common name that has stuck is "Fediverse", or affectionally spoken the "fedi". Many say it is a bad name, and maybe it is. It is a name you get used to, though, and it is not easy at all to introduce a new name in a grassroots movement.
But that is NOT what I find important at all ..
The Fediverse has slowly matured during many years. That slow growth has shaped an all-important aspect: A vibrant culture. This is what all growth-hacking enterpreneurial minds easily overlook. There have been a shit ton of social media launched.. and failed. The big ones we have have their solid position with FOMO and network effects. Those who say social media is easy have survivorship bias.
"It is the culture that matters, stupid!"
I love all the quirky aspects of the Fediverse. The diversity and inclusion. The weird angles. And also, weirdly enough.. the friction. Friction to get on the Fediverse has also served as a filter. We now have 'competitor' decentralized social networks with Nostr and Bluesky. "Nostr is developing way faster.. come to us!" --> This is a purely technical viewpoint. Wait till you see what culture that creates. Technical buzzwords like "encryption", "censorship-resistance", "micropayment", etc. that seem like features may see all the wrong types being attracted to those networks.
What I feel is the biggest thing that is missing on the Fediverse is a shared vision, a common notion of where we are headed, where the potential of the Fediverse is, what we might achieve collectively.
It is "App focus". App app app app app ... Apps are siloes!
Related to "marketing against Meta" it was asked "Where is the Mastodon branding agency?" --> They branded an app, not an ecosystem / online environment. And them being successful means we have this big confusion now, where people "Join the Mastodon". We should get rid of app focus.
The vision that appeals to me, and I am advocating for quite a while is that of a Peopleverse to emerge.
- Fediverse (technical) --> Peopleverse (social)
The Peopleverse is NOT a name.. it is an abstract idea, a vision of how things might be. The Peopleverse is where people find value online. Where they interact with others in a way that is enriching to their lives. It is where online and offline worlds are seamlessly intertwined.
Considered like that means that this Peopleverse will also have implications for the technical perspective, when looking at the Fediverse technology landscape and ecosystem. It highlights the amount of socio-technological support that is needed. It highlights a technology vision that encompasses the Fediverse's full potential.
Introducing the #Splinterverse
"Hey, are you on Mastodon?"
"I joined The Mastadon network if that's what ya mean."
"Wait an instance. You are both using the Fediverse protocol."
"Ha. Well.. I joined the Threadiverse and like that way better."
"Is Lemmyverse connected to that?"
"Dunno. Let's ask at ActivityPub."
"Yay, beer 🍻 It is Friday."
"ActivityPub isn't a real pub, it is a community of sorts."
"Hi there.. dialing in from the #Pixieverse 👋 Can you see me?"
#Fediverse #ActivityPub #Threadiverse #Mastadon #TheMastodon #Lemmyverse #Pixieverse #Vidiverse #Web69
Who helps organize the next Fediverse conference?
Attn Fedizens.. In the past several great #Fediverse conferences were organized. The last one was in 2020 and the great talks are online on #Peertube at https://conf.tube/c/apconf_channel/videos?s=1 Now there's another call for volunteers who'd like to organize the next #Conference 💥 An initiati...
You can help by boosting my toot, but when offering help, the SocialHub forum discussion is the best place to do so.
That second comment by goplayoutside says it well: "Maybe the modest technical hurdles are a feature, not a bug."
I think it is a feature, and the same is true for Mastodon and the Fediverse as a whole, imho.
Reddit perma-banning account promoting Lemmy has Streisand effect
As Reddit's enshittification reaches new heights their attempts to suppress attention for alternatives, like federated Lemmy, has the opposite effect as this Hacker News discussion shows.
FEP-f1d5: NodeInfo in Fediverse Software is now FINAL
source: https://codeberg.org/fediverse/fep/src/branch/main/feps/fep-f1d5.md (Previously WITHDRAWN from https://git.activitypub.dev/ActivityPubDev/Fediverse-Enhancement-Proposals/src/branch/main/feps/fep-f1d5.md) authors: @cjs , @silverpill status: FINAL dateReceived: 2020-12-13 discussionsTo...
![FEP-f1d5: NodeInfo in Fediverse Software](https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/09c9199e-5c24-426e-b07e-7e75a5a2bece.png?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
Will Forge Federation turn the tide of One-Stop-Shop Software Development?
In "Proprietary stuff that nonetheless many devs use on a whim" news: Will folks at #Microsoft #Github get a cold sweat when thinking of https://replit.com breadth of services and #UX? In "Hey there, #FOSS is the future" news: Will arbitrary devs fall for the argument they better use a patchwork ...
Copying some of my thoughts from forge federation chatroom:
---
Hmm, I have bumped into repl.it in the past, marked it as "interesting" for myself, and moved on. Yesterday https://replit.com became the hot thing on HN (though on AI topics). Just again navigating the site now.. and here we see another platform operating on a breadth of services, that may just give Github folks a cold sweat. It is not all smooth.. there are quirks in the site. But they are highly innovative, it shows. And apparently raking in investment money. Here we have another one-stop-shop integrated experience offering "Help with Software Development". I wonder what this disruptive trend will mean for FOSS code forges in the future.
We are moving towards this:
- Most devs: "We develop in Github / Replit / JetBrains / Gitlab.. it great. Highly productive."
- FOSS folks: "Use our tools. We have a huge patchwork of them, and you must configure them all, copy/paste between, have manual processes, and who needs that slick UX, right?"
(Actually this is already the current situation)
The tagline on Replit is interesting (highlight mine): "Build software collaboratively with the power of AI, on any device, without spending a second on setup"
We are so used to the way we develop software now, that we think that setting all the infra, CI, docker/k8s, what-have-you, and then configuring/tweaking, documenting it in README and Docs comes with the job. Well, it does not. It is a huge time-waster and the low-hanging fruit of increasing productivity. Any platform that removes all that from the picture, turned into some point-and-click UI, selecting from a marketplace of dev environments, etc. will give any manager 🤩 eyes.. and competitive advantage. And that's only the start. There's so many other common chores to be taken out of the equation on one-stop-shop automated online platforms.
In this trend I also expect Git to die eventually. It is very powerful tool, and lovely to do common things. But devs hate it when more advanced Git things need to be done. In the one-stop-shop future, git is implementation detail abstracted away deep in the platform. You don't need to be aware of it, even when developing locally offline. Because you will do that based on a full-blown "dev environment" package that you obtain from the platform.
-
"I want to develop offline" --> sync local all-in dev package --> start package, code in package's IDE offline --> syncs back automatically when online again.
-
"I want to contribute to this other project with other infra/techstack" --> click & code --> done.
I might also highlight the "collaboratively" in the same tagline. Replit already offers collaborative coding where - similar to Google Docs - you see the other people's cursor and activities. But this collaboration will of course be scaled to include the needs of any type of stakeholder involved in the Software Development process. That this will happen is a no-brainer. Most software projects fail because of all the handovers between stakeholders with poor collab and communication barriers. The idea behind Social Coding and the Free Software Development Lifecycle (FSDL), is that we in the Free Software movement should spend time to fill the gaps in this regard, where the FOSS movement is even weaker than corporate IT world with our tech-mostly focus.
From Splinterverse to resilient GrassrootsFedi dev community: The time is now!
“Any decentralized [ecosystem] requires a centralized substrate, and the more decentralized the approach is the more important it is that you can count on the underlying system.” — Byrne Hobart. The Promise and Paradox of Decentralization Fediverse has gained critical mass. The ecosystem is going...
![Ideating organization structure for the Grassroots Fediverse (wiki)](https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/e400dbe7-c89d-4dbd-ac8c-9d796b6e352b.png?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/952618
> Fediverse is going mainstream fast. And it is going to be a corporate hellhole if the grassroots initiatives that drove it to its current success are losing their grip on evolution in proper direction: Humane tech that is to the benefit of the people andd society, free culture thriving. > > While corporate threads are looming, meanwhile the activated developer community is once again splintering, fragmenting initiatives appearing that dilute attention to focus on common efforts, cohesion, cross-pollination and collaboration. The "herding cats" problem of grassroots movements. > > Great opportunity is now. Cohesion means that initiatives remain independent, but take care to coordinate with what is going on elsewhere. > > 👉 You can help! Avoid a CorporaVerse where you are exploited and milked. Bring attention to the opportunity and participate in the related initiatives to help bring them closer together. You might also boost my related toot.
From Splinterverse to resilient GrassrootsFedi dev community: The time is now!
“Any decentralized [ecosystem] requires a centralized substrate, and the more decentralized the approach is the more important it is that you can count on the underlying system.” — Byrne Hobart. The Promise and Paradox of Decentralization Fediverse has gained critical mass. The ecosystem is going...
Fediverse is going mainstream fast. And it is going to be a corporate hellhole if the grassroots initiatives that drove it to its current success are losing their grip on evolution in proper direction: Humane tech that is to the benefit of the people andd society, free culture thriving.
While corporate threads are looming, meanwhile the activated developer community is once again splintering, fragmenting initiatives appearing that dilute attention to focus on common efforts, cohesion, cross-pollination and collaboration. The "herding cats" problem of grassroots movements.
Great opportunity is now. Cohesion means that initiatives remain independent, but take care to coordinate with what is going on elsewhere.
👉 You can help! Avoid a CorporaVerse where you are exploited and milked. Bring attention to the opportunity and participate in the related initiatives to help bring them closer together. You might also boost my related toot.
It is an exciting time to be building in the Fediverse! I've been doing a lot of thinking lately...
SocialHub has an association with the W3C Social Web Incubator Community Group (SWICG). The SWICG is a continuation of the Working Group that standardized ActivityPub as a W3C Recommendation. So technically this organization exists.
In practice it is really hard to organize in an all-volunteer grassroots movement, and many people for various reasons don't like to participate in such organization. "Herding cats" is a term that is used. Being grassroots has pros (resilience) and cons (stalled evolution). Personally I have come to think that decentralized development of the Fediverse probably works best when it is split into different domains (e.g. Microblogging, Podcasting, etc.) as long as there's also a community working on the core common denominator in the protocol. That is currently the SocialHub and Fediverse Enhancement Proposal process.
Fediverse is going mainstream. To many people’s delight and to some people’s worry. Where is fedi going? For developers in general these are good times. Countless projects are announced and the ecosystem is booming. The more the merrier, and what a fun time to be part of it, right? However, for fr...
![Please promote your SocialHub. It is important!](https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/6018c1a6-981e-4315-8ba1-11b3119ec0a6.png?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
With Fediverse going mainstream and corporate interests aplenty, it is very important to promote SocialHub and the FEP process, so that there's higher chance of keeping the fedi open and accessible to anyone. Anyone can help in this regard.
https://codeberg.org/fediverse/fep
https://socialhub.activitypub.rocks
There are a couple share project listed on https://delightful.club/delightful-activitypub-development/
Contribute to Fediverse curated lists of the Delightful Club
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/639707
> The Fediverse going mainstream is ablaze with new developer activities. Many new projects are starting. I am co-maintaining 3 lists, part of the delightful project (this is similar to Github Awesome lists, but only for FOSS, Open Data and Open Science, and without sponsored ads) and can need your help to keep the lists up-to-date. > > Find a new project or an entry that needs updating? Please PR to one of the following repositories: > > - https://codeberg.org/fediverse/delightful-fediverse-apps > - https://codeberg.org/fediverse/delightful-fediverse-clients > - https://codeberg.org/fediverse/delightful-activitypub-development > > The apps and ActivityPub resources from these lists will be hand-picked for inclusion in Fediverse Party website. And the lists are auto-compiled into the Delightful Club website. > > If you want to become part of the Delightful Club and maintain a sub-list on a subject of your choice, then file an issue to the top-level ist.
Contribute to Fediverse curated lists of the Delightful Club
The Fediverse going mainstream is ablaze with new developer activities. Many new projects are starting. I am co-maintaining 3 lists, part of the delightful project (this is similar to Github Awesome lists, but only for FOSS, Open Data and Open Science, and without sponsored ads) and can need your help to keep the lists up-to-date.
Find a new project or an entry that needs updating? Please PR to one of the following repositories:
- https://codeberg.org/fediverse/delightful-fediverse-apps
- https://codeberg.org/fediverse/delightful-fediverse-clients
- https://codeberg.org/fediverse/delightful-activitypub-development
The apps and ActivityPub resources from these lists will be hand-picked for inclusion in Fediverse Party website. And the lists are auto-compiled into the Delightful Club website.
If you want to become part of the Delightful Club and maintain a sub-list on a subject of your choice, then file an issue to the top-level ist.
⚠ Call to Action: Start Campaigning to #AvoidEternalSeptember
![](https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/68468b41-0b0b-4901-8b2c-ad606dc486ab.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=128)
![](https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/68468b41-0b0b-4901-8b2c-ad606dc486ab.jpeg?format=webp)
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/588553
> Eternal September is when influx from some other (often shittier and collapsing) platform overwhelms the unique culture that existed before, and in time fully replaces it. Destroying what existed before. > > 🧠 💭 Figure out strategies & actions in comments below .. participate! > > For example, I introduced 2 hashtags for awareness: > > - #AvoidEternalSeptember Raise attention to the culture clash. > - #DonateToFediInstances Help admins and moderators withstand the influx and give them your support. > > We want to be gentle, welcoming to newcomers. Show them around. But also keep having the nice chattering and culture we had before, and maybe give those some extra boosts to exemplify and spread the vibes. > > Here's a poll to make newcomers aware that taking Twitter culture with you on the Fediverse is just weird. > > ### Fedizens... Be strategical in how you toot to help avoid that from happening
⚠ Call to Action: Start Campaigning to #AvoidEternalSeptember
![](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/4f2357cc-0633-4500-9924-0710cee0bd9c.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=128)
![](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/4f2357cc-0633-4500-9924-0710cee0bd9c.jpeg?format=webp)
Eternal September is when influx from some other (often shittier and collapsing) platform overwhelms the unique culture that existed before, and in time fully replaces it. Destroying what existed before.
🧠 💭 Figure out strategies & actions in comments below .. participate!
For example, I introduced 2 hashtags for awareness:
- #AvoidEternalSeptember Raise attention to the culture clash.
- #DonateToFediInstances Help admins and moderators withstand the influx and give them your support.
We want to be gentle, welcoming to newcomers. Show them around. But also keep having the nice chattering and culture we had before, and maybe give those some extra boosts to exemplify and spread the vibes.
Here's a poll to make newcomers aware that taking Twitter culture with you on the Fediverse is just weird.
Fedizens... Be strategical in how you toot to help avoid that from happening
Open Letter to Gitea
The Gitea Community is asking Gitea Owners to correct conflicts of interest and restore Community Trust.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/568420
> In reaction to the surprise announcement of the creation of Gitea Ltd and the transfer of domains and trademark to this company, worried members of the Community have written an Open Letter to the elected Owners of the project. > > The request is to return the assets and manage them by a community-led non-profit organization and furthermore improve the community organization, so that the Trust and Health of the project is restored. > > The Open Letter can be signed by sending a PR to the Codeberg repository.
Open Letter to Gitea
The Gitea Community is asking Gitea Owners to correct conflicts of interest and restore Community Trust.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/568420
> In reaction to the surprise announcement of the creation of Gitea Ltd and the transfer of domains and trademark to this company, worried members of the Community have written an Open Letter to the elected Owners of the project. > > The request is to return the assets and manage them by a community-led non-profit organization and furthermore improve the community organization, so that the Trust and Health of the project is restored. > > The Open Letter can be signed by sending a PR to the Codeberg repository.