Fediverse

the Fediverse really seems like it could be our response to these fuckers controlling the narrative on social media. It could be more than just an interesting decentralized social media platform. I really think this could be a key step in reclaiming our democracy.

Agreed, and I would add that finding ways to get nonprofit news organizations (e.g. ProPublica) and public media (e.g. NPR, PBS, etc.) to host and administer their own instances and to start directing their readers/listeners to those services would be a great way to advance this goal

Using the Fediverse feels like a small step in the right direction. Big changes are built on lots of small steps. I would say move in the direction of using the Fediverse more, the old alternatives less, and think of more small steps in the right direction you can do. I don't think just using the Fediverse is enough, but it is an important step to take. Keep going.

It's nice to see a significant portion of people (probably still not enough though) leave proprietary social media. Unfortunately, it took them extremely long to realize why that's a bad thing to use.

So that's one step in the right direction I guess.

On the other hand, there generally isn't much hope for humanity left because we haven't learned from past mistakes, haven't listened to science, and haven't ensured ourselves a decent future on this planet.

It gives me hope, but hope for a slightly better future; not for a cure for fundamental ills of online communities.

The response is to tune-in, turn-on, and drop-out.

Start making things from scratch. Stop buying shit.

Opt-out.

Nothing gives me hope these are the darkest times ever

Yes. The fediverse is a pretty difficult thing to be controlled by a single group: that's sorta the idea. I see it as almost a refuge from all the bullshit. The lack of ads, tracking, content farming, censorship and control etc is refreshing. Here's to hoping the fediverse continues to spread.

I'm just glad to be part of a community that seems to have some shread of human decency left. That's not all too common here in the States these days.

I like Fediverse because I get much better engagement with people here than anything else

It gives me hope. We have an opportunity to level the playing field. So much hope that I'm actually starting a show to try to help folks get to know people behind the Fediverse! I truly believe in it and hope we can claw back the internet from the tech giants.

Oh, no. Not at all. All hope is lost, this is just a comfortable place to die.

Having been around since the early days of identica/statusnet: no, not really.

It's always been small and a generally nice set of communities but it won't reach a large enough audience to matter. US (and to some degree) global politics are such a clusterfuck that it'll take more than some little servers with people discussing open source software and art or whatever to create substantial change.

that's not to say it's pointless. it's nice to have these little groups to focus on. it doesn't give me any hope but it does regulalry lift my spirits.

EDIT: I also dont think it needs to be any kind of agent or tool of change. Why can't it just be what it is? Groups of people socializing with one another?

Mark Zuckerburg was up there at the inauguration because he is one of the richest men alive, and he became so mostly because of the platforms he owns.

By using the Fediverse and not his platforms, I'm denying him revenue from ads and data, even if its an infinitely small amount.

Use open platforms, give your money to ethical businesses and keep it from these assholes. Money isn't the only way for someone to have power, but there's no denying that the net worth on that inauguration stage was the most concentrated anywhere on earth. Don't give them a cent more.

The Fedi is the only hope right now.

it does. as an mbin cheerleader, its heartwarming to see the disparate AP based servers communicating with my server. lemmy/friendica/mastodon etc.... knowing that no entity could control all those products. the key of course is the protocol and maintaining ActivityPub as functional, standardized service.

It seems like the only semi-viable alternative to oligarch run social networks.

I am not American, but the behaviour exhibited by oligarchs such as Zuckerberg/Musk (and these are just the ones that get in the news) is not at all surprising.

For me it does. I'm really enjoying Lemmy, and have curated a bunch of communities that I follow and participate in in a way that feels helpful, hopeful, and not toxic.

I don’t think you’re dramatic.

For me it’s about reclaiming my right to participate in online discourse on my own terms. In a way the fediverse is freedom.

I plan on trying to self host a mastodon instance for myself and rebuild my blogs.

I don’t think I’d ever want to self host a lemmy, I like being anonymous to a reasonable degree. But I like that lemmy lets me have a voice without acquiescence to reddits enshittification.

Also the community is largely great. I love the memes, I love the comments and discussions, and I like that I learn things from fellow internet users again.

In general yes, but I would prefer if it had a wider variety of viewpoints on societal issues. I don't even always disagree with the prevailing circlejerk here on everything, but I would occasionally like to read counterarguments to it too.

There are a few specific people on fedi who do give me hope.

I don't live in that country, but while I like Lemmy, no, I don't have hope any more. I've not had that for a long time now.

It's interesting though, to see the US slowly turn into our enemy, and to consider that Germany will be one of our strongest democratic, antifascist allies against the new axis of evil when the time comes.

Thankfully I'm too old to be forced to fight in the next war against fascism, but I suppose poverty and climate change might kill me before then anyway. There truly is no hope left for me.

…abd this goes on anticorporate. Thank you very much. And yes, I think it does and we do make a difference. Keep it up. Organize and search for people like yourself. Instead of turning the naysayers one by one and burning out, find your allies and spread the word efficiently. Think of the ideal situation and make it happen. I‘m here, lets fucking go (same mission, different continent)!

Fediverse? Maybe. It will stay small and not monetized. For some that's good.

Lemmy? No hope. Lemmy and the pessimistic world views here give ME no hope for anything on this planet. I want to leave, but keep finding myself back here doom scrolling. Some communities seems good though. The platform is good though and seems to be picking up.

The Fediverse and open source world do give me hope. But my worry is seeing people not adopt them. I know they aren't pertect but compared to the big tech alternatives they're a no oasis.

I mean it's really depressing even being in Europe honestly but at the same time it's a huge opportunity. It's time to take it :) Let's show them how decentralization AND open source can be a new standard! I'm seeing the same trend in Linux too and this is so important as well.

Also a lot of new projects to help decentralization are emerging, check https://spritely.institute/ which there's Christine Lemmer-Webber a co-author of the ActivityPub protocol :)