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> They believe those platforms are "public spaces" while they truly are "private spaces trying to destroy all other public spaces in order to get a monopoly."

This has been my biggest beef with Facebook. I have an FB account, but never use it, anymore. By walking away from it, there are a number of folks with whom I can no longer communicate.

In some cases, that’s fine, but in a couple, I sincerely miss them.

I like the idea behind the fediverse, but find it too “fiddly” to use. That’s often an issue with things designed by engineers, for engineers.

There’s long been discussion of “One ID to Rule Them All,” but that brings in the inevitable (and completely valid) point of who arbitrates/controls the infrastructure for that ID (“and in the Darkness, Binds Them”).

The thing is, folks really want convenience. If it’s not provided as a benevolent resource, an opening is made available to less benevolent people. It’s going to happen, and all the hand-wringing in the world can’t stop human nature.

I feel that public discourse is particularly vulnerable to the medium. Who controls the medium, controls the discourse, and, as we’ve already seen, that can have serious consequences in the real world.

Not a new conundrum. Social Media has simply sprinkled Miracle Gro onto the problem.

I’m not sure there’s any real solution. I am thinking that today’s newer generation (“Alpha”?) is developing a “thick skin,” and maybe, is becoming resistant to people that manipulate communication. I’m fairly despondent about my generation. We seem to have fallen hook, line, and sinker for the shysters.



I had such high hopes for blue sky. The team seems highly un-problematic. Every time I go on there it's just happy stories and people communicating.

But still almost nobody uses it. And now worst of all, people are saying it doesn't "count" as real federation.

It seems like we're letting perfect be the enemy of good. But what do I know


Bluesky seems to be pre-Musk Twitter 2.0. Its content is basically the same (art + "look at the bad thing the Republicans are doing - the Democrats will solve this"). Its moderation policies are basically the same (post anything too different from what's there = ban. Centralised moderation). Its user base, although smaller, draws from roughly the same pool. And Jack Dorsey made it. And it even has a blue logo. It's clear he just wanted to create Twitter a second time and succeeded at that.


Facebook started as people communicating too.

I just don't understand why do you need to create a new incompatible protocol when ActivityPub exists - unless enshittification is in the roadmap. Even less I understand why prefer it over e.g. Mastodon from the user's perspective




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