I'm thinking about hype because I'm seeing a lot of business-y types talking about the Fediverse.

A few months ago, I mentioned that investor types have the Fediverse on their radar. They're not actively dropping millions into Fediverse startups, but it's definitely on their radar.

Most of us have high and lofty ideals. But there's sharks who are eyeing the Fediverse and thinking, "Ah, another opportunity for disruption."

Keep that strongly in mind when the buzzwords start flowing.

Some folks might be thinking, "You're just being anti-business! How are Fediverse developers supposed to be paid?"

As it happens, I run a business. I build software. I very much talk about the need for developers to make a sustainable living.

And I've indeed talked about how to best monetize the Fediverse.

Here's where I say the quiet part out loud: the Fediverse is already being monetized.

Mastodon accepts donation. Masto.host charges for hosting. A few devs are hired for theming.

Usually when a slick-haired moccasin-sans-socks-wearing business bro with an MBA talks about "disruption," he's really talking about preserving the status quo for web service monetization: ads and SaaS.

That's pretty much what they're trying to bring to the table. This time, I predict the proposals will be, "How to apply ad and SaaS models to the Fediverse."

But maybe instead of preserving old models, we should think about something different.

Perhaps Silicon Valley should sit this one out.

During the next year, I already know what articles will be written about the Fediverse:

1. Why are the Fediverse and Mastodon Trending?
2. The Complete Guide to the Fediverse
3. Why More People Are Choosing Mastodon Over Legacy Social Media Sites

This kind of content pops up whenever something tech-related gains traction. Hype already writes itself.

The Fediverse is officially part of the tech hype cycle, and the tech hype cycle follows patterns.