SmittyHalibutNov 7, 2022

I see a lot of people talking about how Mastodon "Feels like the Internet I remember from 20 years ago."

That's no accident. That's Federation. That's UseNet, IRC, Email, Message Boards, etc. What do they all have in common?

Federation: Users congregating around watering holes of common interest, but still being a part of a larger whole.

THIS IS HOW THE INTERNET WAS DESIGNED TO BE. And I am HERE for it.

Show threadio+
@smitty how is IRC federated? do networks and bridges really count?
Nov 7, 2022 at 5:43amWeb
Show threadSmittyHalibutNov 7, 2022
@io You connect to an IRC server, and that server can exchange messages with another server, with its own set of users. It is a single global namespace so KINDA not federated, but you can run your own instance and connect it to another network if you want.
Show threadio+Nov 7, 2022
@smitty oh yeah, I just now remembered pissnet and it's huge topology graph https://ioserv.hellomouse.net/graph
Show threadEllenor Bjornsdottir   Nov 7, 2022
@io @smitty It’s not, but there’s quite low friction to setting up a relay bot, or jumping between networks, or firing up your own IRCd. Hell, I’ve even modified Charybdis (a notable but now-unmaintained) IRCd before.