Simeon NedkovNov 19, 2022

#HotTake: the ability to follow hashtags defies the purpose of thematic instances and their Local timelines. There’s less incentive to move to a thematic instance which will result in a few big ones and reduce decentralization.

EDIT: one might argue the reverse as well, see my reply below.

Show threadRyan MorrisonNov 20, 2022

@simeon I think there is a balance to be found - being able to follow hashtags will speed up adoption and make it easier for those used to Twitter.

However, I think once regulation kicks in and the logistics of complying with DCMS and GDPR when running a server becomes more apparent we will see fewer small scale thematic instances.

I imagine we’ll see universities and large companies running instances including large media companies so reporters can be name@publication

Show threadSimeon NedkovNov 21, 2022

@ryanmorrison Good point.

I really hope that we'll, as a community, be able to keep smaller instances around.

I've seen discussions about finding ways to fund moderation. That might be a worthwhile effort to push in addition to the tech/hosting stuff.

Show threadRyan MorrisonNov 21, 2022
@simeon we could see a digital press card-type scheme that verifies the ID and credentials of a journalist, held by a trusted agency and only requiring a token (yes/no) to be shared with platforms like Mastodon and Twitter
Show threadSimeon Nedkov
@ryanmorrison That’s probably what will happen. I’m struggling a bit with the centralized nature of it, though. Doesn’t really fit the distributed nature of the #FediVerse and, more importantly, gives power to a single entity which, as we’ve seen over at the 🐦 site, has its weaknesses. Of course, a journalist’s association is something completely different so it might be fine.
Nov 21, 2022 at 8:53amWeb
Show threadRyan MorrisonNov 21, 2022

@simeon I did a deep dive into distributed identity for Tech Monitor recently - focus was on the Metaverse but similar principles apply to the #FediVerse

There are solutions, such as using a company to verify but ownership of the token sits with the individual and they opt to share it.

https://techmonitor.ai/digital-identity/how-will-digital-identity-work-in-the-metaverse

How will digital identity work in the Metaverse?

Agreement among tech companies on Metaverse standards, not least as they relate to identity and interoperability, remains elusive.

Tech Monitor