Mastodawn

Gik

| 💙➡️🇺🇦Nov 29, 2022

@ethanschoonover 2032 Decentralization for everyone?

Ethan J. A. Schoonover Nov 29, 2022

@gikiski YES. I actually almost wrote decentralization instead of "mastodon" since I think decentralized/federated is more accurate (i.e. I'm not sure it will end up being mastodon or some other federated system) but "mastodon" felt like a punchier synecdoche.

Gik

| 💙➡️🇺🇦Nov 29, 2022

@ethanschoonover Yes, mastodon the gateway to decentralization. Proof of Concept, too.

brett danvers Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover @gikiski congrats! That's the first time I've read 'synecdoche' since I was doing Lit at Uni.

Sehfahrer 🇸🇪Dec 24, 2022

@Digger_71 @ethanschoonover @gikiski It was my first time at all. Never heard it before. Thanks!

BronMason For Kamala 2024 Mar 29, 2023

@ethanschoonover @gikiski Oh man, “synecdoche” sent me racing to the dictionary! Never heard it before! Love it! #synecdoche

cognitively accessible math Apr 27, 2025

@bronakins @ethanschoonover @gikiski it's the last word on a diagnostic reading test I have used -- so I had to look it up then.

Steve Robertson Nov 29, 2022

@ethanschoonover I've got an account from 2018, and it was more for nerds then than now. We nearly half-way there?

Ethan J. A. Schoonover Nov 29, 2022

@stever mine's from 2016 but I am not sure we should start counting from then :)

Steve Robertson Nov 29, 2022

@ethanschoonover It would tie up nicely given that 2016 Twitter was for everyone 🙂

Steve Robertson Nov 29, 2022

@ethanschoonover and we'd be more than half way there 😀

Jason 🏳️‍🌈

Nov 29, 2022

@ethanschoonover But I don’t want everyone here! 😱

@70sgayspaceangel @ethanschoonover

Wiredfire

Dec 19, 2022

1995 The internet is useful
2005 The internet is full of nonsense

2005 Smartphones are useful
2015 Smartphones are full of micro transactions

2006 Twittr is useful
2016 Twitter is trading on your attention

When the masses come along we always see an erosion of what made the technologies great in the first place heh.

But I’m actually more optimistic about Mastodon. There’s enough freedom & flexibility here to keep it good even with everyone else on.

Mikael VJ Dec 6, 2022

@ethanschoonover
Sure, but also: Betamax is for nerds.

Ethan J. A. Schoonover Dec 6, 2022

@michiexile We were getting ad reels on betamax tapes up through 2003 at one of my old agencies.

Michael McCallister Dec 6, 2022

@ethanschoonover Much truth here, but I'm not sure Twitter was ever "for everyone." But it won't take 10 years for Mastodon to get to universality.

Golden Bunny of Destiny 🕯Dec 18, 2022

@ethanschoonover Only change I would make:

2016 Mastodon is for nerds
2022 Mastodon is for everyone

Ethan J. A. Schoonover Dec 19, 2022

@davew yeah I joined mastodon in 2016 when it launched but I felt like the punchline lands better as 2022. Let's hope though that 2016-2026 is the actual span. Would mean we're close.

Sven 🛌Dec 21, 2022

@ethanschoonover Yeah, I was about to say that ~2018 (or, as you say, maybe even 2016) feels more like the start of the nerdy phase. 2022 is already road to mainstream. :-) @davew

Heidi Dec 18, 2022

@ethanschoonover like the idea! Let‘s ride the wave! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Gregory P. Smith (he/him)

🚲🦝

Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover "smartphones are for everyone" happened in 2009 as soon as your divorced parents understood what sexting was first hand
#UncomfortableHardTruth

Brian Dear Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover
1969 ARPANET is for nerds
1973 PLATO is for everyone

Tucker Teague Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover The world has been lead by nerds for a long time.

Matthew Haines (audio/video)Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover
2022 AI is for nerds.
2032 we are your overlords.

BigDave

Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover
I'm such a nerd, I still go on #IRC from time to time.

The Febrile Muse Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover
2022 Mastodon is for everyone.
@donmelton

Don Melton Dec 19, 2022

@CMDoran @ethanschoonover Let's hope that can happen in the next two weeks! 👍

Terry the Fat Shark 🦈Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover 2023: Mastodon is for everyone!

HACKthePRISONS Dec 19, 2022

people were going to jail to get iphones in 2005.

smartphones have always been in vogue

@bigMouthCommie @ethanschoonover

b4ux1t3

#1️⃣Dec 19, 2022

A couple years off. :)

clacke: exhausted pixie dream boy 🇸🇪🇭🇰💙💛Apr 27, 2025

> smartphones have always been in vogue

@bigMouthCommie I'm guessing you didn't have a mobile phone in 2001. The Ericsson P800 came out in 2002, and it was *not* in vogue.

Hawk1291 Dec 19, 2022

Meanwhile:

1991 Linux is for nerds
2022 Linux is for nerds

😮‍💨

Von Xylofon Apr 28, 2025

@Hawk1291 @ethanschoonover One would hope the nonsensical TPM requirement on Win 11 would take care of that, but I guess people will just buy a new PC instead.

Urs Naegeli 🇨🇭🇺🇦May 13, 2025

@Hawk1291

Nope, I just learned that our supreme court of Switzerland works on Linux 🙂

@ethanschoonover @smallsco

DevWouter Dec 19, 2022

I was mostly thinking about a puppeteer show where they sing what the internet is really made for.

Do not play this song out loud since it’s potentially not safe for work environments

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LTJvdGcb7Fs

The Internet Is For Porn - Avenue Q - Original Broadway Cast

YouTube

Scott Small 🇨🇦Dec 19, 2022

@DevWouter @ethanschoonover I knew exactly what this was going to be as soon as you said "puppeteer" 😂

Tasha Sounart 🎮🏰Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover so we've got this to ourselves for about 10 yrs 🤓

Ethan J. A. Schoonover Dec 19, 2022

@tashasounart depends if we should actually start counting from 2016, the actual start of Mastodon. I thought the punchline landed better as 2022, but if we go from 2016, we're actually very close to mass adoption in this "model," loose as it is.

Anon Y Mouse Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover Trying to figure out how this site works. I guess I am a need wanna-be

std::polar Dec 19, 2022

1789 @classicalmusic is for nerds
1987 hold my beer https://www.youtube.com/shorts/n3yOoufnt_8

Never Gonna Give You Up Insane Piano Cover

YouTube

std::polar Dec 19, 2022

Don't sleep on the full version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRlWDjRYUMs

Never Gonna Give You Up - Insane Piano Cover

YouTube

How is that not genius?

#HowToPlayPiano
#RickAstley (eventually you will all come to understand, its okay to like him now)

No matter where we go, what dark quiet corner we find ourselves. If we turn around, Rick's right there, usually pulling some daft face back at us.

I've resisted long and hard, but times are what they are, so.... sorry not sorry. To start:

#RickAstley
#NeverGonnaGiveYouUp
#Breathe
#TheBitch
#WalkLikeAPanther (special owwwiesss)
#DontAsk
#PrayWithMe
#GodSays
#DanceWithMe

..And so on and etc etc ad infinitum .....

I may go as far to say, if we can't find a Rick song to meet over, well, then there's something wrong with you, not me or us.. ;)

Also, I gotta show my dad this. He'll enjoy the silliness.

Tiberius Gracchus Dec 19, 2022

My impression was attitude shift about computers/Internet was 1995 when MS & AOL pointed out to the masses that pornography was now available even in the most rural area of the Bible Belt for a few hundred bucks & $19 a month

Often wonder if Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, etc. ever acknowledge(d) if only to themselves that bulk of their wealth came from giving access to adult websites to people who otherwise saw no use for owning any computer more powerful than a $2 solar calculator

Rodolfo Rosini ☕️✨Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover @databu

1992 Linux is for nerds

2022 Linux is for nerds

Ethan J. A. Schoonover Dec 19, 2022

@rodolfor @databu having run linux on the desktop for 10 years, I can't argue with this

Luke Van In Dec 19, 2022

5000BC Math is for nerds
2022AD Math is (still) for nerds

Joan Mastodon Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover Treffer, versenkt

Arian Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover Mastodon was for nerds

Aubin Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover
Est-ce que ça serait possible que ce soit PRESQUE everyone ?
Si les cons pouvaient rester où ils sont ? Je veux dire ceux qui agressent parce qu’ils ne comprennent pas ?

John Fredrickson Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover Woah look at this guy with a November post date. Pre-December, 2022 Mastodon users are like the pre-2010 Twitter OGs.

Serena De Maio Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover 2022 Twitter is for no one ? lol

Marilyne Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover Can we not wait 10 years for this one, folks?

Joshua Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover "but it's so hard how can I pick a server?".

We had 14 year olds choosing between RodeoDrive and SunsetStrip in the 90s, a few days after learning what the Internet was. You can pick a mastodon server.

Stupeflo Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover 2022 2017: Mastodon is for nerds

JR Buckley 🏳️‍🌈⚛️Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover I think it was in 1979 that the CEO of Compaq said he couldn't think of a reason for a regular person to want a computer in their home. Now we carry them in our pockets. Go figure.... 😆

Jesse Dec 19, 2022

@ethanschoonover Mastodon lets people list and verify links and profiles so they can be trusted. However much Elon complained, Twitter is now the biggest Masquerade Social ever and he likes it that way