Adam ConoverEveryone is asking "What's the next Twitter going to be" and bemoaning the fact that the userbase is splintering. But splintering is a GOOD thing. The internet would be a lot healthier, more diverse, in instead of 3 or 4 dominant platforms, we had dozens or even hundreds of upstarts. Yes, centralization is convenient, but as we're seeing, it's also dangerous. If the result of the Twitter turmoil is to drive people to a more diverse, less convenient, less centralized web, I say AWESOME.
Seriously, the most fun I ever had online was in the years prior to 2008 - when instead of visiting just one or two huge sites over and over, I spent my days wandering from message board to personal site to proto-social network in search of cool people and cool stuff. If we move just 1% back in that direction - with people visiting Mastodon, AND Cohost, AND whatever the fuck other sites they like - I'll be very happy.
tinkan@adamconover I think it's better to have the *ability* to shard and decentralize when a big network begins to abuse its users and/or do 'the wrong thing'. (Whatever the wrong thing may be)
Centralization is going to happen, but not being locked in when things get *bad* is a great feeling.
The fact that half a dozen networks exist, or can be created for people to flee to is phenomenal.