ShoqJan 8, 2023
We are at most, a few months away from apps with content and sharing mechanisms just not possible on Twitter or other centralized, closed-source platforms. That's when the momentum will really start to build for Activitypub and other protocols supporting federated networks. We have stop talking about it being a twitter "alternative" and start talking about is as an evolutionary step forward in global social networking. Because that's what it is.
Show threadLevi SauerbreiJan 8, 2023
@ShekinahCanCook I think a more important question is "How do we keep it at a grassroots level"? I can run my own instance for less than Twitter Blue would cost me. Ignoring the technical know-how required, I've been wondering why Twitter doesn't just set up their own instance, bridge the two services and effectively monopolize the #fediverse. Or why doesn't Disney? Or AT&T? Or any of the existing corporate monoliths? The Fediverse will always be free, in the way the internet itself has always been free. But corporations will eventually figure out how to drown out smaller voices. And then we start the battle over again.
@shoq @jeffjarvis
Show threadOlav
@levi what would these monoliths do? I mean, I can see an edge case where Disney or Amazon might spin up a public instance (that people could join) but other than spamming their home feed there's just not a lot of value. News org's.on the other hand have everything to gain
Jan 9, 2023 at 7:17amWeb
Show threadLevi SauerbreiJan 9, 2023
@olavf News orgs are a perfect use case for a corporate-owned instance. But right now the data-collection and advertising model is the dominant business plan. I can 100% imagine Amazon hosting their own instance and injecting ads into the feed. Specifically, making an activity pub post using their user's accounts. So if I am following that user, I see the ad. It would be in their ToS and everyone would begin to accept it. Ug.