Liam @ GamingOnLinux 🐧🎮Feb 12, 2023

People on Twitter are using the shutting down of the mastodon.lol instance, to mean that Mastodon “is not a viable model”. Hard disagree.

A strength of Mastodon is that if one instance is shutting, you can easily move to another. It’s quite literally a strength of decentralised systems in action.

Show threadLiam @ GamingOnLinux 🐧🎮Feb 12, 2023
It is also however a weakness in action, as any can shut down. However, that same thing is true of basically any service online ever - happens to online games plenty, they shut and people are locked out (which is why I always argue for being able to host your own servers…).
Show threadLiam @ GamingOnLinux 🐧🎮Feb 12, 2023
Oh your email provider “totallysecuremeails124” is closing. Clearly email is not a viable model. Oh wait.
Show threadGrathFeb 12, 2023
@gamingonlinux So in a decade, there'll be a Google mastodon instance that's got a dominant userbase and defederates most other instances, effectively centralizing the service? 😜
Show threadCassidy James   Feb 12, 2023
@Grath @gamingonlinux “most other instances” is a stretch if you are referring to Gmail. You can go sign up with practically any email provider or host your own and interact just fine with Gmail. Email loses value when you can’t interact with others—the same is true of social media.
Show threadChris (Master of Potate) 🥔
@cassidy @Grath @gamingonlinux Hosting your own email service is a pain in the butt. At the same time that setting up the software got way easier, it got so much harder to get your email delivered to every mailbox. There is a number of services that have whitelist only services. And even if they are not whitelist only, you have to build reputation and pray that the IP of your server was never used for spam. Be prepared that your emails will just land in the spam folder. Email hosting is pain.
Feb 12, 2023 at 4:22pmWeb