Chris TrottierFeb 27, 2023

Big Social is moving a way from ad-subsidized free to a subscription model. For example:

1. Meta Verified
2. Twitter Blue
3. Snapchat+
4. Reddit Premium
5. Tumblr ad-free

If this is going to become the pre-eminent method of Big Social's revenue generation, then this is a game that the Fediverse will probably win against Big Social.

Yes, it's hard to compete against "free" -- but Big Social isn't exactly offering "free" anymore.

https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/27/social-media-apps-adopting-subscription-models

TechCrunch is part of the Yahoo family of brands

Show threadCharlie StrossFeb 27, 2023
@atomicpoet The fediverse isn't free—someone has to pay for those instances' servers and bandwidth, even if they're run by and moderated by volunteers! (So find out who physically owns your instance and give them a recurring kickback, okay? Otherwise you might find yourself back on FB or Twitter by and by …)
Show threadChris Trottier

@cstross I wasn't referring to the Fediverse being free, I was referring to Big Social.

But yes, let's get into the weeds a bit 🙂

Running a Fediverse server is free *if* you're running it on your hardware and doing all the day-to-day operations yourself.

Which most people won't do. But then again, that's not even an option for Big Social.

But in terms of *price* (which is what the OP is about), the Fediverse once again out-competes Big Social's subscription plans.

Feb 27, 2023 at 8:51pmWeb
Show threadCharlie StrossFeb 27, 2023

@atomicpoet

Yes in terms of price—b/c the Fediverse isn't owned by a multinational corporation on a quest for profits. Never underestimate the parasitic cost of an overpaid C-suite!

But cheaper does not mean free and sweat equity comes at a price in terms of opportunity cost (if nothing else, in terms of foregone income generating hours), too. (I've run a blog and social hub for about 20 years now, as a hobbyist/marketing for my books. It probably costs me a novel a decade. So not free!)