It’s one thing to be skeptical about a new social network, especially from Meta. But the visceral reaction that **some** people on Mastodon are having to Threads is just bizarre. It’s not constructive criticism, it’s just hate.
Sometimes it feels like there’s a certain crowd of people on Mastodon that just …hates fun? I don’t get it. No one is taking Mastodon away from you.
This isn’t about anyone in particular and I’m not trying to start a fight. I like Mastodon! I love Mastodon apps! I’m not going anywhere.
I’m just pointing out something I’ve noticed. And some of the toxic negativity extends beyond the reaction to Threads.
@ChanceHMiller "No one is taking Mastodon away from you."
That's precisely the fear, however, with Threads Fediverse integration: embrace, extend, extinguish.
@ChanceHMiller For example, this article was making the rounds recently:
https://ploum.net/2023-06-23-how-to-kill-decentralised-networks.html
There’s also a big question of spam and moderation of posts coming from Threads to Mastodon, because instance admins are mostly volunteers with few resources.
@lapcatsoftware Ahh I see, interesting.
These are valid concerns! Some of the things other people are saying (and the associated shaming/bullying/etc) are not lol
I think Meta's history and track record as a company gives people plenty of reasons. Cambridge Analytica and ongoing data harvesting, COVID and vaccine denialism, election denialism and anti-democratic propaganda, good ole' hate speech... There's not much "constructive" criticism you can give to a company that promotes division and discord under the guise of "engagement" because it makes them obscene amounts of money.
Good time to plug Platforms are not your friends.
@HarkMahlberg They worked so hard for the hate they're getting and now people want to take that away from them.
@ChanceHMiller I assume (hope) it's not so much "hates fun" as "worried it may become irrelevant"
@mark has one of my favorite takes on Threads so far https://tapbots.social/@mark/110673320652453425
I'm excited that Threads exists and hope many make the switch from Twitter. I also hope Meta/Instagram follows through on their word and connects to ActivityPub. I absolutely love the idea of being able to call Mastodon home, but have the ability to follow and interact with people/companies I like on Threads. But I will never join it. It's not even about the privacy stuff. I'm still on Facebook/Instagram because I have communities locked in there. I just despise algorithmic timelines and ads.
I don't hate fun. I don't hate expansion of the Fediverse.
I do hate Meta, and with very good cause - anyone who's been in the industry for awhile is well aware of their philosophy when it comes to users (cattle). I do not use their services and I do not trust them with my data.
On a larger level, Meta's strategy in the Fediverse, given their corporate philosophy and previous actions, reeks of the "embrace, extend and extinguish" model developed by Microsoft in the mid-90s, and the size of their user base immediately makes them one of the biggest organizations in the Fediverse - Meta's influence will be significant when it comes to evolving the ActivityPub protocol.
Finally, Threads is just an inferior product to what's already available in the Fediverse. My personal favorite - go and check out Kbin for a bit. Even without the Meta audience, the Fediverse already has better alternatives available that don't cost you your privacy.
Well, once Threads federates, everyone you know on Threads will also be on Mastodon (and Kbin) unless your instance has defederated from Threads.
Rather than following your friends to an organization you know is going to treat you poorly, you could lead them to a better alternative, but I understand your personal desire to have a large audience and to maintain your current connections. That being said, the issues with Threads are very valid, especially for those of us with our social networks already in the Fediverse.
@ChanceHMiller Some are doing the very gatekeeping that they would otherwise rail against.
Such snobbery, too. As if anyone who isn’t all-in on Mastodon is against them in some way.
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