Mastodawn

Mastodon Migration Jul 15, 2023

#Threads is not federating with #Mastodon. Not anytime soon, maybe not ever.

In case you missed the #Meta inside information from the Verge's Alex Heath: "Re: ActivityPub integration, it's still a priority for Threads but a "long" way out." https://mastodon.social/@alexeheath/110713788758597963

This whole federating with Threads thing has never made any sense and now we see it is very likely they have just been playing us the whole time. Let's stop falling for this nonsense and get back to building great open social media.

@mastodonmigration I give it 4 to 6 months. Plenty of time to prep and build here…

Brendan Jones Jul 15, 2023

@tchambers @mastodonmigration I'm not a gambling man but I think I want to start a pool for bets on:

1. When Threads will launch in the EU.
2. When Threads will federate (full federation, not just read-only).
3. When Threads will get defederated by the majority of instances (by instance user count).

My bets:
1. By 18 months from now
2. More than 2 years from now
3. By 2 months after full federation

@Brendanjones @tchambers @mastodonmigration do we also need to count the number of instances that will refuse to federate?

Brendan Jones Jul 15, 2023

@maddler @tchambers @mastodonmigration I’d count instances that never federate as defederated, yes.

Shit, what have I got myself in for 😅

o ifrit 🌱Jul 16, 2023

@tchambers @mastodonmigration 1. never
2. never
3. not possible because of 2.

Mastodon Migration Jul 15, 2023

@tchambers Please at least entertain the possibility that this is and has always been a PR stunt. The more time you waste chasing after these guys, the less you spend focused on building out this amazing open social media revolution.

Meg Jul 15, 2023

@mastodonmigration @tchambers I mean, whether it's threads or not something big is eventually going to come knocking. I think a lot of the current discussion is a pretty valuable exercise in what we need to improve for when it happens.

Right now it's an emergency if it does. Hopefully if there's more time (whether 6 months or 6 years) there will either be better tools in place to allow "federation at a distance," or at least a more coordinated and less bitter process is available for deciding what to do about it.

Raven Onthill Jul 15, 2023

@megmac @mastodonmigration @tchambers hey, how come you people at treehouse keep making sense?

Mastodon Migration Jul 15, 2023

@megmac @tchambers Agreed. Fortifying the Fediverse in general is a very worthwhile pursuit. And being cognizant of threats is part of sensible strategy. However, overreacting to every manipulative utterance, reading tea leaves, and getting spun up over specific detailed imagined scenarios is not just a waste of time. It is destructive because it makes us weak and subject to their deceitful tactics. We are powerful. It is our network. No one is going to take it away from us.

Daniel Gill Jul 15, 2023

@mastodonmigration @tchambers I'm curious what constitutes "chasing" in your mind? Presumably there's some misallocation of time and resources you're concerned about, but I'm not aware what that could be here beyond (a) spending free time following the news cycle around Threads, or (b) championing some new features for Mastodon or the #ActivityPub standard which seem to me pretty useful & good to have regardless of whether Threads ever federates?

Mastodon Migration Jul 15, 2023

@dwgill @tchambers Sure it is great to improve our technology, but the other place this plays out is the impact on our community. Likely Meta doesn't care about this at all and is just using us as a PR play to burnish their new cuddly friendly image as a reborn open system pioneer. But it does matter to us that we have to deal with a schism that has started to emerge due to their manipulative tactics. In general, we should be acting proactively not reacting to them and giving them power over us.

Mr. Pataphor, Dadaist Dad Jul 15, 2023

@mastodonmigration @dwgill @tchambers

Linonophobia is the abnormal fear of string/threads.
Preparation is not the same as phobia. Unfortunately, the negative/abusive experiences on social media have traumatized folks getting their knickers in a knot, rather than building & preparing an even better social media experience, as more check out Mastodon and other parts of the Fediverse.
Fear of Threads triggers Mastodon FediBlock Anxiety.

Tim Chambers Jul 15, 2023

@mastodonmigration Wise advice: I see it as likely now mostly due to development I’ve seen and how omnipresent it is in their current UI, but you are right, they could endlessly delay, or end up saying “we thought we could integrate safely but couldn’t.” But I see it as a spur to get things done that should happen anyway, and will be needed whenever the next big service integrates in.

Mastodon Migration Jul 15, 2023

@tchambers Agreed. But we should do these thing proactively, not reactively. If this is a wake up call that we should be fortifying the Fediverse, that's great. We should be establishing protocols for response to the general threat of large instances popping up that may not have moderation standards that meet #Fediverse norms. We should be actively improving #ActivityPub and all of the other Fediverse apps with an eye toward such threats. We should be funding our good instances with donations.

Mike Spooner Jul 15, 2023

@mastodonmigration @tchambers Although, they *might*, perhaps, be waiting until October to clarify certain legal restrictions/obligations:

https://mastodon.social/@fediversereport/110713181734148520

Mastodon Migration Jul 15, 2023

@shelldozer @tchambers 🤦‍♂️