dansupJan 11
2026: year of the #Forkiverse
Show threadAral BalkanJan 11
@dansup Be careful what you wish for.
Show threaddansupJan 11
@aral what do you mean?
Show threadAral BalkanJan 11
@dansup https://mastodon.me.uk/@pikesley/115875757810619486
Rational Market Hypothesist (@[email protected])

Wait this #forkiverse thing comes from *Kevin Roose*? https://defector.com/toward-a-theory-of-kevin-roose

mastodon.me.uk
Show threadBruce Heerssen Jan 11

@aral @dansup

In collaboration with the NYT, or at least some of their podcasters. My hopes for the sporkiverse are abysmal. I will be happy to be wrong.

Show threadBruce Heerssen Jan 11

@aral @dansup

I'm leaving the typo. 

Show threadBruce Heerssen Jan 11

@aral @dansup
Anyway, I listened to the podcast where they describe setting up the instance and I was appalled.

Search Engine: The Fediverse Experiment
https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CAD9930591890.mp3?updated=1767911887

Show threadDennis MansellJan 11
@bruce @aral @dansup the podcast is fairly standard for the mainstream '[some decentralized solution] is too complicated for the people to understand'. I would be appalled if I weren't so used to this neo-liberal, consumerist viewpoint.
Show threadBruce Heerssen Jan 11

@dennmans @aral @dansup

Yeah, that part is offensive, but expected. It was the glorification of AI that did it for me. They claim to have used Claude to set up the instance, including purchasing the domain name.

Show threadAral Balkan
@bruce @dennmans @dansup Was it Claude? I admit I was skimming. They were talking about some new OpenAI agent with GUI integration just before. Anyway, that they used AI to set up the instance is the key thing.
Jan 11 at 11:16amWeb
Show threadBruce Heerssen Jan 11

@aral @dennmans @dansup

Yes, it was Claude. It kind of jumped out at me and I very nearly stopped the podcast right there. I probably should have, because it didn't get better after that.

Show threadBruce Heerssen Jan 11

@aral @dennmans @dansup

If there's a silver lining to all of this, it's that the Forkiverse does seem to be bringing in quite a few (presumably normie) new accounts. Maybe some of them will stick around.

Show threadDennis MansellJan 11
@bruce @aral @dansup agreed! We should still welcome those who are genuinely curious.
Show threadDennis MansellJan 11
@bruce @aral @dansup I'm curious to see how different instances react. They certainly don't know how to read the room. I disliked the characterization of fediverse users en-group and as a kind of Luddites. Pretty sad, as is their belief in their AI overlords, but they are has-beens who will probably be blocked or leave when they don't get the kind of attention they crave.