Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.

People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.

Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.

None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”

People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.

And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.

So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.

But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.

That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms.

#Fediverse #ActivityPub #Mastodon

@mapache my own hot take is that the slow adoption is because there is a weird anti social streak going on here, a significant amount of the starter user base despised the preexisting social networks so they avoid engaging other user which is great to avoid the noise and the rage but not so much if you make things and hope to build a community

1/2

@mapache For example If you are a webcomic artist, come here, get a few hundreds of followers but they can't be bother to even press the like button you probably are not going to stay very long

2/2

@hashraydamon I have been inviting a friend who does webcomics, who hates AI, is tired of facebook/instagram/etc... to join pixelfed, and he has just refused and keeps complaining in ... facebook.
@mapache pixelfed is a little more active (is user base came from Instagram) If you pick the right server