Maho 🦝🍻Mar 8

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

Show threadTom Bortels

@mapache

"Mainstream adoption" is a very poor metric for success. Indeed - it feels it may be an anti-metric - the more mainstream mastodon gets, the less it is a refuge from that very mainstream.

User satisfaction is a much better metric. Lack of aggressive corporate presence. Fewer assholes and nazis and "influencers"- we left them behind for a reason.

Growth pursued for its own sake is the very thing that poisoned the other platforms. Let's not make the same mistake.

If your feed has interesting posts from good people and is *already* more than you can easily read in a day - it ain't broke, don't fix it. And if you don't have enough to read, ask around. We're happy to show you good folks to follow who are already here, and have been for a while now. There is already far more good content than anyone can consume with just a bit of self-curation - no need for more "mainstream", thank you anyway.

Mar 10 at 5:18amWeb
Show threadAlexMar 10
@tbortels @mapache I agree with you 100%. My feed is interesting, rarely leaves me with negative feelings (liberal use of temporary muting, or when necessary, blocking is a wonderful thing), and some days is so active I don’t even have the time to read everything on it! It took time and effort to get to this point, but it’s been totally worth it. Like most things, you get more out of it when you invest some time in to it.
Show threadTom BortelsMar 10

@mapache @guinnessduck

A really important lesson I accepted only recently is: you don't have to read it all. There is no prize for finishing your feed, and there is no penalty for being "full" and stopping. And there isn't really any advantage to having more than you need. It isn't wasted if you somehow miss something - if it's good, it'll come around again.