Johannes ErnstInteresting analysis by @DePemig
https://blog.gillesdutilh.com/2026/06/mutuals-are-not-friends-2/
Gilles DePemig 
@j12t Thanks for sharing, Johannes. I'm still not entirely sure I am on to something here, or what this analysis actually means. :) I am pretty sure however, that precise thinking about connection types and how they are perceived by members of different platforms is really important when we think about how to make the #OpenSocialWeb thrive.
@DePemig I've long thought that we need to step back and figure out what exactly the primitives ought to be for social interactions online, and why. Not just mindlessly continue doing what often was grown as historical accident or because it was good for somebody's particular business model. So analyzing Follow vs Friend etc IMHO is a good thing to do even if the applications aren't immediately obvious.
@j12t Yeah, I think so too. The #PublicSPaces conference (in particular the unconference and coffeebreaks) was also inspiring to think again from different angles about what our roles may be in an online social network.