DaneA lot of thinky thoughts the past couple of days. Mainly, what I want out of my online life.
This journey into the #Fediverse has been very introspective. I have seen a lot of change in technology since ordering my very first computer from Gateway back in '98. I kind of just went with the trends, the ebb and flow. I put my trust in a company like Google. After all, their mantra was "Don't be evil", right?
Well, here we are. The dystopian 21st century has turned out worse than what William Gibson envisioned. All the corporate dominance with none of the cool tech (and NOBODY is dressed like Morpheus and his crew from the Matrix. WTF?!). The online world is a digital feudalism divided up by the giant tech companies. Social media, which has been a boon to mankind in some cases, is now just empty algorithms, clout chasing, and empty.
Now here's the #Fediverse. I had adopted #Mastodon early. I saw what a cool thing federated networks were. Not just cool. Hopeful. I tried to explain it to people, but just got blank looks. I felt alone. Moreso than usual. I have tried to leave #Facebook, but none of my friends would come with. Not even after all the bullshit from the 2016 election could move them. The have commitments there. Family is there. Their school or scout pack's group/calendar is there.
So I stayed.
And I let #Facebook's algorithms bury my posts. I supported (and unfortunately still support) that platform with my clicks and attention. I deleted my original account, but when covid hit, I made a new one to keep up with friends and family. I felt defeated.
I'm kinda done with that.
My road now is to get a bit more free of big tech. I've said this before in any number of posts, only to have acquiesced and stayed on the major platforms. But the world is changing. What I'm wanting is changing. I'm getting older, and I'd like to think at some point I stood for something.
It's funny. On our recent trip to visit our father, I was explaining to Sister-Woman what custom ROMs were, and how you run them on a phone instead of standard Google Android. She told me: "You're a technological anarchist." I like that, actually.
And I think it's time I became the technological anarchist I always have been.
I hope everyone out there is well, and if you are facing challenges, may they be short-lived.
Ram Ram 🙏
This journey into the #Fediverse has been very introspective. I have seen a lot of change in technology since ordering my very first computer from Gateway back in '98. I kind of just went with the trends, the ebb and flow. I put my trust in a company like Google. After all, their mantra was "Don't be evil", right?
Well, here we are. The dystopian 21st century has turned out worse than what William Gibson envisioned. All the corporate dominance with none of the cool tech (and NOBODY is dressed like Morpheus and his crew from the Matrix. WTF?!). The online world is a digital feudalism divided up by the giant tech companies. Social media, which has been a boon to mankind in some cases, is now just empty algorithms, clout chasing, and empty.
Now here's the #Fediverse. I had adopted #Mastodon early. I saw what a cool thing federated networks were. Not just cool. Hopeful. I tried to explain it to people, but just got blank looks. I felt alone. Moreso than usual. I have tried to leave #Facebook, but none of my friends would come with. Not even after all the bullshit from the 2016 election could move them. The have commitments there. Family is there. Their school or scout pack's group/calendar is there.
So I stayed.
And I let #Facebook's algorithms bury my posts. I supported (and unfortunately still support) that platform with my clicks and attention. I deleted my original account, but when covid hit, I made a new one to keep up with friends and family. I felt defeated.
I'm kinda done with that.
My road now is to get a bit more free of big tech. I've said this before in any number of posts, only to have acquiesced and stayed on the major platforms. But the world is changing. What I'm wanting is changing. I'm getting older, and I'd like to think at some point I stood for something.
It's funny. On our recent trip to visit our father, I was explaining to Sister-Woman what custom ROMs were, and how you run them on a phone instead of standard Google Android. She told me: "You're a technological anarchist." I like that, actually.
And I think it's time I became the technological anarchist I always have been.
I hope everyone out there is well, and if you are facing challenges, may they be short-lived.
Ram Ram 🙏
David Slifka
nixCraft 🐧
Eugen Rochko
Chee Aun 🤔
Mastodon
Mark Ruffalo