Someone just mentioned that what will expand or shrink the #Fediverse is the content people choose to talk about. I actually agree with them quite a bit.
This is partially related to social discovery because if you can’t find people talking about the things you want to talk about, the Fediverse becomes a very difficult place.
I’ve been using the Fediverse for close to eight years—maybe more, depending on how you define it. On this point, I largely agree. Let me relate my personal experience.
When I browse the Fediverse—not just my home feeds but also hashtags, and Explore feed—the content tends to be extremely narrow. Conversations mostly fall into two categories: news (specifically political news) or technology.
Now, I’m a big fan of both news and technology. Otherwise, I wouldn’t talk about them. But sometimes, I don’t want to talk about those topics. Sometimes I want to talk about art, video games, or my personal experiences—things outside those subjects. And I do talk about those things because I’m a stubborn person. I’ll talk about them whether people like it or not.
In fact, some people have told me to stop talking about other topics because they only want one kind of content from me. They say things like, “Can’t you hide this other stuff behind hashtags so I can filter it out?” My answer is no. I talk about what I want to talk about, not what you want to hear. I’m stubborn that way. But not everyone is.
Even setting aside my stubbornness, it’s still incredibly hard to find niche topics on the Fediverse. For example, I love boxing. I’d love to see news about Olympic boxing, amateur boxing, or even professional boxing. But if I search hashtags like #Boxing, there’s not much there.
Another interest of mine is retro video games—not just games, but specifically retro ones. I enjoy diving deep into the details. There’s more content on that than on boxing, but it’s still limited. I suspect that’s because retro gaming is more tech-adjacent, whereas boxing isn’t.
That said, there is good news. Things are getting better, not worse. So don’t get too discouraged, and don’t give up on the Fediverse yet. Topical opportunities are expanding.
For example, with the emergence of #Pixelfed, I’ve rediscovered my love of photography. I’m finding other people who love photography too, and we can express ourselves in ways Mastodon specifically doesn’t allow. On Pixelfed, I can be artsy without feeling like people are annoyed that I’m “off-topic.” That’s huge for me.
Another thing to be excited about is @surf. It’s a social discovery browser—not just for the Fediverse, but for everything. It implements RSS feeds, BlueSky content, video feeds—everything. This app has been a game changer for social discovery.
In the two weeks I’ve been using #Surf, it’s become essential. It’s the first thing I check in the morning. It’s helped me find local news and niche content. While it’s still in beta and has a waiting list, I’ve been lucky enough to get access. It’s a work in progress, so hold your horses, but when it fully launches, it’s not just going to be a game changer for the Fediverse—it’s going to redefine the Internet. Instead of browsing web pages, Surf uses the paradigm of feeds, which is exactly what we need for true social discovery.
Ultimately, we need to expand the topical bandwidth of the Fediverse. We need to talk about more than just news and tech. Let’s talk about gardening, football, assembling IKEA furniture—whatever! We also need to invite people who don’t necessarily share our interests. I’m not talking about trolls, but people who are just being themselves and looking for a space to call their own.
This won’t be easy, but once we broaden the range of topics and improve social discovery—and I believe we will—the Fediverse will truly expand.
RE: https://toot.pikopublish.ing/notes/a3khb7ehx9vrwmfi
josef
memes from outside fedi/atmosphere
Wikipedia
Chris Trottier
Emma (IPG)
Uncle Duke
Eugen Rochko
Rebecca Nordquist
