Ancestors

Written by Matt Baer on 2024-09-28 at 02:04

The fediverse is a strange place to be sometimes. It's an open network where progress happens in fits and starts in random, often hidden, pockets. And the rest don't often hear what's really going on. In the 6 years I've built on #ActivityPub, we've all had to fight for some kind of coordination.

Especially re: the new #SocialWebFoundation (which I've backed as an outside supporter via my tiny company @write_as), you can see something new is happening.

=> More informations about this toot | More toots from matt@writing.exchange

Written by Matt Baer on 2024-09-28 at 02:06

E.g. the days of every fedi platform needing to be open source (as you'd get dogpiled for back in 2018) are gone. Proprietary platforms and major corps like Meta are joining, and they're collaborating with other major fedi platforms behind the scenes to take this all mainstream.

But that's what's happening right now, just so everyone knows.

=> More informations about this toot | More toots from matt@writing.exchange

Written by Matt Baer on 2024-09-28 at 02:07

And there should probably be some more transparency. And it can absolutely be alienating, especially to long-time fedizens.

But it doesn't exclude similar efforts from everyone building this space. It doesn't crush those fighting for what has made this place great in the first place.

The fediverse is everyone's, and we should all recognize that. Don't lose hope. Keep on building the web we all want to see.

=> More informations about this toot | More toots from matt@writing.exchange

Written by Frank on 2024-09-28 at 06:19

@matt because it's everyone's, it cannot be a corporation's, not even a tiny bit. A corporation isn't anyone and cannot help but consume the commons.

=> More informations about this toot | More toots from fschaap@mastodon.social

Written by Matt Baer on 2024-09-28 at 06:37

@fschaap agreed in spirit, but I don't see how this makes the fediverse any specific corporation's, any more than email is Google's or ActivityPub is Mastodon's.

Yes corps consuming the commons is frequent, but it's not predestined.

=> More informations about this toot | More toots from matt@writing.exchange

Written by Frank on 2024-09-28 at 06:55

@matt Maybe I am too cynical and it is good you are positive about this, but I'm afraid that's where we disagree.

Read the stories of people trying to run their own completely DKIMmed, SPFed, DANEd mailserver and still getting ghosted by corporations. Mail effectively is an oligopoly now.

A corporation will use standards as long as they benefit them or when they are legally bound to and will (ab)use every opportunity to tweak/break the rules and embrace/extend/extinguish a standard.

=> More informations about this toot | More toots from fschaap@mastodon.social

Toot

Written by Matt Baer on 2024-09-28 at 07:09

@fschaap of course. That concentration of power is a real thing. It's why many people are here.

I just think it's a separate issue from the SWF. And I think it's early enough for us all to design against it (as countless admins, devs, etc. already try to do).

=> More informations about this toot | More toots from matt@writing.exchange

Descendants

Written by Frank on 2024-09-28 at 07:19

@matt Well, let's see and hope I get proven wrong.

=> More informations about this toot | More toots from fschaap@mastodon.social