I still won’t recommend the fedi to anyone who isn’t white as their primary social media experience, but I will say I think this year great strides can be made to at least think about it as a possibility.
There are some really compelling projects that are maturing (GoToSocial, Bonfire) that seem to be learning from the mistakes of Mastodon, Pixelfed, Pleroma, etc.
There are some exciting developments with my projects that I’ll update everyone on when I can.
It feels like there has been a shift around the fundamental need for quality moderation and curation in the fedi as folks realize it’s been a major weakness and a primary reason folks won’t consider this space.
Of course, I can’t predict if any of these developments will make the fedi a viable option for people that aren’t white tech nerds, but I think there’s a big opportunity to change the narrative.
The big question is does the fedi want to change.
Discussion
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@are0h I'm curious - what would it mean to you for the fedi to want to change? I don't mean what needs to change - I think I understand you there, at least directionally - but what is "the fedi" here? If we're including every single instance, I have to say I feel pretty pessimistic.
@noracodes I don't who the 'we' is you're referring to here, but I'll answer your question with a question.
Does every single instance in the fedi need to change for the fedi to change?
@are0h Ah, by we I meant those interested in this topic, you and me and anyone reading our words. It's an idiom I picked up by living around mathematicians, I think? As in, "We define *x* to be the sum of any two squares."
And, yeah, it's a good question, but not one I feel like I have much of an answer to. My experience of the fedi has changed many times, for better and worse. Many people have opinions they formed about the fedi a long time ago, and all the work and mistakes and malice since then hasn't changed those opinions. I asked bc was hoping you might.
@noracodes I think before we even get to trying to change people’s opinions, we have to be clear about the challenges that still remain here and what is happening to fix them.
I’ve alluded to a couple of them in the original post, so it seems like there is space for a fundamental change coming, but it still has yet to land for a host of reasons.
I don’t care if the entire fedi changes. What I do care about is seeing how many people learn and adapt from the mistakes that have been made.
Some folks will and some won’t but can it be enough to make this place a desirable destination.
I have my theories but only time will tell.
"The big question is does the fedi want to change."
I very much want to believe that! I've seen the Mastodon team engage in public conversations around moderation tools, fediverse social norms, and features like reply controls.
Trying to be cautiously optimistic that things will improve!