There is another reason I find the discussion about blocking #Meta's #ActivityPub project #Threads interesting:
I've been saying for a while now that the #Fediverse is a new and different beast, and whoever tries to understand it simply as a direct social media replacement misses the whole picture. We're also federated communities, just as much.
Today we see a lot of concern about "what will the #Fediverse do" with #Meta. Wanna know what we will do? Everything and nothing. Because the Fediverse is not one entity. This is the essence of its decentralized nature - and that's cool. If your server intends to block Meta servers completely - cool. If not, cool again.
But if you expect a unified response on something like that, you're in for a disappointment.
This is not a "schism", a "problem", something to "solve". This is just decentralization in practice. We don't **need** to have the same blocklists, and that's ok. Open protocols are not something you can control, so chill. When the time comes for this subject, choose a server with a policy that you agree with. But if you're worried that we won't all have one unified stance... are you sure you actually like #decentralization?
For those who don’t want to click through, this is the content of the post:
There is another reason I find the discussion about blocking #Meta’s #ActivityPub project #Threads interesting:
I’ve been saying for a while now that the #Fediverse is a new and different beast, and whoever tries to understand it simply as a direct social media replacement misses the whole picture. We’re also federated communities, just as much.
Today we see a lot of concern about “what will the #Fediverse do” with #Meta. Wanna know what we will do? Everything and nothing. Because the Fediverse is not one entity. This is the essence of its decentralized nature - and that’s cool. If your server intends to block Meta servers completely - cool. If not, cool again.
But if you expect a unified response on something like that, you’re in for a disappointment.
This is not a “schism”, a “problem”, something to “solve”. This is just decentralization in practice. We don’t need to have the same blocklists, and that’s ok. Open protocols are not something you can control, so chill. When the time comes for this subject, choose a server with a policy that you agree with. But if you’re worried that we won’t all have one unified stance… are you sure you actually like #decentralization?
Edit: It looks like the post got copied by Lemmy anyway, but I’ll leave it for now just in case it doesn’t show up on Mlem or Jerboa (or if it gets deleted)
You’re right of course. People will flock to Meta, it will probably become the poster boy of the Fediverse over a few years, and then little by little the evil will creep in until it’s so established we just accept it, same as we’ve done with Facebook. The terrible thing is that it will not be something we can just op-out of. I can chose not to use Facebook. With this situation, I would have to chose not to use the entire ActivityPub protocol, not just Meta’s platform.
It’s a disaster waiting to happen. Like you said, I don’t think we can do much, and even if we try, it’ll fracture the whole fediverse concept. But when you ask “Why are people concerned about Meta using ActivityPub?” this is why.
But when you ask “Why are people concerned about Meta using ActivityPub?” this is why.
It’s still worth asking to clarify rather than guess, I wasn’t sure what are we discussing and I got 3 different answers so far anyway - it’s either about ruining the ethos, stealing the data and/or changing the protocol.
Let’s just hope fediverse manages to get big enough before meta launches this so it manages to grow from the influx of new users rather than being stomped over completely. Or alternatively we get other big players into the fediverse too like google or MS, at which point they can fight between each other if they want to.
it’s either about ruining the ethos, stealing the data and/or changing the protocol.
Honestly, it’s probably all 3 and more we haven’t even though of yet. I don’t think anyone could have predicted all the scandals Facebook has been involved in regarding misuse of user data, and that was just on their own platform. ActivityPub literally hands them the keys to the castle. Add in all the toxic political stuff and… it just makes my head hurt.
Anyway, I appreciate having the conversation with you. Discussing it has helped solidify my feelings about it.
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You’re right of course. People will flock to Meta, it will probably become the poster boy of the Fediverse over a few years, and then little by little the evil will creep in until it’s so established we just accept it, same as we’ve done with Facebook. The terrible thing is that it will not be something we can just op-out of. I can chose not to use Facebook. With this situation, I would have to chose not to use the entire ActivityPub protocol, not just Meta’s platform.
It’s a disaster waiting to happen. Like you said, I don’t think we can do much, and even if we try, it’ll fracture the whole fediverse concept. But when you ask “Why are people concerned about Meta using ActivityPub?” this is why.
It’s still worth asking to clarify rather than guess, I wasn’t sure what are we discussing and I got 3 different answers so far anyway - it’s either about ruining the ethos, stealing the data and/or changing the protocol.
Let’s just hope fediverse manages to get big enough before meta launches this so it manages to grow from the influx of new users rather than being stomped over completely. Or alternatively we get other big players into the fediverse too like google or MS, at which point they can fight between each other if they want to.
Honestly, it’s probably all 3 and more we haven’t even though of yet. I don’t think anyone could have predicted all the scandals Facebook has been involved in regarding misuse of user data, and that was just on their own platform. ActivityPub literally hands them the keys to the castle. Add in all the toxic political stuff and… it just makes my head hurt.
Anyway, I appreciate having the conversation with you. Discussing it has helped solidify my feelings about it.