Guys, when you talk about the Fediverse to friends, family, or colleagues, how do you explain it?
Do you call it a “decentralized social network,” an “alternative to big tech,” or “a collection of open-source networks”? And how do you convince someone to create an account on Mastodon, Lemmy, Pixelfed, etc., without them getting scared by technical terms like instance, federated, or peer-to-peer?
I’m asking because my so-called friends don’t believe me and even call me crazy when I talk about this “nonsense.”
The future is open source, decentralized, and federated!
I normally just say, “I read [x] on Lemmy.”
If they ask and are genuinely curious what that is, I tell them it’s like a reddit offshoot, but the users control the network and servers with a high level of transparency in administration/moderation and run off software that can have tens of thousands of crowdsourced eyes helping to find and fix any bug or security issue.
I normally just say, “I read [x] on Lemmy.”
If they ask and are genuinely curious what that is, I tell them it’s like a reddit offshoot, but the users control the network and servers with a high level of transparency in administration/moderation and run off software that can have tens of thousands of crowdsourced eyes helping to find and fix any bug or security issue.
interesting!
Yup, I just namedrop Lemmy and don’t explain unless people ask. Usually then the explanation is simple and about how I’ve chosen not to use Reddit for ethical reasons.
I don’t introduce people to the fediverse
The fediverse introduces people to you
deleted by creator
“The memes and news site I use.”
That’s it. No infodumping, no explaining the technicalities, just tell them “just pick one, it’s basically like a username” and worry about it only if they want to learn about the underside of it.
We don’t “explain” email to people - they just pick a site, sign up, and move on.
Working in tech I learned to only explain the workings of something if they ask since most users are perfectly fine on a surface level and can intuit more than we credit them for once they know the basic gist.
I don’t. It’s bad enough that people spend too much time on social media. Why the fuck would i introduce another one?
I’m practically only here because rif died. Its not because it’s enjoyable. I open the app to maybe see one good post among the thousands and thousands of “same”-posts.
I don’t. It’s bad enough that people spend too much time on social media. Why the fuck would i introduce another one?
I’m practically only here because rif died. Its not because it’s enjoyable. I open the app to maybe see one good post among the thousands and thousands of “same”-posts.
You made me think.
“the place I found after reddit because reddit is fucking garbage”
I just describe it as an online forum I like to argue in. 🤷
Name checks out
It’s better to be coherent than not, Miss Princess. 😁
A free and open source social media platform supported only by the users and not by spying on its users.
“Lemmy is like Reddit the same way Linux is like windows. Its not really as good, but turbonerds will give you a thousand reasons why its better and you wont really understand.”
“Its not filled with wankers and bots yet though so its got that going for it.”
“Its not filled with wankers and bots yet though so its got that going for it.”
hahaha I use Arch, btw
I gives concrete advantages like the choice of client to browse those platform, features not getting removed for profits etc. I think the decentralization as a selling point is a failed strategy
I say it doesn’t sell all your data to random companies all over the place.
Honestly? I don’t. The people I know who would join it already know about it and the people who don’t know about it would never join it.
My main talking points focus on the lack of personalized feed, no advertising, no one corporation with political motivation is in control of it, clear moderation log, etc.
I think the key is that you have to show them why the platform they’re already using isn’t in their best interest. Why use Lemmy when they already have Reddit? Why use Piefed when they already have Instagram? Most people don’t realize the surveillance social media puts them under or how its personalized feeds manipulate their state of mind.
Until you explain that, it’s hard to give any reason to try anything other than what they’re already used to.
exactly!
Simple.
Just like you introduce Linux!
I only do so if they talk about reddit, then I explain that it’s like reddit, but some subs are hosted on a server in Germany, and others on a server in Canada; regardless of where it is, any user form any of the servers can see posts hosted on any server.
I don’t really get into the non-federated details (like unfederating from hexbear, etc.) unless they ask.
I just tell people I saw it on reddit because my friends and family won’t use or understand reddit never mind lemmy.
