Recent searches
Search options
Hank Green is the absolute KING of *almost* getting it. He has a month-old very frustrating video where he gushes a bit about how "Blue Sky is a Protocol!"
I mean, yes, you are technically correct. But it is not functioning like a protocol at all, come on.
(edit: video was not "new" it's from last month "someone is making social media bots that disagree with everything" the blueSky bit is at the start)
@futurebird I have to give a presentation next month on “the new Alternative, social media platforms“ and they are asking me to talk about blue sky and mastodon. Unfortunately, they seem to think they both belong in the same category.
Along with threads…
I’m not sure how to break it to them
I'm really glad that you are doing this. Please take note that Mr. Green is confused and he's a terminally online nerd. You cannot possibly make this TOO simple.
Maybe run it by someone who isn't online much at all.
My pitch for an explanation:
Mastodon is solar. Bluesky is hydrogen fuel cells. Threads is corn-based ethanol.
All three are alternative energy sources that market themselves as being a more responsible alternative. One is better in reality now. One is better on paper, but isn’t even close to being real. One is a hoax even in theory.
@inthehands @futurebird @graymiller Except that Bluesky right now is exploding on a scale that Mastodon isn't, which is the opposite of the situation with solar and fuel cells.
Unfortunately Mastodon is something like the Linux of social-media networks. It's special in a way that may make it more robust than the commercial systems over the long term, and it makes it adaptable to all sorts of special purposes; but from a user perspective, it's a distinction on the basis of an ideology of technology that we probably can't make most people care about.
I suspect we're going to end up in the position of the people who keep wondering why Linux never took off on the desktop--it's so much better! Other operating systems make you dumb! If you can't jump through the simple hoops to use it, you shouldn't be allowed to use a computer! etc. etc.
(and we even have the equivalent of the people arguing "why aren't you calling it GNU/Linux" and arguing about the distinction of "open source" vs. "free software" etc. etc.)
@mattmcirvin @inthehands @futurebird @graymiller ActivityPub/Mastodon, if you please.
@davep @mattmcirvin @inthehands @graymiller
I can't even explain what it is with one word. I always have to say mastodon/fediverse because if they search for "fediverse" they will just get lost and never find their way on here. Mastodon is the only place where one could "get started" without someone helping you OR being a HUGE NERD.
But you know I don't want to JUST say mastodon nooo no good either.
But people learned to use email.
It's not hopeless.
The other systems will keep failing.
@futurebird @davep @inthehands @graymiller Anyway, these dark musings of mine were partly inspired by Katharine Hayhoe mentioning that of all the platforms where she talked about climate science, she got a positive reception on Bluesky, hostile denialist troll attacks on Twitter and Threads, dead air on Facebook because the algorithm was soft-shadowbanning her posts...
but Mastodon was, instead, the #1 place for "friendly fire" attention where people were concerned about climate, believed the science but attacked her for advocating it the wrong way. Which is just too perfect. Of course Mastodon would be the home of that.
@mattmcirvin @futurebird @inthehands @graymiller
Blimey. It's all a bit People's Front of Judea.
@davep @mattmcirvin @futurebird @inthehands @graymiller Indeed. I have started blocking purists. The left loves to eat its own.
@louisffourie @davep @futurebird @inthehands @graymiller As do tech nerds who deeply care about a thing, regardless of what it is
@mattmcirvin @louisffourie @futurebird @inthehands @graymiller
I used to be a massive tech nerd, but with age and a more holistic view of architecture have come to realise that tech is an enabler of goals, not the goal itself. It sounds obvious, but...