Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.
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Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.
People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.
Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”
People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.
And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.
So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.
But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms.@mapache Mainstream social media is easy for your mom to join and find what she wants. Fediverse isn't local enough.
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@mapache Mainstream social media is easy for your mom to join and find what she wants. Fediverse isn't local enough.
@CrabbyIT but I think it should be.
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@mapache see also, the "But I don't know how to use linux!!" from people who have NO GODDAMNED IDEA how to use... windows.
The real question is, do we really want that type of growth, motivated by personality cults? It brought nothing but toxicity to past DTBO socmedia platforms.
Food for thought.
@faraiwe I agree, I don't want personality cults here, but I wish I could reach out to more of my real-life friends here, tbh, even if just photos of people I care. And people follow people.
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@faraiwe I agree, I don't want personality cults here, but I wish I could reach out to more of my real-life friends here, tbh, even if just photos of people I care. And people follow people.
@mapache have you invited them?
I get it, most see CHOOSING a server is a daunting high peak to overcome, but a nudge and suggestion to prod them over that life-altering (...) decision will land them at the common "enter a login and a password here" part of the process.
FWIW, AYBABTU, etc, What I has been happening is, most folks are burnt out from DTBO socmedia platforms, and consider fediverse to be Yet Another.
Curiously, the same people ends up at blewski. Because cult of personality.
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@mapache have you invited them?
I get it, most see CHOOSING a server is a daunting high peak to overcome, but a nudge and suggestion to prod them over that life-altering (...) decision will land them at the common "enter a login and a password here" part of the process.
FWIW, AYBABTU, etc, What I has been happening is, most folks are burnt out from DTBO socmedia platforms, and consider fediverse to be Yet Another.
Curiously, the same people ends up at blewski. Because cult of personality.
@faraiwe exactly! We need to start inviting more people here. @stefan created a nice tool for it: https://invite.jointhefediverse.net/?server=hachyderm.io&apps=1,2,3,5
and also we can have a "Invite one person to the fediverse" day?
A day where everyone at the fediverse go and reach a friend, family, stranger, coworker, partner, mistress, neighbor, rival, coffee buddy, artist, business partner, etc... and invites them/onboard-them to any of the #fediverse apps.
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Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.
People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.
Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”
People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.
And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.
So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.
But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms.@mapache my own hot take is that the slow adoption is because there is a weird anti social streak going on here, a significant amount of the starter user base despised the preexisting social networks so they avoid engaging other user which is great to avoid the noise and the rage but not so much if you make things and hope to build a community
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@mapache my own hot take is that the slow adoption is because there is a weird anti social streak going on here, a significant amount of the starter user base despised the preexisting social networks so they avoid engaging other user which is great to avoid the noise and the rage but not so much if you make things and hope to build a community
1/2
@mapache For example If you are a webcomic artist, come here, get a few hundreds of followers but they can't be bother to even press the like button you probably are not going to stay very long
2/2
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Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.
People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.
Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”
People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.
And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.
So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.
But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms.@mapache the obvious elephant in the room: massive marketing.
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@CrabbyIT but I think it should be.
@mapache Serious question, how would we accomplish that?
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Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.
People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.
Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”
People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.
And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.
So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.
But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms.@mapache all it takes is a viral moment.
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@mapache the obvious elephant in the room: massive marketing.
@claudius I know, I have think about it, but that means probably dirty money. Or regulations.
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R relay@relay.an.exchange shared this topic
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@mapache For example If you are a webcomic artist, come here, get a few hundreds of followers but they can't be bother to even press the like button you probably are not going to stay very long
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@hashraydamon I have been inviting a friend who does webcomics, who hates AI, is tired of facebook/instagram/etc... to join pixelfed, and he has just refused and keeps complaining in ... facebook.
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@hashraydamon I have been inviting a friend who does webcomics, who hates AI, is tired of facebook/instagram/etc... to join pixelfed, and he has just refused and keeps complaining in ... facebook.
@mapache pixelfed is a little more active (is user base came from Instagram) If you pick the right server
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What if it didn't matter if the Fediverse grows slowly instead of quickly? What if that was better?
I would like to see more of my friends here, for sure. A handful of them anyway. The famous people, with the loud voices, not so much. The longer they stay away the longer I can enjoy the lady in Sweden whittling spoons from a piece of birch.
And I definitely don't want this little corner of the internet to turn into a dopamine factory. That's why I'm happy here, and not over there.
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@Susan60 @mapache
Yeah that's a good point. A few bad interactions can really taint your initial feelings towards the Fediverse.
Let alone the lack of dopamine.
It took a while for me to get my feed right. I ended up unfollowing people I really like in a general sense because too much of their posts were click-bait, or too negative.
It just took me a while to work out what was making my day better, and what wasn't. Which is kind of a big deal really. That's no small thing to be sufficiently aware of what is good for you. Twitter back in the day was making me unwell, but I still clung to it. I didn't want to let go of the connection/outrage/dopamine whatever. Then "you know who" bought it and I just walked away because that was too much for me. So I was lucky.
But it wasn't until after I walked away that I really came to terms with how toxic that space was. And each time I saw glimpses of that toxicity here, I had to make effort to block/mute/unfollow to preserve my safe space.
I just think there's a lot of people complaining that the Fediverse isn't what they want it to be. But in truth, most of us get to make it into whatever we want, and that takes effort and time.
Unless dopamine is what you want, in which case I cannot help you
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@Susan60 @mapache
Yeah that's a good point. A few bad interactions can really taint your initial feelings towards the Fediverse.
Let alone the lack of dopamine.
It took a while for me to get my feed right. I ended up unfollowing people I really like in a general sense because too much of their posts were click-bait, or too negative.
It just took me a while to work out what was making my day better, and what wasn't. Which is kind of a big deal really. That's no small thing to be sufficiently aware of what is good for you. Twitter back in the day was making me unwell, but I still clung to it. I didn't want to let go of the connection/outrage/dopamine whatever. Then "you know who" bought it and I just walked away because that was too much for me. So I was lucky.
But it wasn't until after I walked away that I really came to terms with how toxic that space was. And each time I saw glimpses of that toxicity here, I had to make effort to block/mute/unfollow to preserve my safe space.
I just think there's a lot of people complaining that the Fediverse isn't what they want it to be. But in truth, most of us get to make it into whatever we want, and that takes effort and time.
Unless dopamine is what you want, in which case I cannot help you@Susan60 @mapache
A lot of folks want the fediverse to magically present the ideal social media experience right out of the box. Those are often the people who are easily swayed by an algorithm that presses a few reptilian buttons.
I just figure they're not ready for the Fediverse. And that really is OK. They can join when they feel the time is right for them. -
Every day I’m more convinced that the Fediverse’s slow mainstream adoption isn’t really about usability.
People say it’s because it’s hard to join, the terms are confusing, or the apps aren’t polished enough. Maybe a little. But honestly… look at the platforms people already use.
Finding anything on LinkedIn is painful.
Trying to locate the original video on TikTok is a scavenger hunt.
Facebook is still full of weird bugs and odd UI choices.
Instagram hides posts behind algorithms.
Twitter/X constantly changes the rules of engagement.None of these platforms are exactly “easy.”
People stay because their friends are there. Because the big creators are there. Because that’s where the conversation already lives.
And, if we’re honest, because these platforms are engineered around a very effective reward loop: notifications, likes, infinite scroll. A dopamine machine. You learn the confusing terms and awkward interfaces because there’s a constant reward for doing so.
So yes, making the Fediverse easier to join absolutely helps.
But what would help even more is something simpler:
more mainstream, recognizable, official accounts showing up here.That’s how networks grow.
People follow people not platforms."Mainstream adoption" is a very poor metric for success. Indeed - it feels it may be an anti-metric - the more mainstream mastodon gets, the less it is a refuge from that very mainstream.
User satisfaction is a much better metric. Lack of aggressive corporate presence. Fewer assholes and nazis and "influencers"- we left them behind for a reason.
Growth pursued for its own sake is the very thing that poisoned the other platforms. Let's not make the same mistake.
If your feed has interesting posts from good people and is *already* more than you can easily read in a day - it ain't broke, don't fix it. And if you don't have enough to read, ask around. We're happy to show you good folks to follow who are already here, and have been for a while now. There is already far more good content than anyone can consume with just a bit of self-curation - no need for more "mainstream", thank you anyway.
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@claudius I know, I have think about it, but that means probably dirty money. Or regulations.
@mapache I mean this in more ways than one. My favorite thing to point out is early 2010s iPhone ads. They used their 20 seconds to explain one detail about the iPhone UI each. One clip about the home button. One about voicemail etc.
While pointing out "how easy it is" they actually explained the steps that were not much more easy or hard to millions of people. Who then got their phones and were convinced these devices were easy to use (because they already learned most things from the ads).
agree!
