I’ve been asked on TV hits and interviews lately to explain why decentralized social media is better, especially re: Mastodon.

Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

@taylorlorenz Curious what finally won you over?

For me, it was an opportunity to reboot my relationship with social media in general, approaching it fresh, but having nearly 20 years of knowledge about all the ways it can go wrong.

I don't talk about decentralization. I just focus on my feed showing me only what I choose to follow, and enjoying the interesting people I've met here since 2022.

Anatole Gérard—Chevais

@sam @Mastodon @taylorlorenz Glad I’m not the only one having this idea! I would be happy too to design such things, I love doing that
I’m personally from France so the posters would be in French but it should be adaptable to any language

beaiouns :verified:

@taylorlorenz I like to think of it like an interconnected network of computers

jeremiah

@taylorlorenz You can meaningfully have a say in content moderation policies.

Reporting bad actors usually leads to a more pro-social outcome.

I think there are many but that feels important.

Joshua Byrd

@taylorlorenz Free edit button https://bne.social/@phocks/113852656164872270

7sleepersmusic

@taylorlorenz For me it's simple: people are nicer, people are smarter. IDK why, maybe 'cuz there's no algorithm amplifying the most outrageous hot takes, and no billionaire owners shoving their agenda down our throats. IMHO "free expression" means different things to different people. You can spout Nazi garbage on Mastodon if you want, but you probably won't get a wide audience. But if you have a reasonable comment to contribute to a conversation, there's a good chance you'll get heard here.

Wouter 🇳🇱🇧🇷🇧🇪

@taylorlorenz Because people here have to put energy into interacting with each other. And that makes us happy.

Serf de Web

@taylorlorenz
What each user sees on the Fediverse is up to them. No billionaire can force their views into your feed, because your feed is opt-in. Likewise, they can't stop you from seeing what you want to see. If your instance blocks things you want to see, you can switch to another instance; there are many.

Ben Royce 🇺🇦

@taylorlorenz

don't appeal to high mindedness

sell it

- no ads

- choose a server that fits your style, no one-size-fits-all straightjacket

- zero privacy defilement

- immunity to some racist edgelord techbro coming in, buying the thing, and turning it into bigot and ignorance paradise

tuban_muzuru

@taylorlorenz

It's organized at its root level around what I want to see. That's the part nobody seems to get.

Lex

@taylorlorenz Not beholden to one person’s ownership, as in there’s no Elon who’s going to take over and change the whole Fediverse, or even Mastodon

Chronological timeline.

You drive the algorithm instead of it driving you

Lex

@taylorlorenz Reading these comments makes me love the #Fediverse even more

Donald Clark

@benroyce @taylorlorenz I would add

- I only see who I explicitly follow (no feed stuffing and manipulation).
- I can migrate to a new home seamlessly with low friction
- as each server sets its own policies, there is no risk of a central, single, set of beliefs controlling everyone.

Stefan Bohacek

@taylorlorenz I just think it's great that you can get together with a few of your friends and run a Mastodon server for a few bucks a month.

Together, you are an independent entity, you set your own rules, but you are also part of something bigger, you can connect with many communities and individuals that the fediverse is made up of.

And that is pretty neat.

stux :stux_santa:

@taylorlorenz Let me give this a try from a non-admin perspective..

The Fediverse is a place on the internet where you can still meet interesting people from all over the world. Instead of uploading your contacts and following the same people over and over, on the Fediverse you discover new interests, info, help and support and everything you need in a HUMAN social network!

Sorry if it's a little long but im sure you can make something out of it!

Elena Brescacin

@taylorlorenz @tchambers You're not forced to use a specific website or a specific software to look at it, and then use it. Explaining what's federation and what's decentralization is very complex, especially to someone who uses internet passively - without knowing how it really works.
I always say that Fediverse is very difficult to be communicated, rather than used. You can't avoid explaining what "decentralization" really means. Despite blackout and similar stuff are more frequent, they don't see it as an immediate concern.
I always say that communicating Fediverse is like talking about U=U (Undetectable Untransmittable) referred to HIV prevention.
It's a very important concept for everyone's sex life. As it means that if you live with HIV and are in constant effective treatment, even without condom you can NEVER transmit virus to anyone. This destroys all 40 years old stigma we have, theoretically.
But you can't really explain this concept of UNDETECTABLE without explaining (at least the basis) of what VIRAL LOAD is. A concept that you can't give for granted.

Bernard Quatermass

@taylorlorenz “your words”. Not “your words as long as they conform to this week’s ketamine fuelled fetished cravings of the owning billionaires”

Steven Zekowski

@taylorlorenz
Non-profit, no algorithm, no ads. Decentralized means that you control how and where (mobility) you interact with the network, and there is not a single point of failure as there is within centralized social media.

Trish Roberts

@taylorlorenz @stux It’s kind.

Sibshops

@taylorlorenz It's the only social where you aren't the product. You aren't being force-fed content to promote someone else's interests.

Wandering Adventure Party

I’ve been asked on TV hits and interviews lately to explain why decentralized social media is better, especially re: Mastodon.