I've been thinking about the "federation is like e-mail" metaphor, when explaining the fediverse to non-techs, and while this comparison is technically precise, I was wondering if it's closer to UX to say "federation is like podcast" (ie. like RSS).
I have no in-depth knowledge of podcasts, but I think a lot of people will be familiar with either subscribing through a podcast client (copy/paste URL in Overcast, Rhythmbox, etc.) or going to a separate server with "federated" content (listen on spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.).
The copy/paste problem in the fediverse is just like with podcast clients. Yet I don't think listeners are surprised to go to a podcast's website and see several buttons that does the same thing (in fediverse terms: "Follow on Mastodon", "Follow on Calckey", "Subscribe through handle").
So could this metaphor and an imitation of this convention actually help to articulate the plurality of apps in the fediverse, rather than just leaving them with a handle?
#fedidev #fediverse #federation #ux
Great reflections by @oblomov on #meta entering the #fediverse . I'm not sure if I support a #fediblockmeta altogether, but I still think the analysis works great.
Oblomov's overall assumption is that Meta will make a fedi platform only to "embrace, extend and extinguish". That is:
"when (not if, but when) it will defederate, it'll push a lot of people to move from the Fediverse to #P92 to remain in contact with the people there."
Almost like a platform made to fail just to gain more users.
One central quote to me, however, is this: "But interaction with users from other platforms does not raise awareness of the existence of these other platforms, as we see with Mastodon even now: a lot of people interact with users on other platforms and remain blissfully unaware, because Mastodon hides this information, both by hiding the platform of origin and by crippling content that isn't just short notes with no formatting."
I think this really hits the nail: The principle of the fediverse's philosophy is not just federation/interoperability. It also needs to design for #fediawareness / #fedivisibility , and it should always require freedom of #migration between platforms.
I saw Nellie Lindqvist's video installation at #Charlottenborg last weekend and was able to track Lindqvist's name to this essay on #decolonization of the #internet in it's most physical sense.
The text analyzes some obvious examples where governments have weaponized the internet against #political revolts ( #Iran , #China , #Russia ), and how the actual infrastructure would need to be replaced, e.g. by #meshnetworks or similar #offgrid technologies.
It's a rather radical idea, yet to me in line with some of the problems that #fediverse and #decentralization also address.
https://shiviravisankar.github.io/imaginingdata/nellielindquist/index.html
/EN (@kzxpr@todon.eu)